WATCH: Dusty May, Danny Wolf discuss blowout win over No. 22 Xavier
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Michigan Wolverines moved to 6-1 on the season with a dominant 78-53 win over the No. 22-ranked Xavier Musketeers on Wednesday night, handing them their first loss of the season en route to a Fort Myers Tip-Off Championship.
The trip to Florida, included a 75-63 win over Virginia Tech on Monday to set up the Wednesday showdown, saw Michigan flex its defensive muscle in a tournament setting, moving up to No. 7 in KenPom’s efficiency model on that end of the floor.
RELATED: Michigan cruises past Xavier to win Fort Myers Tip-Off event
“That was an extremely gritty performance, especially defensively against an Xavier program that we have the utmost respect for,” Michigan head coach Dusty May said after the game. “Sean Miller’s one of the best coaches in our game. They’re a veteran group, and this wasn’t their best game, but a lot of that, I think, did have to do with, with our size and our tenacity on the defensive end.
“We were as active as we’ve been. We were as physical as we’ve been, and it’s a good starting point for us as we have a long season in front of us and a lot of room to grow. Hats off to our guys. They fought they fought like warriors tonight.”
Michigan junior Danny Wolf, who had 20 points and 14 rebounds in the win, was present with his head coach to discuss the win.
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“As Coach said, Xavier is a respected program,” Wolf said. “One of the older teams in college basketball. They play the game the right way. And I think it’s a testament to how we played, it’s a testament to our coaches putting us in positions to succeed. And when you get a championship game, when you’re playing for something for a trophy, for some hardware, it just means a little bit more.
“I know both teams really wanted that. And I think it definitely felt like a tournament game to say the least, and just happy we came away with the win.”
You can watch the full Michigan media session below or on our YouTube channel.
Dusty May and Danny Wolf speak after Michigan win
Michigan returns to game action with its Big Ten opener on Tuesday night at Wisconsin, scheduled for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff. It follows that up with home date against Iowa on Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. in Ann Arbor.
