Villanova Flounders at Championship Hopeful No. 2 Michigan

Villanova played a basketball game on Tuesday, Dec. 9. It did not go well for them, as the Wildcats (8-2) lost 89-61 to the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. 

Villanova kept it close in the early going, cutting the deficit to 10-7 at the under 16 minute media timeout with a Devin Askew three-point shot. From there, the Wolverines reeled off one of two dominant runs that put the game out of reach, scoring 11 points in a span of 79 seconds before an Acaden Lewis jumper broke up the onslaught. Askew, who tied with Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau for a game-high 18 points, nailed two more three pointers on consecutive possessions, the second off a Lewis steal, and drew a foul to complete a four point play and make it 24-16.

Michigan responded with a 15-0 run that pushed their lead north of 20 points and, although Askew continued to play hero ball, contributing to a 7-2 run with a jumper and a three-point shot, the Wolverines spent the last 6:31 of the half on a 12-0 onslaught that made it 53-23.

Villanova managed to outscore Michigan 38-36 in the second half, but senior forward Duke Brennan racked up two foul calls in the first 73 seconds. That put Brennan one whistle from fouling out and further tilted the glass in the Wolverines’ favor: they outrebounded Villanova 53-33 on the evening.

The Wildcats chucked up 37 three-point shots in an attempt to keep pace but made just ten; Michigan shot a similar 9-of-33 from beyond the arc, but they dominated at a 24-of-36 clip from two-point range, more than enough to control the flow of the game.

Up next, Villanova will host the Pittsburgh Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.