Rapid Reaction: Late run keeps Michigan alive as Wolverines take down LSU
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Basketball is a game of momentum. Just because you come out hot doesn’t mean you’ll stay hot the rest of the game.
That’s something the LSU Tigers found out on Monday night in the Round of 32 matchup against 1-seed Michigan. The Tigers came out of the gates firing on all cylinders.
Freshman sensation Cam Thomas scored 12 of LSU’s first 17 points and finished with a game-high 30 points.
In the second half, though, the Wolverines came roaring back. LSU held a 63-58 lead midway through the second half, but Chaundee Brown and the Wolverines were too much, eventually holding on for an 86-78 victory.
Brown had 21 points off the bench for Michigan, leading the way.
LSU’s Trendon Watford fouled out of the game down the stretch, but the game was already in hand for Michigan at that point. LSU’s defense — a problem all season — couldn’t get enough stops in a row late in the second half to complete a comeback.
So, Michigan becomes the first Big Ten team to win in the Round of 32, after Illinois, Rutgers, Iowa and Wisconsin had already lost. Purdue and Ohio State lost in Round 1.
Can the SEC hand the B1G another loss? Alabama and Maryland are currently playing. We’ll see if the Tide can become the second SEC team in the Sweet 16.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
