The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Monday, April 2, 2018 — 3B
Wagner turns in best performance yet on biggest stage
SAN ANTONIO, Texas —
Moritz Wagner left his hotel
room early on Friday.
The
junior
forward
was
anxious about the Michigan
men’s basketball team’s Final
Four matchup with Loyola-
Chicago, and he couldn’t stand
sitting still anymore, letting the
nerves fester.
So he told his roommate,
sophomore center Jon Teske,
that he was leaving.
“I was a little restless and
wanted
to
get
out
there,”
Wagner
said.
“When
you
prepare for a week for a game,
I hate that. I want to play
basketball, that’s why I play.”
Who could blame Wagner for
getting restless? In a postseason
where every game is the new
biggest game of Wagner’s and
every other Wolverine’s career,
Saturday’s game was the next
one up.
In hindsight, Wagner had
nothing to worry about.
When
all
was
said
and
done, he dropped 24 points
and 15 rebounds in front of
68,000-plus, fueling his team
to an appearance in the NCAA
Championship
game.
The
performance was the third time
in history that a player had a
20-point, 15-rebound game in
the semifinals, putting Wagner
in the same company as Hakeem
Olajuwon and Larry Bird.
“Wow. If you put it like that,
it’s probably cool,” Wagner
said of the distinction. “But
to be honest, I kept looking
possession by possession, we
had trouble scoring (in) the first
half. We scored 22 points and
that was kind of the only way
we found our way to the basket.
Grab offensive rebounds and
get second-shot opportunities.”
It’s typical of Wagner to
shrug off his accomplishment.
After all, this is the same
guy who has said he doesn’t
understand America’s obsession
with awards.
But
especially
on
the
rebounding side
of
things,
the
performance is a
standout one.
Part
of
Wagner’s
success
can
be credited to
John
Beilein’s
gameplan.
Instead
of
the
pick-and-
pops
that
have become Wagner’s bread
and butter, Beilein decided
that, against the undersized
Ramblers, Wagner could be
used as an asset on the glass.
So Beilein told him to dive
down to the block when a guard
switched onto him.
But most of the success
should be credited to Wagner
himself.
His
immense growth
on the boards
was
evident
in
Saturday’s
national
semifinal.
The
knock
on Wagner had
always
been
his defense and
rebounding,
and
he’s
acknowledged that before. He’s
worked tirelessly to improve
those parts of his game, and it’s
shown, in flashes, over the year.
Never like Saturday, though.
Against a smaller opponent,
Wagner feasted on the glass.
Six of his 15 boards were on the
offensive end, both good enough
for career highs. It seems his
hard work has paid off.
“I think we all forget when
we’re recruiting, which players
are gonna grow? Or which ones
are gonna transfer because they
aren’t growing fast enough,
because they’re probably not
putting in the work?” Beilein
said. “Moe puts in the work.
“You know, his freshman
year, we had to get him off the
court over and over again. He’d
have a flash, and then we’d say,
‘What is going on?’ Gradually,
he’s growing and he’s growing.
He’ll misstep, but he grows.
That’s what good players do, and
that’s how college teams win.
And that’s also how you have a
great career after college.”
Early in his career, Beilein
had to take Wagner off the
court. Saturday, there was no
option
but
to
leave
him
out
there.
That
was
partially
because of his
play, but it was
also
because
Teske, Wagner’s
backup,
picked
up
two
early
fouls.
So
Wagner
played 19 first-
half minutes, getting a double-
double in the frame with 11
points and 11 boards. If he
hadn’t, the Wolverines, who
shot just 29 percent from the
field and 15.4 from three, may
not have been within reaching
distance of Loyola.
As Wagner jogged up the
tunnel at halftime, his jersey
was so drenched with sweat
it was nearly see-through. He
finished with 36 minutes, tied
for the most he’s ever played in
a game without overtime.
“He’ll be able to hold up, but
we’ve gotta get him a lot of rest
tomorrow,” Beilein said. “… But
Moe, we played him a lot. We
played him a lot — probably too
many minutes — but I thought
we had to to win the game, so
we can play Monday. But he’ll
have a day of rest. He’s pretty
good at that.”
For all the new sides to
Wagner’s game that Saturday’s
performance showed, there was
all the old stuff, too.
He still exhibited the deep
range,
going
3-for-7
from
beyond the arc, and he still
was his goofy self, flexing and
celebrating
for
the
crowd.
He even leapt over the CBS
announcing team at one point.
For now, Wagner says he’s
exhausted, and for good reason.
In
a
game
that
many
expected to be decided by the
matchup between the big men,
Wagner came out on top. And in
a season when the Wolverines
have looked to
Wagner
time
and time again
to
provide
a
spark, he came
through again.
On Saturday,
the old and new
parts of Wagner
combined
to
form
the
best
version of him
yet.
Despite
the sweat and the grind and
the weight of his team on his
shoulders and a near collision
with an announcers table, they
couldn’t take him off the floor.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Junior forward Moritz Wagner recorded a career-high 15 rebounds while leading all scorers with 24 points in Michigan’s 69-57 win over Loyola-Chicago.
MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
The junior forward became just the third player ever to tally at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in the national semifinals
“I was a little
restless and
wanted to get
out there.”
For now,
Wagner says he’s
exhausted, and
for good reason.
Matthews mean mugs his way to title game
SAN ANTONIO, Texas —
After the final buzzer sounded,
Charles
Matthews
was
the
last player to climb down the
elevated floor and swagger his
way to the concrete underbelly
of the Alamodome. Many of his
teammates, smiling from ear-
to-ear and yelling at full throat,
had chosen to go through a line
of high-fives with Michigan
students. Moritz Wagner even
jumped to meet the hands draped
over the railing above, reenacting
an NBA combine vertical test.
Matthews took a different
approach. He trotted down the
steps, showed the camera the
name across the front of his
bright-maize jersey and sashayed
down the tunnel unbothered. His
chin pointed high, he molded a
half-smiled smirk. It was a look
of confidence — one of those, “I’m
good, and I know it,” faces.
Matthews
breathed
that
moxie throughout Saturday. The
redshirt sophomore guard scored
17 points, grabbed five boards
and added three steals against
the darlings of his hometown
Chicago, helping to send the
Michigan men’s basketball team
to the national championship.
“Charles was a beast,” said
freshman forward Isaiah Livers.
“We see him like that all the time
in practice. I was wondering
when it was going to come out
again, and it came out at the right
time.”
It came out early. When the
Ramblers switched a screen
on
the
Wolverines’
second
possession,
Matthews
found
himself in a glaring mismatch
against
Ramblers’
center
Cameron Krutwig. Matthews
knew what to do: Jab step,
pump fake and then pop it for
Michigan’s first three points.
Five minutes later, he drove
inside and sunk a layup with
a foul, “mean mugging” as he
swaggered across the baseline in
celebration.
“We feel like we’re at our best
when he’s aggressive,” said fifth-
year senior forward Duncan
Robinson, “and that’s been the
case all season.”
Matthews was essentially one
of two consistent options for
the Wolverines offensively, as
the rest of the team desperately
struggled to hit shots. As such,
Matthews was the go-to option
when Loyola clung to a seven-
point lead early in the second
half, slashing his way to a pair of
scores to keep things close.
“I really saw an intense look
in his eyes — he really wanted to
win,” said freshman guard C.J.
Baird. “Nobody was going to let
anybody stop him.”
Wagner, of course, eventually
charged the comeback for the
Wolverines, finishing with a
monstrous 24-point, 15-rebound
performance.
But
it
was
Matthews who helped Wagner
and the Wolverines get there.
Up
a
nickel,
Matthews
penetrated and collapsed the
defense, then kicked to a wide-
open
Wagner
outside,
who
essentially put the game away
with just over 3:03 to go.
And if it wasn’t over then, it
certainly was two minutes later
when
Matthews
punctuated
his night with a two-handed
tomahawk jam.
“It’s the big stage. Charles has
been waiting for this for a while,”
Livers said. “He transferred
from one of the top-tier teams in
the country, and he comes here
wanting to do that same thing.
He’s going to put on a show no
matter what.”
There were long stretches
where
Matthews
was
far
from that. After leading the
Wolverines in scoring during
non-conference play, his play
halted in January and February.
Matthews pressed, settling for
contested fadaways and low-
percentage
two-pointers.
He
traveled like clockwork, his feet
shuffling instead of moving in
harmony.
Things hit rock bottom when
Matthews went scoreless against
Penn State in February — a
surprising turn for a player who
was once Michigan’s leading
scorer.
Coach
John
Beilein
thought
Matthews
wasn’t
playing with much confidence.
But Matthews has certainly
found
it
in
the
NCAA
Tournament.
He
had
31
combined points in the first
two rounds, then 35 and a West
Regional MVP Award in the
second weekend.
“This young man has done
such a good job of just growing
as a player,” Beilein said. “And
it’s showing off every day that he
goes out there.
“His
future
is
brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant.”
Saturday was still Wagners’
night.
But
Matthews
was
undoubtedly
essential
to
Michigan’s win, playing Robin to
Wagner’s Batman along the way.
And if his walk off the floor
is any indication, Mattthews is
perfectly okay with that.
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Editor
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Charles Matthews tallied 17 points, five rebounds and three steals.
Even though Saturday’s storm
had long passed by the time Tera
Blanco set foot on Alumni Field,
the senior right-hander showed
that when it rains, it pours.
With the Michigan softball
team nursing a 1-0 lead heading
into the fifth inning, it was time
to make something happen. In
the previous inning, Blanco was
pulled from her pitching duties
after Purdue loaded the bases.
While she could no longer help
in the circle, she could make
something happen at the plate.
The Wolverines had the bases
loaded when Blanco settled into
her hitting stance and sized
up
Boilermakers’
right-hander
Sydney Bates’ first pitch.
Smack. Grand slam. Almost
effortlessly, it was 5-0.
“Right before that at-bat Hutch
told me don’t try too hard, and
I think that was my motto all
weekend: Don’t try all weekend
and be short to the ball,” Blanco
said. “That was really successful
for me and I had a feeling they
were going to throw me outside
that pitch.”
For much of Michigan’s 6-0
win, which concluded a three-
game sweep of Purdue, the
Wolverines put pressure on Bates.
Junior outfielder Natalie Peters
reached third base in both the first
and third innings off Boilermaker
errors, and each time it seemed
like Michigan was ready to blow
the game wide open. Even senior
utility player Nikki Wald spent
some time on third base in the
fourth.
In
each
instance
though,
the Wolverines simply couldn’t
convert.
Freshman
designated
hitter Lou Allan grounded out to
third base to strand Peters in the
first inning. Two innings later,
Peters watched Allan ground
out again, this time to first. In
the fourth, junior catcher Katie
Alexander watched Bates’ pitch
sail by her for a strikeout, and the
crowd let out an audible groan.
But
Purdue
wasn’t
having
much
luck
at
the plate either.
Even
though
they
threatened
in
the
fourth,
freshman
left-
hander Meghan
Beaubien
came
in
for
Blanco
and baited the
Boilermakers into
a groundout.
“We weren’t sure if she was
ready,” said Michigan coach Carol
Hutchins on Beaubien. “I went
to to the mound to give Meghan
a little extra time. I think Tera
was ready but our offense wasn’t
exactly zooming along, so we
needed to hold them down. I just
told her to do her part. We need
everyone to do their part.”
From that point on, Purdue
struggled to consistently get on
base, which Beaubien credited to
coming in with a positive mindset.
“When you come in with the
bases loaded you can’t go in with
that mindset that ‘oh the bases are
loaded’,” Beaubien said. “You just
gotta go in and throw your pitch,
and I trust that the pitch I throw is
good enough to get them out.”
In a game filled with stranded
baserunners
and
inconsistent
pitching, Beaubien and Blanco
reminded
Michigan,
the
Boilermakers
and
everyone
in
attendance
that
softball,
in the words of
Hutchins, has to
be played one ball
and one pitch at a
time.
After
all,
Blanco
only
needed one towering hit and one
ill-placed pitch to ensure Purdue
stormed back to West Lafayette
winless.
Blanco’s grand slam leads Michigan to 5-0 win
RIAN RATNAVALE
Daily Sports Writer
SOFTBALL
It took only one at-bat for the senior to change the game
“I just told her to
do her part. We
need everyone to
do their part.”