Alec Cohen / Daily

SPORTSMONDAY

Beilein gives back

John Beilein helped one of his 

former players get back to 

health and gain confidence, 

as the player eventually won 
an NBA Championship as an 
executive with the Cavaliers.

» Page 4B

Tired narratives
Jim Harbaugh once again 
faced rumors that he was 
leaving for the NFL, and 
once again, he disspelled 
those rumors vehemently.
» Page 2B

Design by Jack Silberman

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | December 10, 2018

Michigan couldn’t stop turning 

the ball over. South Carolina 
couldn’t stop fouling.

It was as sloppy a game as either 

team has played all season. But with 
a few offensive rebounds, a few free 
throws and a lot of Jordan Poole, 
the fifth-ranked Wolverines held 
off the Gamecocks (4-5), 89-78, to 
improve to 10-0.

Saturday’s game at Crisler Center 

was promoted as a “Poole Party,” 
and in front of a Maize Rage clad in 
pool floaties and beach attire, the 
sophomore guard did his part in 
aiding the theme. With 26 points on 
8-for-12 shooting and 4-for-7 beyond 
the arc, Poole paced Michigan with 
a career-high in scoring.

“That’s the Jordan we know,” said 

sophomore forward Isaiah Livers. 
“He can score at all three levels for 
sure. You know he’s going to take 
those threes — step-back threes — 
and he’s got to get one of those out 
of his system.”

The fans who came for the Poole 

party certainly got their money’s 
worth. But that was about all they 
got.

Poole’s huge game 

notwithstanding, the Wolverines 
put forth a thoroughly uninspiring 
performance against a South 
Carolina team which came in with 
losses to Stony 
Brook, Wofford 
and Wyoming.

The Gamecocks 

deserve plenty of 
credit, however. 
The 25th-fastest 
team in the nation, 
per KenPom, 
they succeeded in 
turning the game 
into a track meet, 
putting up 62 shots 
and hitting 32 of 
them. On offense, 
they funneled 
the ball through 
their big men, as 
forwards Chris 
Silva, Maik Kotsar and Keyshawn 
Bryant all scored in double figures.

“Our defense was not great,” 

said Michigan coach John Beilein. 
“It’s a tough matchup for us inside, 
and I think we got to get better at 
helping (junior center Jon Teske) 
in the post. Little upset at our team 
that the scouting report said Silva’s 
going to go right, he’s going to go 
right, he’s going to go right, and he 
went right and we still fouled him.”

At the start, it appeared as if 

Michigan would simply run away 
with a routine win against an 
overmatched opponent. Teske 
flushed a midrange jumper to give 
the Wolverines an 11-6 lead at the 
under-16 media timeout.

But South Carolina hung around, 

as it would all game. With 9:36 
remaining in the first half, Kotsar 
banked home a baby hook to put the 
Gamecocks up three.

The Wolverines vastly aided 

matters by turning the ball over 
five times in the first six minutes 
— three of which came from Poole — 
and 11 times in the first half overall.

“We had some really careless 

(turnovers),” Beilein said. “ … But 
we had a few of those. But that’s 
them. They’re good, and you have 

to be able to 
adjust to that, 
and that’s why 
the game was 
really close.”

Michigan’s 

saving grace 
in the first 
half was its 
ability to 
get to the 
line, as it 
already 
was 
in 
the 

double 

bonus 
with seven 

minutes left 

in the 
first half. Poole 

and 
freshman forward 

Ignas Brazdeikis took advantage 
of an aggressive South Carolina 
defense that committed 21 fouls for 
the game. The duo combined to hit 
11 of a combined 13 free throws 
as the Wolverines took a 42-36 
lead into halftime.

The other main positive for 

Michigan was its offensive 
rebounding, as it grabbed a 
season-high 13. Two minutes 
into the second half, redshirt 
junior guard Charles 
Matthews grabbed a board 
off a miss, darted back to 
the 3-point line and drilled 
a trey on the ensuing 
possession. Poole hit a 

triple of 
his own 
on the 

Wolverines’ 
next trip 
down the 
court, and 
finished a wide-
open fastbreak dunk 
minutes later to put 
them up by 11.

With every big 

shot by Michigan, 
however, the 
Gamecocks seemed 

to have an answer. After a highlight-
reel pull-up trey by Poole with 12 
minutes to play, South Carolina 
cut it to single digits with inside 
buckets.

Teske powered down an alley-oop 

with 6:21 remaining to put Crisler 
Center on its feet, setting the 
Wolverines up 16 with what seemed 
to be a finishing blow. But three 
minutes later, the Gamecocks shot 
back within striking distance after 
a basket by Kotsar made the score 
82-73.

In the end, the outcome was never 

really in doubt. Michigan shot 52 
percent from the field, 42 percent 
from deep and 77 percent from 
the foul line. The 16 turnovers it 
committed were an ugly blemish, 
but not enough to cost it a victory.

South Carolina, however, made 

sure it wasn’t a pretty one.

“Today we didn’t play that well 

defensively,” Teske said. “Lot of 
letdowns, but we got some key 
stops. Our offense carried us — 
everyone scored, I don’t know how 
many (Poole) had but he had a great 
game, (Livers) came out shooting 
really well. But when we have our 
offense clicking, it’s hard to beat 
us.”

U-M scrapes past SC to 
improve to 10-0 

JACOB SHAMES
Daily Sports Writer

KINGS OF CAROLINA* 

“We didn’t 

play that well 
defensively. Lot 
of letdowns, but 
we got some key 

stops. Our offense 

carried us — 

everyone scored.”

Michigan 89 South Carolina 78

*Pending Duke

