Facing disadvantages in size, length and athleticism, Binghamton fell, 67-39, to No. 3 Michigan in Ann Arbor last Tuesday. The undefeated Wolverines (11-0), who beat West Virginia on Saturday, are off to their best start since 1988-89, their one and only NCAA championship season.
The Bearcats (2-9) opened the first half keeping pace with the Wolverines. They even managed to obtain a brief two-point lead seven minutes into the half, as senior guard Jimmy Gray stole a pass and fed junior guard Rayner Moquete, who connected on a three to bring them up 10-8. But Michigan then embarked on a 19-2 run to separate itself from Binghamton.
With 3:37 left in the half, Moquete missed a jumper and Reed flew in to dunk the offensive rebound. Michigan responded with 7-0 spurt to enter the break up 34-14.
Binghamton kept the Wolverines below their typical pace, an average 78.2 points per game. The Bearcats’ ability to do so spoke about their communication and hustle, according to head coach Tommy Dempsey.
“I think we actually did a really good job of controlling the tempo of the game,” Dempsey said. “[The Wolverines] were playing a real up-tempo style that I thought we would have a hard time keeping up with if we allowed them to play too quickly, so I thought we did a nice job of controlling the tempo of the game and playing good half-court defense.”
The second half more explicitly demonstrated the Bearcats’ resilience, and how staunchly they refused to back down. After an 11-point Wolverine spurt, the Bearcats surged on an 8-0 run over two minutes. The run included back-to-back threes from senior forward Taylor Johnston and Gray, as well as a jumper from Reed. But ultimately, Binghamton could not claw all the way back.
For most of the game, Binghamton was forced beyond the arc by the nearly impenetrable Wolverine defense, resulting in a heavy reliance on threes. The team scored 21 of its 39 points there, and both Reed and senior guard Mike Horn hit their first career three-pointers in the game. Gray and Moquete each hit two threes, and Johnston tacked on an additional shot from deep.
“They’re such great athletes and they really are big in size, so when we did get the ball inside [the paint], it was very difficult to get good shots because of size,” Dempsey said. “We knew that we were going to have to shoot the ball very well to win, and that it was going to be difficult to score in the paint, but then we didn’t shoot the ball quite well enough to be competitive in the game.”
Neither team shot particularly well, as Binghamton hit 34 percent of its shots while Michigan, which ranks No. 6 nationally in shooting percentage with a 51.1 percent field goal percentage, shot just 44 percent. Though the Wolverine’s length and athleticism prevented the Bearcats from effectively producing inside, Binghamton turned the ball over just 13 times — Dempsey’s team averages 16 per game.
Reed led the team with 11 points and eight rebounds, and Moquete followed with eight points, three assists and two steals. Gray added six points, six assists and another two steals. Other notable contributions included Johnston’s seven rebounds and junior center Alex Ogundadegbe’s six points on 3-of-4 shooting.
“I thought we played well defensively, and I thought we played smart offensively,” Dempsey said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well, and that was a reason that we struggled with the score, but I thought we played very disciplined. If we would have shot the ball better I thought we would have been more competitive, but overall, I was pleased with the way our guys showed up and prepared and played the game.”
Michigan sophomore guard and preseason AP All-American Trey Burke scored 19 points and dealt five assists to lead the Wolverines. Freshman guard Nik Stauskas converted 4-of-8 from beyond the arc for 12 points, and the Michigan bench recorded a total of 15 points.
The Bearcats, still searching for their first road win, aren’t set to return to game action until Dec. 28 due to finals and the holidays.
“I think the break comes at a good time,” Dempsey said. “We’ve played 11 games, and we’re playing really hard, and I do think our guys are tired. We’re practicing really hard, we’re playing really hard in the [games] and we haven’t had a lot of rest. So now is the time to clear the mind, focus on finals and focus on physical health.”
Binghamton’s next matchup is scheduled for Dec. 28 against Colgate, a team currently stuck on a four-game losing streak. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Cotterell Court.