Game recap: Michigan blows out Detroit Mercy in Hitachi College Basketball Showcase

With the stage set for the an in-state battle, Michigan dominated Detroit Mercy from the opening minute.

The Wolverines blew out the Titans 90-58, winning their third game in a row to move onto 10-3 (1-1 Big Ten) on the year.

It was the opening game in the Hitachi College Basketball Showcase featuring U-M, UD, Michigan State and Oakland.

How it happened

The game started with poor shooting on both sides, but a Jon Teske put-back gave the Wolverines a 7-2 lead heading into the first timeout.

U-M would continue to roll, as a freshman guard Jordan Poole dunk forced a Titans timeout with 12:24 left in the half, the Wolverines leading 16-4.

Following a pair for 3-pointers from the U-M point guards Eli Brooks and Zavier Simpson, the Wolverines led 26-13 nearing the seven minute mark of the opening half.

Then the 3-pointers started falling, and UD couldn’t catch up.

Robinson hit a pair of transition triples to highlight a stretch of four 3-balls made in a row, giving U-M a 19-0 run and a 42-13 lead at the 3:49 mark of the half.

The Wolverines would build on that run, going on a 31-6 run to end the half and taking a 54-19 lead into the locker room.

U-M forced 15 turnovers in the first half and only committed four while out-rebounding the Titans 26-15, 8-1 on the offensive glass.

On offense, the numbers were solid for U-M as well, shooting 50 percent from the field and 60 percent (9-of-15) from deep.

U-M opened the second half with a pair of Matthews layups, leading 64-31 with just under 15 minutes left in the game.

The Wolverines controlled the game to the finish, holding a 20-plus point lead for the remainder of regulation time.

Michigan forced 23 turnovers on the Titans, the most they have forced against a team this season. They also out-rebounded UD 44-37, with a 15-8 advantage on the offensive glass.

U-M went 11-of-23 (47.8 percent) from deep and shot 47.2 percent from the floor.

Game notes

• Michigan held the Titans without a field goal for the first 7:36 of the game.
• Center Austin Davis backed up Teske in the absence of Moritz Wagner, and fouled out in just five minutes of playing time.
• Simpson continued to look like the top point guard even without starting. Scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while adding five rebounds and seven assists in 19 minutes. Brooks recorded three points with a pair of assists and boards in 14 minutes.