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A little rusty: No. 3 Michigan struggles in 1st half vs. No. 21 Wisconsin
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Michigan might’ve been showing some rust from that long, three-week pause due to COVID-19 concerns in its first game back against Wisconsin.
The Badgers owned a 39-27 halftime lead on the Wolverines, which is Michigan’s first game since Jan. 22. Though the Wolverines are 13-1 on the season and lead the B1G in the standings, being sidelined for a long period of time appeared to take its toll on the squad.
Not only were the Wolverines not competing in games, they also weren’t permitted to practice or participate in workouts due to a department-wide pause. Making a return against a good Wisconsin team on the road is no easy task, either.
Michigan made just 11-of-32 attempts from the floor and shot only 2 free throws in the first 20 minutes of the game. Wisconsin, on the other hand, was 14-of-26 while making 5-of-7 attempts from 3-point land.
Wisconsin also won the rebounding battle 18-14.
Two Badgers reached double figures in the first half, with Aleem Ford scoring 14 points and D’Mitrik Trice adding 11. Isaiah Livers was the leading scorer for Michigan, getting 13 points, as well.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB