Inside Michigan’s Game-Changing Run Against Tennessee
Michigan didn’t just beat Tennessee — it took control of the game and never gave them a chance.
Midway through the first half of the Elite Eight matchup, the Wolverines ripped off a 21–0 run that turned a physical, back-and-forth game into a statement of dominance by Michigan. It didn’t happen by accident. It came from adjustments, toughness, and a team that refused to get pushed around.
“They showed us in the first four minutes,” Yaxel Lendenborg said. “In the meantime, we all regrouped, thought about what we needed to do.”
Tennessee opened with energy and second-chance opportunities, attacking the glass and setting a physical tone. Michigan absorbed it early. Then it responded.
“Once we started hitting them back and they stopped getting offensive rebounds, the game definitely started to shift,” Lendenborg said.
That shift didn’t just slow Tennessee — it flipped the entire rhythm of the game.
When It Clicked, It Snowballed
The defensive stops sparked everything. Michigan tightened its rebounding, cut off second chances, and forced tougher looks. Each possession fed the next.
From there, the offense came alive.
The ball moved. Players trusted each other. The extra pass turned good shots into great ones. Tennessee couldn’t keep up.
Head coach Dusty May saw it unfold in real time.
“The beautiful brand of basketball we were playing became contagious,” May said. “It became energizing, and then it became a snowball that just kept going.”
Michigan didn’t rely on one player to take over. It leaned into what it has been all season — an unselfish group that plays for each other.
“We’re an unselfish group of guys,” Lendenborg said. “Nobody cares about their stats… we’re going to go out there and do whatever we need to do to win.”
That stretch proved it.
The run didn’t just decide the game. It showed exactly why Michigan now sits in the Final Four — connected, physical, and capable of overwhelming teams when everything clicks.
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