Michigan basketball escapes Northwestern, 80-76 in OT, behind 31 points from Vlad Goldin

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For four years and 117 Division I college basketball games during the time he called Lubbock, Texas and Boca Raton, Florida, home, Vladislav Goldin did not attempt a single shot behind the 3-point line.

This past offseason, however, after he tested NBA waters and received feedback from scouts and team personnel, he knew what he needed to add to his repertoire to be ready for the next level.

Conveniently for Michigan basketball, the 7-foot-1 center put his newly expanded game on display when it really needed it Sunday at Crisler Center, drilling three consecutive 3-pointers — with a defensive swat at the rim mixed in —in the first half to get U-M out of an offensive funk before he led the way against Northwestern in what ended as a 80-76 overtime win.

Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) celebrates a play against Northwestern during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025.

“I felt like I was pretty wide open,” Goldin said Sunday. “Danny (Wolf) taught me something, that it’s impossible to block a 3 from a 7-footer because I’ve tried all summer and I don’t think I got it one time.

“So now I understand how much more time I have usually, so thank you, Danny.”

Goldin scored a game-high 31 points and had eight rebounds while Nimari Burnett added 13 points and Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 10 in a game in which U-M made just 22 of 61 shot attempts (36.1%) and seven of 27 (25.9%) 3-point tries.

It was far from easy, as Michigan trailed by five at the break and had to chip away early after the stoppage, taking its first lead of the half on a Tre Donaldson turnaround with 17:50 to go.

U-M looked like it would take control late after Northwestern point guard Jalen Leach was called for a flagrant foul for hitting Goldin below the belt with 9:23 to play — Goldin made both free throws, then added two more on the possessionflip a three-point deficit to a one-point lead in one trip — but Northwestern retook the lead less than a minute later.

“I don’t know if it…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-basketball-escapes-northwestern-80-215706673.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2025-01-19 21:57:00

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