Michigan basketball pounds Penn State to reach historic start

Michigan basketball is chasing history this season. There’s a ways to go, but Thursday, Feb. 5, brought something never achieved before in the program’s 110 seasons.

The No. 2 Wolverines pounded Penn State, 110-69, at Crisler Center to improve to 21-1 – the best 22-game start in U-M history. Doing so also nudged Michigan back into a tie atop the Big Ten with Illinois at 11-1 in league play.

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Penn State is nowhere near the top of the conference, making this a rout almost from the start; Michigan allowed the opening bucket, then ripped off the next 15 points over nearly eight minutes. That sparked the most flawless half U-M has played perhaps all season, but certainly since its torrid streak in Vegas.

Michigan Wolverines guard Nimari Burnett (4) dunks in the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.

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It was thanks in large part to Nimari Burnett, who put up a career-high 31 points while dominating both inside and out. The sixth-year senior hit 11 of 16 shots – including a career-high seven 3-pointers. He also threw down three dunks in less than two minutes as Michigan turned it into a laugher in the first half.

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Michigan had separate runs of 15-0, 10-2, 10-2 and 10-2 to build a 32-point lead at the break. It was simply dominance on both ends of the court, with the Wolverines winning the rebounding battle by an absurd 24-4 margin in the opening half. Over the first 20 minutes, Michigan also led in bench points (19-2), second-chance points (15-0) and assists (14-2).

Overall, it was another hot shooting night, as the Wolverines hit 15 of 29 3-pointers (51.7%). Morez Johnson Jr. finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, Trey McKenney scored 12 and Aday Mara added 11. No Wolverine played more than 27 minutes.

Wolverines have a dunk party

In addition to 21 points on 3s in the first half, Michigan couldn’t be stopped…

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Publish date : 2026-02-06 01:35:00

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