Michigan Basketball falls to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament Title Game

The Michigan Wolverines failed to win back-to-back Big Ten Tournaments, losing to the Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday, 80-72. The Wolverines were outplayed in the second half, giving up 40 points in the paint and letting Purdue’s front court combine for 39 points.

Here’s how it all went down.

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FIRST HALF

The two powerhouse programs were throwing blow after blow in the first half, with neither team allowing the other to pull away. Michigan saw instant production from Nimari Burnett, who buried two threes to start the game, while Purdue’s C.J. Cox, Fletcher Loyer and Oscar Cluff all got inside for three straight buckets in the paint to take an early 7-6 lead.

The tight scoring continued throughout the next four minutes as Cluff added four more for the Boilers, while Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg got on the board for five consecutive points to give the Wolverines a slight 13-11 lead.

Michigan then proceeded to go on a three-and-a-half minute scoring drought, and Purdue leading scorer Trey Kaufman-Renn answered with four points to retake the lead. Hoping for some juice, Wolverines’ head coach Dusty May checked Will Tschetter into the game. While Tschetter had been very quiet offensively in the Big Ten Tournament, his defense has been a big advantage off the bench, and he made an immediate impact, drawing four quick fouls, two each on Cluff and Kaufman-Renn. With Purdue’s starting front court on the bench, Michigan made its next four shots – Elliot Cadeau drained a three, Aday Mara slammed down a lob, Lendeborg finished his own alley-oop and Morez Johnson Jr. flushed one home with no help.

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However, the Boilers would not go away that easily. Cluff and Kaufman-Renn took turns checking into the game, and Purdue one-upped the Wolverines. Cluff converted an and-one, Loyer made his second three of the half, Kaufman-Renn added four points to his total and Braden Smith made plays on both ends of the court to lead a 9-0 run.

Down by three with…

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Publish date : 2026-03-15 21:46:00

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