Michigan Basketball opens preseason with blowout win over Eastern Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines returned to the court for the first time since winning the national championship last season, taking down the Eastern Michigan Eagles, 87-62, in the preseason opener at the Crisler Center on Sunday.

Not only was the exhibition game an opportunity to work out some of the kinks and get ready for the regular season, but it was also the debut of first-year head coach Mike Boynton Jr. It couldn’t have gone much better for Boynton’s team.

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Here’s the recap, highlights and stats.

FIRST HALF

Michigan wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as guard Elliot Cadeau connected with center Moustapha Thiam for an alley-oop just seconds in the game. Just moments later, guard Trey McKenney made a three-pointer to take a 5-0 lead.

The defense picked up right where it left off last year, forcing three turnovers and holding Eastern Michigan scoreless for the first three minutes. Michigan forward J.P. Estrella got in on the scoring action as well, with a three-pointer of his own.

McKenney’s hot start continued in the ensuing minutes as the All-Big Ten guard drilled a mid-range jumper and finished a tough reverse layup to extend the lead to 13-6. Estrella also had an emphatic tip-in slam to get the crowd on their feet.

Michigan went cold for a stretch, going scoreless for over three minutes and committing five turnovers in the span, but McKenney stopped the drought with a four-point play to extend the lead to 19-12 with 9:39 remaining in the first half.

Later in the half, the Wolverines got the freshmen involved as guard Joseph Hartman and forward Quinn Costello each drilled a three-pointer in their Crisler Center debut. McKenney also added a layup to cap off a 12-2 run and take a 27-14 lead.

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Michigan held a double-figure lead for a moment, until Eastern Michigan went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 31-28 in the final minutes of the half. The Wolverines immediately responded with an 8-0 run to take a 39-28 lead into halftime.

Cadeau scored six…

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Publish date : 2026-10-11 21:27:00

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