As Texas started bullying their way inside and on the glass, Michigan's Glenn Robinson III took over. A jumper, followed by a three pointer, increased Michigan's lead from just 6 to 11. That swing, with around 7 minutes left, was the big momentum gainer for the Wolverines.
Michigan came out cold to start the game, but quickly raced to a 13-6 lead after trailing 6-3. The Wolverines played great defense in the first half, and increased that lead to as much as 18 points in the first 20 minutes.
At halftime, Rick Barnes must've gave Tom Izzo a call. They decided they were not going to lose the rebounding battle, and they were going to be physical, very physical. They out rebounded the Wolverines 41-30 including an impressive 21 offensive rebounds. But it wasn't enough.
The Wolverines shot 50% from behind the arc, 14 for 28. Michigan had 4 scorers in double figures, with a team high going to Nik Stauskas getting 17. Stauskas could of had 19, because in the second half he soared toward the basket attempting a monster dunk that ultimately hit the back iron and bounced out.
But the player of the game had to be Jordan Morgan, who got 15 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the NCAA Tournament. He was big defensively as well, holding Texas' big guys, Cameron Ridley and Jonathan Holmes, to a combined 15 points. If you remember, Ridley had 17 points and a game winner just two days ago against Arizona State.
Texas high scorer was Isaiah Taylor who scored 22 points but took 22 shots from the floor.
Michigan just proved to be the better team tonight. When Texas made a run and cut the lead to 6, Michigan responded. Down the stretch they did all the little things they needed to do to hold on and even increase the lead to solidify the victory. The Wolverines have faced adversity all season, especially early on with the grueling out-of-conference schedule. That strategy is paying off now, as they don't seem to get rattled often when things start going bad.
John Beilein and the Wolverines will now wait and see who they face next. Either Mercer or Tennessee, and the Wolverines will have four days to prepare for their next opponent.
Sweet Sixteen. Yes, it is oh-so-sweet for the Wolverines.