No. 1 Michigan Beats No. 7 Purdue 91-80 to Stretch Big Ten Lead

Michigan rolled into West Lafayette and parked a message on Purdue with a 91-80 road win that underscored the Wolverines’ dominance this season. The No. 1 team moved to 25-1 overall and stretched its Big Ten lead to 15-1, a margin that will be tough to close.

From the opening tip the Wolverines imposed their will, ripping off a 15-0 run and leaving the Boilermakers scoreless for more than four minutes to forge a 25-11 edge. That kind of start simply proved too much for Purdue to recover from.

Dusty May previously said Cadeau has a ‘special’ way of running the offense, and the night in Purdue proved the point. Cadeau led the way with 17 points and seven assists, including six assists in the first half.

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Michigan turned its ambition on the boards into real outcomes, grabbing extra possessions and turning them into baskets. The team owned a 14-4 edge in second chance points during the first half, and overall the Wolverines won the rebounding battle 39-31 led by Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr who pulled down 11 boards apiece.

Depth is Michigan’s calling card, and Purdue felt the sting as nine players scored, with six reaching double figures. The bench produced thirty four points, led by Trey McKenney with thirteen on three of four shooting from beyond the arc and L. J. Cason with thirteen.

Ball movement and connectivity were on full display. The first fourteen made shots were all assisted, and Michigan finished with 24 assists on 30 field goals, a ratio that translates to 1.38 points per possession. Yaxel Lendeborg did not shy away from the spotlight after his viral social media moment this week, filling the stat sheet with 13 points, seven assists, two rebounds and two blocks.

With the season winding down, his Big Ten Player of the Year resume continues to grow, and it is hard to argue against the run he has put together in the last 10 games. Michigan is checking off the boxes of a possible national champion. No. 1 in the AP Poll for a reason, they have beaten a trio of top ten opponents including road wins at Michigan State and Purdue, solid indicators of a team that can go the distance.

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Lendeborg’s viral social media moments this week are more than noise; they reflect a player who thrives with the stage on him and lifts his teammates. Up next Michigan carries an eleven game winning streak into a marquee clash with Duke in Washington DC.

The game is set for Saturday at six thirty p.m. in Capital One Arena, and the arena will be buzzing with anticipation. Coaching and depth again show as Michigan plays to its strengths. This is the kind of depth that turns a regular season into a championship chase.

Bottom line is this is the kind of performance that makes skeptics think again and fans dream of a title. If Michigan keeps this pace up the road to a crown will not be a straight line.

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