NCAA Tournament 2017, Louisville vs Michigan: Highlights, score and recap

In an instant classic, the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines erased an eight-point halftime lead to defeat No. 2 Louisville in Midwest Region action.

The matchup between the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals and No. 7 Michigan Wolverines was supposed to be a good one, and the two teams certainly lived up to that billing. Trailing for the entire first half, the Wolverines battled back to tie the game up with nine minutes left, eventually coming away with the victory. Michigan was able to avenge their loss in the 2013 NCAA Championship Game to the Cardinals, and in the process, will now head to the Sweet 16.

Sophomore Moritz Wagner proved to be the difference maker in the game, as the Cardinals had no answer for him during the second half. Wagner finished with a game-high 26 points, as he looked like a completely different player than the one who scored only six points in the team’s first round victory against Oklahoma State. He was one of four Wolverines in double-figures on the day, as Michigan’s depth proved to be too much for the Cardinals in the end.

Louisville looked so good early on that it appeared the Michigan run would come to an end. The Wolverines came into the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in college basketball, fresh off a victory in the Big Ten title game, but struggled to get it going from the perimeter in the first half. Their guard play had led them up until this point, but it was the big man, Wagner who would take control of the game when it counted on Sunday.

Michigan outscored the Cardinals by 12 points in the second half, and once they tied the game up with nine minutes left, you could see the tide changing. The Wolverines worked a nice inside-out game against the Cardinals in the final ten minutes, as they used their size and skill down low to overmatch Louisville. A matchup with either No. 3 Oregon or No. 11 in the Sweet 16 is on the horizon for the Wolverines, who just may be the team to come out of the Midwest Region.

Highlights

Three Stars

Moritz Wagner, Michigan

Wagner scored a career-high 26 points for the Wolverines on Sunday, leading the charge in the second half. The sophomore forward was able to get it going from the outside, and when he had one-on-one matchups in the paint, he proved to be too much for the Cardinals. It was a completely different showing from Wagner on Sunday, and with the Wolverines heading to the Sweet 16, they are going to need this version of him next week.

D.J. Wilson, Michigan

The junior forward is having one heck of an NCAA Tournament, follow his 19 point first round performance with 17 points on Sunday. Wilson went 6-13 from the field, but it was his three blocks that set the tone down low. The combination of Wagner and Wilson were a dominant force in the second half, and the Wolverines are going to need them both to step up if they want to be the team that comes out of the Midwest Region.

Donovan Mitchell, Louisville

The sophomore guard has been a beast for the Cardinals all season long, and though Louisville lost on Sunday, it was not from a lack of effort by Mitchell. After averaging nearly 16 points during the season, Mitchell had a rough go in the first round, scoring only nine points against Jacksonville State. On Sunday, Mitchell not only led the Cardinals in scoring, but also in rebounding and assists, putting together one his fuller games of the season.

Next Game

The No. 7 Wolverines will head to the Sweet 16 next week, and will take on the winner of the No. 3 Oregon and No. 11 Rhode Island contest. Though a seven seed, the Wolverines were considered a favorite to come out of the Midwest Region, and they have certainly looked good through the first two rounds.