Hunter Dickinson tallied 21 points, six rebounds and six assists to help Michigan snap a three-game losing streak with an 83-64 Big Ten win over Maryland, Tuesday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Caleb Houstan scored 16 points and Moussa Diabate added 14 as Michigan (8-7, 2-3) got off to a scorching start, surging to a double-digit lead before the game was 10 minutes old. After that, Maryland never seriously challenged.
The Wolverines were happy to have Dickinson back after he sat out a loss at Illinois despite being cleared to play coming off a bout with COVID. Dickinson made 10 of 14 shots and Houston added 6 of 7 as the Wolverines made 58.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Terps 32-20.
Maryland (9-9, 1-6) lost for the fifth time in its last six games despite the work of Eric Ayala, who scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half. Donta Scott added 19 points and six rebounds.
The Terps were disjointed from the opening tip as backcourt starters Hakim Hart and Fatts Russell were on the bench for what Maryland called an “internal matter.” Both entered early in the game but they combined for just five points in their combined 49 minutes on the floor.
Michigan went on an early nine-point spree to turn a two-point lead into an 11-point bulge. Houston took a slick feed from Dickinson for a basket and added a driving 3-point play. When Diabate finished the run with a slam dunk, the Wolverines had a 20-9 lead.
Later in the half, Michigan rattled off 13 straight points, a run that DeVante’ Jones (12 points) started and finished with 3-pointers. Dickinson also hit a shot from beyond the arc as the Wolverines bolted to a 35-14 lead.
In the second half, Maryland cut a 25-point deficit to 13. Scott drove the lane for a 3-point play and Julian Reese followed with a 3-pointer to cut Michigan’s lead to 57-44. But that was as close as the Terps would get.
–Field Level Media