Michigan basketball defeated Tennessee 95-62 in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four of Men's NCAA Tournament.
Michigan didn’t just win — it detonated. In a 95–62 demolition of Tennessee, the Wolverines stormed into their first Final Four since 2018, powered by a roster that moves like one mind, one machine, one unstoppable force.
Yaxel Lendeborg led the charge with 27 points and a highlight reel of no-look passes, reverse layups, and momentum-shattering buckets. Elliot Cadeau dished out 10 assists, Aday Mara swatted shots, and the rest of Michigan’s deep rotation delivered a clinic in unselfish, ruthless basketball.
The turning point? A 21–0 first-half explosion that erased a Tennessee lead and left the Volunteers stunned. By halftime, the Wolverines were running downhill, up 48–26, and showing no mercy on either end of the court. Tennessee, usually dominant on the boards, was forced into a grind it couldn’t win — shooting just 32% and matching Michigan’s 42 rebounds instead of owning them.
Under second-year head coach Dusty May — the architect of Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Cinderella run — Michigan (35–3) has become something even more dangerous: disciplined, balanced, and terrifyingly explosive. They’re now the first team ever to win four NCAA Tournament games by double digits while scoring 90+ in each.
For Lendeborg, the Midwest Region’s Most Outstanding Player, the formula is simple: “We trust each other. We play for each other.”
Next up: a heavyweight collision with fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in the national semifinals — the matchup Michigan has been waiting for.
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