Vlad Goldin, Danny Wolf power Michigan to big win over No. 11 Wisconsin

James Hawkins, The Detroit News on Dec 3, 2024

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The Wolverines made an opening statement in coach Dusty May’s Big Ten debut.

Fueled by a combined 44 points by Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf, Michigan handed No. 11 Wisconsin first loss of the season, 67-64, at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

Goldin had 24 points and scored the go-ahead basket with 1:34 to go and Wolf added 20 for Michigan (7-1), which extended its win streak to six games and beat its second consecutive ranked opponent.

Following a rocky first half, Michigan’s two-man game of Wolf and Goldin gave Wisconsin fits in the second half. During one back-and-forth sequence, Wolf found Goldin on a pick-and-roll play for a dunk before Wolf answered a Wisconsin 3-pointer with one of his own.

Then on consecutive offensive possessions, Wolf connected with Goldin on another pair of baskets in the paint. On the first, Wolf drove into the paint and dumped off a pass to Goldin for a short hook shot. On the next, he whipped a pass to a rolling Goldin for an open dunk as Michigan took a 44-41 lead with 14:26 to play.

The teams traded baskets and the lead over the final 12 minutes where there was no shortage of action. A 3-pointer from Nimari Burnett put Michigan up one with 9:05 to play. A three-point play from Kamari McGee put Wisconsin up by one two minutes later.

The Wolverines pulled back in front four more times down the stretch, including a on pair of dazzling layups by Wolf. But after the Badgers took a three-point lead, the Wolverines answered with a pair of buckets inside by Goldin for a 65-64 advantage with 1:34 to go.

Michigan hung on from there, getting a pair of defensive stops before Goldin got a hook shot to drop with 22 seconds left to make it a three-point game.

Wisconsin had a couple of chances to tie it in the final seconds. The Badgers missed a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. Then after Roddy Gayle Jr. missed the front end of one-and-one, Wisconsin secured the rebound and Michigan opted to foul, sending Nolan Winter to the free-throw line with 2 seconds left.

Winter missed the front end of the one-and-one and Goldin secured the rebound. After Goldin missed the front end of another one-and-one, Wisconsin’s late heave at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

John Tonje scored 18 for the Badgers. He entered the game ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 7 in the nation in scoring, at 22.9 points per game.

John Blackwell added 16 points for Wisconsin (8-1), which fell to 6-1 at home.

The Wolverines got off to a rough offensive start in their first true road game of the season. They passed up some good looks and missed some others. They misfired on 13 of their first 16 shots to fall into an early hole.

Wisconsin had some struggles of its own during a first half where neither team shot the ball well. But the Badgers managed to string together seven unanswered points by getting to the free-throw line and turning a Tonje steal into a transition dunk to grab a 17-8 lead at the 11:52 mark.

Michigan responded and fought back behind its big men. Wolf, who blocked five shots in the first half, poked the ball away and created a fast-break opportunity that ended with him making two free throws.

That sequence sparked a 12-1 run for the Wolverines. Goldin threw down two dunks during the spurt, included a thunderous one-handed jam. Wolf scored on an offensive putback and drained a second-chance 3-pointer to put Michigan up, 20-18, at the 7:42 mark.

But after Wolf went to the bench with his second foul, Wisconsin went on a run and rattled off 11 straight points over a four-minute stretch. The Badgers snapped a nearly eight-minute field-goal drought during the flurry and took a nine-point lead.

Despite not making a shot in the final 7:42, going 2 for 16 from 3-point range and everyone besides Wolf having a tough time getting anything to drop, Michigan only trailed 32-26 at the break.

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