Tarleton State Texans vs Michigan Wolverines Match Player Stats On Nov 24, 2021

Eli Brooks scored 15 points and No. 20 Michigan held off pesky Tarleton State 65-54 in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Wednesday.

Moussa Diabate contributed 14 points and seven rebounds and Caleb Houston had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolverines (4-2). Michigan committed 21 turnovers, leading to 22 Tarleton points.

Montre Gipson led Tarleton (1-5) with 17 points and Tahj Small supplied 12.

The schools had never previously met in any sport and Tarleton State had not previously faced a Big 10 school in any sport. Tarleton, which faces No. 1 Gonzaga on Monday, lost to then No. 3 Kansas earlier this season.

Brooks had eight points in the first half as Michigan led 31-22 at the break. Gipson topped Tarleton with eight points.

Bothered by the Texans' pressure, the Wolverines committed eight turnovers in the first seven minutes as Tarleton took a 12-9 lead. The Texans went scoreless over the next five minutes as Michigan gained a 16-12 advantage.

Gipson made a layup in traffic with 5:17 left in the half to pull the Texans within one at 21-20. The Wolverines then reeled off the next 10 points with Frankie Collins as the catalyst.

Collins knocked down a 3-pointer, then set up Brooks for a corner 3. He found Diabate for a layup with 3:35 left, prompting Tarleton to call timeout.

Hunter Dickinson scored his first points of the game with a mid-range jumper off another Collins assist.

Brooks contributed a 3-pointer, an assist, a steal and two free throws in the first two minutes of the second half to stretch Michigan's lead to 38-24.

Noah McDavid's layup off a Gipson pass with 8:48 left cut Michigan's lead to 50-41.That began an 8-0 spurt as Small made a 3-pointer and Gipson tossed in another with six minutes left to whittle the Wolverines' lead to 52-49.

A pair of Diabate dunks in the late going helped Michigan pull out the victory.

--Field Level Media