ANN ARBOR — Juwan Howard returned as acting head coach and Michigan won the unofficial Washtenaw County championship over visiting Eastern Michigan on Saturday 83-66
The Wolverines made 12 3-pointers (eight in the first half) and shot 54 percent from the field. The Eagles, who traveled from the neighboring city of Ypsilanti, made just 2 of 15 3s, fell behind early, and could never dig out of the hole despite a second-half push.
Sophomore center Tarris Reed Jr. did not start for the first time this season despite a career game last time out at Iowa on Sunday. Will Tschetter started instead, with Olivier Nkamhoua sliding to the center spot. It didn’t seem to bother Reed, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds over 26 minutes and started the second half.
For the second straight game Michigan got balanced production. Olivier Nkamhoua had 17 points and nine rebounds. Nimari Burnett scored 14, Terrance Williams II had 13, and Dug McDaniel added 11 as Michigan improved to 6-5.
Howard, who had heart surgery on Sep. 15, had been on the bench for the past several games but in an assistant’s role, with Phil Martelli filling in as interim head coach. On Saturday it was Howard standing throughout the game and directing the Wolverines inside Crisler Center.
It was the end of a tumultuous week inside the program. The school investigated a reported incident between Howard and strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson. It didn’t warrant punishment, as announced by athletic director Warde Manuel in a statement Friday night. Sanderson, for the second straight game, was not in attendance.
The players didn’t show any signs of being distracted. Michigan led by 17 at half and never led the Eagles get within single digits again. Tyson Acuff led Eastern Michigan (5-5) with 24 points on 27 shots.
These teams played a high-scoring thriller in Detroit last season; the Wolverines won 88-83. The stars of that game, including Emoni Bates and Hunter Dickinson, are no longer with those programs.
The beginning of the second half was bogged down by ticky-tack fouls — 12 in the first 12 minutes. Michigan’s offense lacked rhythm and the Eagles made a push. A 6-0 spurt got them within 10, 59-49, with 10 minutes left. That’s when the game turned for good: Acuff missed a wide-open 3 and Tray Jackson made his at the other end. Eastern Michigan missed a dunk and Reed converted an alley-oop. In a snap, the lead was 15.
Michigan’s fourth triple made it 16-6 early. Eastern Michigan’s offense was a lot of attempted stepbacks by players who picked up their dribble and realized they didn’t have much separation.
The Eagles got within four but never closer. A live-ball turnover led to a breakaway for McDaniel, who tried to dunk but settled for a layup instead, smiling on the way to the bench after an Eastern timeout with 4:49 left. Michigan led 37-25.
Reed followed a McDaniel 3 — his third and Michigan’s seventh — with a beautiful post move to make it 42-27. Williams hit another triple and Burnett’s tip in made it 49-32 at half.
Michigan returns to action on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, against Florida in the Jumpman Invitational.
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