Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (March 31, 2018) -

In Short…
Third-seeded Michigan (33-7) erased a 10-point second-half deficit as it stormed back to defeat 11^th-seeded Loyola University Chicago (32-6) by a final score of 69-57 this evening in the NCAA Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.  The Ramblers, who were making their first Final Four appearance since 1963, finish the 2017-18 season with a single-season school-record 32 wins.
 
How It Happened
Scores on consecutive trips by Cameron Krutwig and Marques Townes countered an early triple by Charles Matthews and gave Loyola a 4-3 edge with two minutes gone.  A Moritz Wagner three put Michigan back in front and sparked a 9-0 Wolverine run that prompted a Loyola timeout with Michigan leading, 12-4, at the 12:38 mark. 
 
Aundre Jackson snapped a drought that saw the Ramblers go nearly eight minutes without a made field goal when he finished an uncontested look to trim the Michigan edge to 12-8.  Krutwig pulled Loyola even at 15-15 with 6:47 to play before knocking down a pair of free throws that gave the Maroon & Gold a 17-15 lead with 5:56 remaining.  Jackson cleaned up his own miss just over a minute later to stretch the margin to four, 21-17.  Donte Ingram added a second-chance bucket of his own with time expiring to stake Loyola to a 29-22 lead at halftime.
 
Krutwig opened the second half with an old-fashioned three-point play that pushed the Ramblers' advantage into double figures for the first time, 32-22.  Michigan quickly responded, cutting its deficit to 32-27 on a Duncan Robinson corner three with 17:19 to go.  Five straight points from Clayton Custer, including Loyola's first triple of the night, reestablished a 10-point gap, 41-31, with six minutes gone.  
 
The Wolverines caught fire in the following minutes, connecting on four of five attempts.  Robinson's second three of the evening clawed Michigan back to within 45-42 and forced a Loyola timeout just prior to the midway point of the second half.  Krutwig answered back by converting in the paint to edge the lead back out to five, 47-42. 
 
Wagner tied the game for the first time since it was 15 apiece when he drained a step back three that knotted the score up at 47-47 with 6:20 remaining.  Michigan went on to take its first lead of the half, 49-47, following a pair of Jordan Poole free throws before stretching the margin to 51-47 on a reverse layup by Matthews at the 5:48 mark.
 
After a three-point play by Wagner gave Michigan a 54-47 lead, Krutwig pulled the Ramblers back within five, 54-49, as he fought up a shot in traffic with 4:43 to go.  With the Wolverines sitting on a 56-51 lead, Wagner buried another three before Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman attacked the basket to put Michigan up 10, 61-51 with 2:13 remaining.  Loyola would get no closer than eight the rest of the way as Michigan booked its ticket to Monday's National Championship game.
 
Looking At The Numbers
- Krutwig finished with a team-high 17 points go along with six rebounds.
- Custer and Jackson also reached double figures in scoring, adding 15 points and 10 points, respectively.
- Ingram ripped down a team-best nine rebounds in his final game as a Rambler.
- Michigan's vaunted defense forced Loyola into an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers that were turned into 22 points.
- Wagner notched a double-double (24 points, 17 rebounds) to lead Michigan.
 
Up Next
Loyola is slated to return 10 letterwinners next season.  That group will be joined by New Mexico transfer Aher Uguak and three incoming recruits.