U-M advances with historic beatdown of Arizona

INDIANAPOLIS -- Less than 90 minutes before tipoff of Saturday night's national semifinal game against Arizona, Michigan coach Dusty May wasn't pacing. He wasn't stress-eating or watching a few more minutes of film.

May was courtside for the UConn-Illinois game, scouting the Wolverines' potential next opponents if they could advance past Arizona in one of the most anticipated Final Four matchups in recent tournament history. It's unusual for head coaches to conduct in-person scouting, especially two hours before the biggest game of their coaching career.

But May's calm pregame confidence was warranted: Michigan looked utterly dominant, dispatching top-seeded Arizona 91-73.

The Wolverines advance to face UConn in Monday night's championship game, with an opportunity to win the program's first national championship since 1989. DraftKings opened with Michigan as the -7.5 (-115) favorite over UConn in the final.

Aday Mara finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while shooting 11-of-16 from the field.

Despite the win, there will be concern over the next 48 hours about All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, who rolled his left ankle in the first half after getting fouled on a drive to the rim. He was in visible pain after the play and went straight to the locker room after making two free throws. Lendeborg returned to the game in the second half, playing nine minutes and making a pair of 3-pointers, but he was moving gingerly.

According to the CBS broadcast, Lendeborg suffered a left MCL sprain and an ankle injury.

Michigan opened the game on a 10-1 run, despite Lendeborg picking up two fouls in a five-second span during the opening 90 seconds. In a game between two of the biggest teams in the country and two of the elite frontcourts in the sport, the paint battle was likely to be the determining factor. But after overwhelming nearly every opponent since the start of the season, it was Arizona that looked overwhelmed.

Michigan and its post duo of Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. set the tone immediately. Johnson was beating Arizona players down the floor and finishing in transition or crashing the offensive glass, while Mara put on a virtuoso display in the first half. Despite both players (and Lendeborg) having two fouls, Michigan had outscored Arizona 12-4 in second-chance points in the first half to Arizona's four, and the Wolverines held their own on the glass and in the paint. Moreover, they outscored Arizona at the free throw line in the first half after the Wildcats entered the game leading the nation in free throw attempts per game.

Mara was unstoppable in the opening half, finishing with 15 points and five rebounds in just 13 minutes while shooting 6-for-8 from the field. Michigan consistently threw the ball over Arizona's big men to Mara around the rim, and he was also a factor on the offensive glass.

Meanwhile, Arizona struggled mightily on offense early. Jaden Bradley, the Big 12 Player of the Year, picked up his third foul with 5:09 to go in the half and sat the rest of the period. The Wildcats had turned to Bradley all season in big spots, and the senior guard would find a way to make a play. His backcourt mate, leading scorer Brayden Burries, was ineffective next to him. The freshman guard was 0-for-5 from the field in the first half.

Despite a first half in which Lendeborg played just five minutes, Michigan's frontcourt experienced foul trouble and Elliot Cadeau shot 2 for 14 from the field, the Wolverines entered halftime with a 16-point advantage.

The lead ballooned to as many as 30 points midway through the second half, and Arizona never got closer than 17 the rest of the way.

All season, Arizona was able to dictate the terms of the game. The Wildcats typically controlled tempo, dominated teams near the basket and didn't make self-inflicted mistakes. As a result, their lack of 3-point shooting was rarely a factor. On Saturday, Michigan matched or beat them inside and pulled away thanks to a combination of speed and shooting not often seen from teams with this sort of size.

Michigan had 26 points off turnovers, the most Arizona had allowed in a game all season. The Wolverines made 12 3-pointers, only the second time Arizona had allowed double-digit 3s since Valentine's Day.

According to ESPN Research, Michigan's 18-point margin of victory is tied for the largest in an NCAA men's tournament game between 1-seeds since seeding began in 1979, and the Wolverines are the first team in NCAA tournament history to score 90-plus points in five straight games in a single tournament.