Michigan Knocks Off No. 4 UCLA to Reach 2K Sports Classic Final

box score

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The University of Michigan men's basketball team knocked off fourth-ranked UCLA, 55-52, Thursday night (Nov. 20) in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden.

Junior forward DeShawn Sims (Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS) came off the bench to lead the Wolverines with 18 points. Sophomore guard Manny Harris (Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) added 15 and freshman guard Stu Douglass (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) chipped in a career-high 10.

The win was the first for U-M against a top five-ranked team since December 13, 1997* when Michigan defeated top-ranked Duke, 81-72. Tonight also snapped a 12-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

UCLA led 29-23 at the break before the Wolverines opened the second half on a 13-4 run. Douglass began the second stanza with a 15-foot jumper and buried a long distance three-pointer to cut the UCLA lead to one, 29-28. After the two teams traded baskets, Harris rattled home a trifecta to give Michigan its first lead of the night, 33-31.

With the score tied at 36-all, senior forward Jevohn Shepherd (Toronto, Ontario/West Hill Collegiate) hit a driving layup to break the tie. Sims then hit an 18-footer to push the U-M lead to four, 40-36.

UCLA briefly took a lead, 47-46, but the Maize and Blue regained the advantage on another three-pointer by Douglass. The Michigan lead grew to four, 53-49, on a backdoor cut dunk by Sims off a feed from junior/sophomore forward Anthony Wright (Sterling, Va./Oak Hill Academy). After a UCLA three-pointer cut the U-M lead to one with five seconds remaining, Harris iced the game with a pair of free throws and a block of UCLA's last-second shot attempt.

UCLA jumped out to an early 9-1 lead in the first half as Michigan started 0-for-4 from the field. Following the timeout, U-M got its first field goal on a Harris layup. Following another Harris layup, Sims made it a 6-0 run for the Wolverines with a jumper, cutting the UCLA lead to two.

Following a 9-3 UCLA run, another Sims jumper began a 9-2 burst for the Maize and Blue. Senior/junior forward Zack Gibson (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) added an old-fashioned three-point play, while fifth-year senior guard David Merritt (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) and Douglass also converted layups during the run, trimming the UCLA lead to one at 20-19.

The Bruins then had a 9-0 run before Sims finished the half with a dunk and a put-back to cut the halftime deficit to six.

UCLA was led by Jrue Holiday and Darren Collison, who each scored 13 points.

U-M will now meet No. 8 Duke in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer tomorrow night (Nov. 21) in Madison Square Garden. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.