Michigan's "twin towers" dominated inside, overpowering Washington's defense with a gritty, hard-fought road victory.
SEATTLE — Following its first loss of the season, the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines proved they could win ugly on the road, defeating the Washington Huskies 82-72 on Wednesday night. In a physical contest at Alaska Airlines Arena, Dusty May’s squad relied on a dominant interior performance and timely defensive stops to overcome a resilient Washington team and improve to 15-1 overall.
Twin Towers Anchor the Interior
The story of the night was the efficiency of Michigan's frontcourt. Junior center Aday Mara delivered a season-high 20 points on a nearly perfect 10-for-11 shooting performance in just 23 minutes. Mara's ability to finish at the rim and provide a rim-protecting presence—finishing with three blocks—stifled Washington’s efforts to attack the paint.
Complementing Mara was sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr., who controlled the glass from the opening tip. Johnson Jr. recorded a massive double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds, setting a physical tone that the Huskies struggled to match. Senior Yaxel Lendeborg also played a pivotal role, adding 14 points and seven rebounds, including a critical second-half three-pointer that halted a Husky rally.
Game Recap: A Defensive Grind
Washington opened the game with an explosive "and-1" from freshman Hannes Steinbach, but the Huskies soon went cold, missing eight of their next nine shots. Michigan capitalized with a 12-0 run to take a lead they would never relinquish. While the game lacked the offensive rhythm Michigan has displayed for much of the season—leading to some descriptions of the matchup as "ugly"—the Wolverines' defense remained stout, holding Washington scoreless for a seven-minute stretch in the first half.
The Huskies refused to go away quietly in the second half. Led by Steinbach, who finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds per game on the season entering the contest, and a 10-point contribution from Jacob Ognacevic in his season debut, Washington cut the lead to five points multiple times. However, Michigan responded to every threat with transition buckets from Roddy Gayle Jr. and interior finishes from Mara.
Key Performance Stats
Aday Mara (MICH)
20 Points
2 AST
3 BLK
Morez Johnson Jr. (MICH)
16 Points
16 AST
1 BLK
Yaxel Lendeborg (MICH)
14 Points
7 Rebounds
1 AST
Hannes Steinbach (WASH)
11 Points
14 Rebounds
2 BLK
Jacob Ognacevic (WASH)
10 Points
3 Rebounds
1 AST
Looking Ahead
The victory keeps Michigan near the top of the Big Ten standings at 5-1 in conference play. After successfully starting their Pacific Northwest road swing, the Wolverines will travel to Eugene to face the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. Washington, now 10-7 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, remains home to host No. 20 Purdue next Wednesday. Not only was it promising to see the Wolverine’s grind out a win on the road, but more importantly, it showed their maturity as a team. All in all, they handled their loss well because they regrouped, prepared, and executed when it mattered most, especially on the defensive side of the ball. If the Wolverines can continue to grow and correct, they may be the most dangerous team in the country down the stretch.