The University of Michigan leveraged its extensive roster and physical presence to comfortably separate from Saint Louis, securing a spot in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
The top-seeded Wolverines triumphed over the ninth-seeded Billikens with a final score of 95-72, extending an NCAA tournament run that began in 2017. Over the last ten years, Michigan has participated in the NCAA tournament on seven occasions, advancing to the Sweet 16 in each of those seven showings.
A primary factor contributing to Michigan’s seemingly effortless performance in the second half was Yaxel Lendeborg. Lendeborg connected on his initial five attempts from the floor during the final twenty minutes, contributing a total of 25 points. He concluded the game hitting 9 of 13 shots and additionally secured six boards.
Saint Louis briefly worried Michigan at the start of the second half when a three-point shot by Robbie Avila narrowed the Wolverines’ advantage to 57-53, with 15 minutes and 50 seconds remaining. However, the Wolverines promptly dispatched the Billikens following that moment.
The team then surpassed Saint Louis in scoring by a margin of 16-5 during the subsequent 5 minutes and 12 seconds, establishing a 15-point cushion. The remainder of the period became a mere formality, given Saint Louis’s inability to prevent Michigan from scoring close to the basket.
Michigan achieved a 56% field goal percentage and nearly 50% from beyond the arc, with Morez Johnson Jr. scoring 15 points and Aday Mara contributing 16 points along with four rejections. The Wolverines’ prominent frontcourt three-man unit collectively made 21 out of 34 shots and collected 19 rebounds.
Their outstanding performance throughout this season has been a major contributing factor to the Wolverines being considered a national championship contender for a significant portion of the year. On Saturday, there was no cause to question their favored standing.
“Our team possessed greater physical stature than theirs, leading us to attempt to overwhelm them with our substantial build,” Lendeborg informed CBS post-game.
Under Dusty May, Michigan has accumulated 60 victories
Beyond Michigan (33-3) once again reaching the Sweet 16, Wolverines head coach Dusty May has distinguished himself as the inaugural coach in the institution’s history to guide his squad to Sweet 16 berths in both of his initial two years with the program.
During the 2025 season, Michigan progressed to the Sweet 16 as a fifth seed, having defeated fourth-seeded Texas A&M in the second round prior to suffering a defeat against top-seeded Auburn.
May’s appointment came from Florida Atlantic, following a chaotic conclusion to the 2024 campaign when Juwan Howard was at the helm. That season saw the Wolverines achieve only eight victories, and even with a Sweet 16 advancement as an eleventh seed in 2022, they had not recorded more than twenty wins since the abbreviated 2021 season due to the pandemic.
Saint Louis concludes their season with a 29-6 record, having secured the Atlantic 10 regular-season championship. The Billikens decisively defeated Georgia in the initial round on Thursday, though the Bulldogs lacked the physical stature and elite talent possessed by Michigan.
Avila, who transferred from Indiana State, ended the game with nine points, hitting 3 of 13 shot attempts. He accumulated two early personal fouls, a contrast to his performance in the dominant victory against the Bulldogs where he had 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
