Overview
- The No. 2 Wolverines improved to 21-1 and 11-1 in the Big Ten, strengthening their position at the top of the conference race.
- Michigan opened on a 15-2 run, led by 32 at halftime, and cruised at Crisler Center in a decisive reversal of January’s two-point escape in State College.
- Nimari Burnett poured in a career-high 31 points on 11-for-16 shooting with seven 3-pointers, while Aday Mara posted a career-best six blocks as Morez Johnson Jr. and Trey McKenney added 12 points each.
- Shorthanded Penn State dressed eight players, missed leading rebounder Ivan Juric, shot 37% overall and 2-for-20 from three, and dropped to 10-13 (1-11 Big Ten).
- Pre-game models and betting markets forecast a blowout with Michigan favored by roughly 24.5 to 26 points, and the 41-point margin aligned with those expectations.