Michigan basketball took a 38-34 lead into halftime in the second semifinal of the 2025 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, then kept the momentum going after the break.
But this is a game of runs. And Michigan fans should buckle up.
The third-seeded Wolverines (23-9) advanced to their first Big Ten semi since 2021 with an 86-68 victory over sixth-seeded Purdue, thanks to key performances from Tre Donaldson and Danny Wolf. The second-seeded Terrapins, meanwhile, controlled their semifinal the entire way against seventh-seeded Illinois in a blowout win.
Saturday’s game is a rematch of the March 5 meeting in Ann Arbor, which the Terps won to deny Michigan a shot at the outright Big Ten regular-season championship. Maryland’s Rodney Rice led a trip of Terps in scoring with 19 points, while Wolf and Vlad Goldin scored 20 apiece for the Wolverines.
The winner of today’s game moves on to Sunday’s Big Ten title game (3:30 p.m., CBS) against fifth-seeded Wisconsin, which upset top-seeded Michigan State in Saturday’s first semi.
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Both the Wolverines and Terrapins are solidly in the NCAA tournament 68-team field, which will be announced Sunday evening, but they can an potentially improve their seed line by securing a championship. Maryland projects as a 4-seed in the NCAAs, while Michigan is a 5, according to the averages compiled by Bracket Matrix.
SHAWN WINDSOR: Michigan basketball finds its edge in beating Purdue in Big Ten tournament
Here’s live updates from the Michigan basketball vs. Maryland game.
Michigan calls timeout with just over 8 minutes to play down 62-61
Man, calling this a game of runs might be an understatement.
After the Wolverines put together an 18-0 run between the end of the first half and the start of the second, Maryland put together a huge run to go from down 61-50 to up 62-61 with 8:19 before Dusty May called a timeout to calm his team down.
A game of runs
At one point late in the first half, the Wolverines trailed 34-31. Less than three minutes into the second half, Michigan was winning 49-34.
What a run.
Just a few short minutes later, the score was 51-46, with the Terrapins chipping away at the lead with a 12-2 streak.
What a run.
This is going to be a fun finish.
Michigan ends half with Roddy Gayle Jr. slam, 7-0 run for 38-34 lead
Oh, so the Michigan team from the first half of the season IS still in there?
The Wolverines stumbled their way to the finish line in the regular season, losing three straight in addition to some closer-than-they-should-be wins to end the season on a sour note. But apparently all they needed was a little win-or-go-home desperation.
After convincingly beating Purdue on Friday, the Wolverines looked really ready to play less than 24 hours later when facing off against Maryland.
The Wolverines ended the half with a 7-0 run to take a 38-34 lead into the break, with a sweet alley-oop from Gayle as the ultimate exclamation point.
There’s a lot of basketball to play, but it’s been a great start for the Wolverines.
Turnover problems creeping back up for Wolverines
A night after having just six turnovers for the whole game in a win over Purdue, Michigan’s season-long issue with giving the ball away has turned back up.
When freshman L.J. Cason turned it over with 11:11 to go in the first half, it was the Wolverines’ fifth of the game.
Michigan would turn it over four more times over the next few minutes, but its defense was locked down enough to keep them in the game.
At the first break
… we’ve got a tie.
Both Maryland and Michigan came out of the gates firing, with the squads tied 10-10 at the first media timeout of the game.
Michigan’s offense continues to look more smooth and dialed in that it did in the final three games of the regular season. For a team that started Big Ten play much better than it ended it, the Big Ten tournament continues to look like a good opportunity for the Wolverines.
No rivalry rematch in Big Ten title game
Michigan State’s eight-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday with a heart-pumping 77-74 loss to Wisconsin. It was MSU’s first loss since Feb. 11, when the Spartans were upset at home by Indiana.
That means the Wolverines won’t get a chance for vengeance after dropping both games to the Spartans, including the regular season finale that ended with a scrum at midcourt as the MSU players tried to kiss their logo.
Michigan won its only meeting with the Badgers of the season way back on Dec. 3, 2024, which was the Wolverines’ Big Ten opener.
Ready for the game to tip off
Saturday’s first semifinal, between Michigan State and Wisconsin, ran a little long, pushing back the start time for U-M and Maryland.
This story will be updated shortly.
What time is Michigan Maryland today in Big Ten tournament?
Start time: Approximately 3:50 p.m. ET.
What channel is Michigan Maryland Big Ten tournament game? TV schedule
TV channel: CBS.
ANALYSIS: The sun is out for Michigan basketball, now that it’s focused internally
Where to watch Michigan vs Maryland game on livestream
The game will be available via streaming on Paramount+ and Fubo, which carries CBS and offers a free trial for new subscribers.
Watch U-M/Maryland live on Fubo
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