No. 2 Michigan sets new program mark in blowout win over Penn State

James Hawkins, The Detroit News on Feb 5, 2026

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The first time Michigan and Penn State crossed paths this season, the Wolverines survived a last-second scare.

The rematch between teams at opposite ends of the Big Ten standings ended up being no match.

No. 2 Michigan dominated from start to finish and swept the regular-season series with a 110-69 smackdown of undermanned Penn State on Thursday at Crisler Center.

The victory didn’t just extend the Wolverines’ win streak to seven and keep them in a tie for first place in the conference with Illinois at 11-1. It set a new mark for the best 22-game record in program history at 21-1.

Michigan’s 2012-13 national runner-up team and the 2018-19 Sweet 16 squad both started 20-1 before suffering their second loss. Nimari Burnett scored a career-high 31 points to ensure this year’s group avoided a similar fate.

Last month, Michigan had to hold off a late push by Penn State to escape with a two-point road win. It never got anywhere close to that point in Round 2.

The Nittany Lions, who dressed only eight players, were down four rotation pieces in starters Ivan Juric and Eli Rice and reserves Tibor Mirtic and Sasa Ciani. The Wolverines offered little sympathy.

Michigan raced out to a double-digit lead less than five minutes into the contest, led by 32 at halftime and didn’t let up, as Burnett kept firing away to set several personal career-high marks.

Burnett, who tied his season high with 15 points in the first half alone, capped a 7-0 burst with a corner 3-pointer. He topped his previous career best of 21 points with his fifth 3-pointer to make it a 38-point game with 17:09 to go.

Less than two minutes later, Burnett set another career high with his sixth 3-pointer, topping his previous best of five. His seventh deep ball gave Michigan an overwhelming 76-34 advantage at the 14:40 mark.

The Wolverines took their largest lead, 93-47, when Oscar Goodman threw down a thunderous baseline jam and capped an 8-1 spurt with a driving layup with 7:40 remaining. They topped 100 points for the eighth time this season when Will Tschetter canned back-to-back 3-pointers with 2:45 left. From there, they coasted to their seventh win by at least 40 points.

Morez Johnson Jr. had 12 points and eight rebounds, Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason scored 12 apiece, and Aday Mara added 11 points, six rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots for Michigan. The Wolverines outrebounded Penn State by a 44-21 margin, scored 22 second-chance points off 11 offensive boards, shot 60.6% from the field and made 15 3-pointers.

Freddie Dilione V scored 19, Josh Reed 15, and star freshman Kayden Mingo, who missed the first meeting due to injury, finished with seven points for Penn State (10-13, 1-11). The Nittany Lions shot 37.1% from the field and finished 2 for 20 from 3-point range.

With Juric, Mirtic and Ciani — all forwards — sidelined, Penn State had to go small and started four guards. Michigan took advantage of the size disparity from the jump. An offensive rebound by Mara led to a 3-pointer by Burnett. Another second-chance opportunity ended with Johnson scoring an and-1 layup.

Mara grabbed Michigan’s third offensive rebound in the first five minutes for an easy put-back. Penn State didn't record a single rebound in the opening six minutes. A 15-0 burst that gave the Wolverines a 15-2 lead with 12:41 left in the first half.

Michigan’s length also gave Penn State problems on the defensive end. The Nittany Lions fired up one deep ball after another and missed nine of their first 10 shots, including two airballed 3-pointers. That led to a seven-minute scoring drought and an even longer field goal drought that Dilione ended with a fast-break layup off a turnover at the 11:56 mark.

That offered a brief reprieve as Penn State hit another stretch with just one made shot in six minutes and Michigan extended the margin with a flurry of dunks. Elliot Cadeau had a dribble drive and dish to Yaxel Lendeborg for a dunk. Lendeborg threw a pass to a cutting Tschetter, who made an extra pass to Burnett for an open dunk. On two other possessions, Burnett blew past his defender on a baseline drive and got to the rim for a two-handed jam. Michigan’s lead swelled to 41-16 with 4:21 left in the half.

By the time the dust settled on Michigan’s most dominant half in quite some time with an offense that was humming and a defense that was stifling, the Wolverines entered the break with a commanding 56-24 cushion.