Michigan basketball can't contain Nebraska, sets program record for losses

Ann Arbor — The Wolverines have spent more time this season setting miserable marks and reaching new lows than making memorable moments.

So, it was only fitting they closed the regular season on Sunday in record-setting fashion — with the most losses in program history.

Thanks to a putrid defensive performance and a 30-point showing by Keisei Tominaga, Michigan had its Senior Day ruined and dropped its eighth straight with an 85-70 loss to Nebraska in the home finale at Crisler Center.

Sophomore guard Dug McDaniel had 17 points and five made 3-pointers — all coming in the first half — for Michigan (8-23, 3-17 Big Ten). The 23 total losses tops the previous high of 22 set in 2007-08.

BOX SCORE: Nebraska 85, Michigan 70

“That 8-23, it will never sit right with me,” said senior forward Terrance Williams II, who scored 14. “This isn't how I envisioned my senior season to go, of course, but it happens. It's adversity. I'm going through adversity; we're all going through adversity.

“I'm going to be mad at that record. But what we're going through, I feel like we're going to get through it.”

After hanging tough throughout a high-scoring first half, Michigan still had no answers on defense and continued to give up way too many easy baskets out of the break as the Tominaga-led Cornhuskers pulled away on a day that will live in infamy.

Nebraska (22-9, 12-8) scored its first five buckets of the second half on layups, with several not even being challenged at the rim. Tominaga splashed a pull-up 3-pointer, his fifth, to spark a string of 11 unanswered points. A 16-2 run put Michigan behind, 70-50, with 13:17 remaining.

Things got a bit chippy midway through the second half when sophomore forward Youssef Khayat fell to the court after being shoved by a Nebraska player. Grad transfer guard Nimari Burnett got into it with a Cornhusker before players had to be separated. After a review, Nebraska’s C.J. Wilcher and Brice Williams and Burnett were all assessed a technical foul.

Khayat split two technical foul free throws and grad transfer forward Tray Jackson made two more on the ensuing possession during an 8-0 spurt that cut Nebraska’s lead to 70-58 at the 10:25 mark.

The Wolverines couldn’t get any closer than that as they ended the regular season with a 5-10 record at home. After scoring 43 points on 55.2% shooting in the first half, they could only muster 27 points on 24.1% shooting in the second half en route to their 18th loss in 20 games.

“Even though the season hasn't gone how we all wanted it to be, how we all envisioned, we could never question the group of players, the group of teammates, the group of people that we have,” Burnett said. “To see how the season has gone, it definitely sucks. It weighs on all of us in our own individual ways.

“It's an adjustment for all of us. I don't think any of us are used to losing, so it's something that we've all gone through together. We've all leaned on each other. Communication has not been a problem, as far as off the court, as far as talking about what it takes to win, what we need to do and how we need to do it. That's why it is a little frustrating.”

Tominaga scored 23 of his 30 points in the first half and Josiah Allick added 15 to lead four double-digit scorers for Nebraska, which shot 57.9% from the field to sweep the season series.

After honoring sixth-year guard Jaelin Llewellyn, Burnett and Williams before the game, both teams came out firing during a start that featured plenty of offense and little defense.

The Cornhuskers made six of their first seven shots, with most of the baskets coming on layups at the rim. The Wolverines started 6-for-9 from the field, with four of those makes coming from 3-point range as they took a 16-14 lead.

Michigan, though, blinked first. Tominaga had the hot hand and scored eight straight points to ignite a quick 11-2 burst. He drove and flipped up a shot over the outstretched hand of sophomore center Tarris Reed Jr. He drained a pull-up 3-pointer from the logo. He found Wilcher for another open deep ball. Nebraska pulled ahead 25-18 at the 12:52 mark.

“He’s just ridiculous,” Burnett said of Tominaga. “Some of the shots that he hits, it’s ridiculous, especially once he sees his first one go through. It’s big to cut the water off early. Don’t even let him get one going in and give him confidence because he rolls off confidence.”

The Wolverines managed to pull back within 27-25 when McDaniel flipped up a floater off the glass. But the defense was nonexistent as the Cornhuskers continued to chug along and Tominaga continued to have his way.

Tominaga used a hesitation move to blow by Llewellyn for an uncontested layup. He scored again at the rim on an out-of-bounds play. He answered a 3-pointer by McDaniel with one of his own to make it 43-35 and force a Michigan timeout at the 4:24 mark.

McDaniel did his best to counter Tominaga and keep Michigan in it, making three long-range shots over a three-minute span to cut the deficit to three. But by the time halftime arrived, Nebraska led 50-43 and shot a blistering 70% from the floor.

The Cornhuskers never cooled off and will ride into the Big Ten tournament on a high, while the last-place Wolverines will limp into it on a low note. Michigan, the No. 14 seed, will face No. 11 seed Penn State (15-16) at about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

“All of us have felt like this hasn't been the season that we wanted,” coach Juwan Howard said. “But the season is not over. Still have more season to be played. It's been a disappointing Big Ten regular season for us. I know that a lot of our fans want more. So do we. We're going to continue to keep grinding in the gym and keep working to get better.”

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins