McNeese St. Cowboys vs Michigan Wolverines Box Score on Dec 29, 2023

Shahada Wells scored a game-high 30 points as McNeese pulled off an 87-76 upset of Michigan on Friday night in a nonconference game at Ann Arbor, Mich.

McNeese (11-2), of the Southland Conference, has won six in a row and notched its first-ever victory over a Big Ten opponent. Michigan (6-7), lost for the fifth time in seven games.

The Wolverines were averaging 83.8 points per game, but the Cowboys' scrambling defense was the difference. Michigan led for less than three minutes in the game.

McNeese went up 56-46 on a 3-pointer by Wells with 13:19 remaining, forcing Michigan coach Juwan Howard to call a timeout, but the Wolverines couldn't find a way to get back in it. They trailed 73-63 after a corner 3-pointer from DJ Richards Jr. with 4:51 left.

McNeese dominated the game inside, outscoring Michigan 42-14 in the paint, and logged a 12-0 advantage in fastbreak points.

The Cowboys comprehensively won the battle for possession, forcing 15 Michigan turnovers while turning the ball over only four times themselves.

The loss was the second largest of the season for Michigan, trailing just a 75-57 defeat to Texas Tech on Nov. 24 in the Bahamas.

For McNeese, Richards scored 15 off the bench and hit 4 of 9 from 3-point range. Christian Shumate scored 14 and Antavion Collum had 11 points.

Terrance Williams II led Michigan with 20 points, sinking 4 of 8 3-point attempts. Dug McDaniel, Michigan's leading scorer at 19.2 points per game, finished with 17, as did Olivier Nkamhoua, who didn't score until the second half.

Michigan was fortunate to be trailing only 40-37 at halftime as McNeese consistently found holes in the Wolverines' zone defense, scoring 22 points in the paint in the first half.

Long-range shots kept the Wolverines in the contest early, as they hit 10 of 19 3-point attempts in the half.

The game was the first ever between the schools.

--Field Level Media