Moritz Wagner-led Michigan beats Furman 68-62

Posted December 22, 2016 6:00 am

By LARRY LAGE

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Moritz Wagner scored 13 of his 18 points in the first half and Zak Irvin finished with 16 points, helping Michigan hold off Furman for a 68-62 victory Thursday night.

The Wolverines (10-3) gave coach John Beilein his 750th victory, 492 as a Division I coach, with their third straight win.

The Paladins (7-6) were very competitive in a game with 12 lead changes and eight ties, giving them a good chance to beat a Big Ten school for the first time since knocking off Illinois in 1975.

Michigan's Derrick Walton Jr. made a 3-pointer with 24.9 seconds left, giving his team a six-point cushion it needed to seal the victory. He scored eight of his 11 points after halftime.

Furman started strong in each half. It opened the second half with an 11-0 run, holding the Wolverines scoreless for 4 ˆ½ minutes, after trailing by six points in a closely contested first half.

Devin Sibley scored 14, Matt Rafferty had 12 points and John Davis added 10 for the Paladins.

BIG PICTURE

Furman: The Paladins seem set up to contend with Chattanooga and East Tennessee State in the Southern Conference, which they haven't won since 1980. Furman has a senior and four juniors in the starting lineup with fourth-year coach Niko Medved, who helped the program win 19 games last season, an eight-game improvement, and finish third in the conference. The Paladins beat UAB 81-74 and lost to Georgia by six points in back-to-back games last month.

Michigan: The Wolverines need someone other than Irvin and Walton, both seniors, to produce this season. Wagner looks like he's ready. Entering his latest strong performance, the sophomore forward was shooting 75 percent in his previous six games and scored at least 18 points twice, including a career-high 20 against Kennesaw State.

UP NEXT

Furman hosts The Citadel on Dec. 31.

Michigan plays Jan. 1 at Iowa.

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More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25

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Follow Larry Lage at www.twitter.com/larrylage

Michigan guard Zak Irvin (21) drives on Furman guard Daniel Fowler during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) The Associated Press

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