On Sunday, March 16, 2025, the Michigan Wolverines had a big 59-53 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena. Guard Tre Donaldson led the way for the Wolverines with 11 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. Wolverine center Vladislav Goldin also helped out with 11 points and 5 rebounds. This was a huge victory for Michigan since they have now gained momentum before the March Madness tournament.
This game took place in Indianapolis, IN, and was the final game of the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan beat Purdue and Maryland, to get to the final. On the other hand, Wisconsin had to beat Northwestern, UCLA, and Michigan State to get there. Michigan was the 3 seed in the tournament and Wisconsin was the 5. Both of these teams were very evenly matched. Michigan’s mens basketball team has a 14-6 record for conference games and Wisconsin had a record fo 13-7 in conference games.
Even though Michigan won, some people still considered them to be the underdogs. Before the tournament they were on a three game losing streak and the future was not looking bright for any Michigan fan. Wisconsin had beaten the number one team in the conference (Michigan State) the game before and they had lots of momentum going into the championship game. It was a very close game and Wisconsin actually had the lead with very little time left in the game. Luckly for Michigan Tre Donaldson was able to drive the length of the court and scored on a layup with 0.4 left on the clock, giving them the win. Michigan will now play UC San Diego on March 20, 2025 and they hope to carry their winningness into the next tournament.