Michigan escapes the West Coast with another win, beats Oregon in a close one

After an 82-72 win over Washington this week, Michigan remained on the West Coast on Saturday and played in Eugene against Oregon. The Ducks were without their top two players: Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad, but that didn't stop Oregon from playing hard.

The Ducks were down 11 points midway through the first half, but hot shooting -- along with Michigan fouls and turnovers -- got Oregon back into the game. A last-second 3 from Wei Lin put the Ducks up 41-40 at halftime.

Michigan came out much stronger in the second half compared to its energy level in the first. The Wolverines had a strong final 20 minutes from big man Aday Mara and guard Nimari Burnett to keep the Wolverines in the win column. Michigan would go on to win the game against the Ducks 81-71.

Here are our takeaways from the game.

Complacency and lack of energy

Dusty May noted following Michigan's home loss against Wisconsin that the Wolverines hadn't been playing well, even prior to their first loss. While Michigan rebounded with a 10-point win over Washington, the Wolverines' lack of energy to start games is starting to become a concern.

Oregon was without its top two players in the game and it appeared that Michigan knew that and thought it could sleepwalk through the game -- not happening in Big Ten play. The Wolverines' offense was concerning and did not have any sort of a killer instinct. Yaxel Lendeborg hasn't looked like the same player in Big Ten play as he was earlier in the year and during Michigan's excellent stretch in Vegas.

The Wolverines aren't going to win every game by 20, but Michigan should have taken care of business much easier than it did on Saturday, with Oregon not having its stars.

A trio of Wolverines were reliable

With Yaxel Lendeborg not being on and Morez Johnson being in foul issues, it was Nimari Burnett, Elliot Cadeau, and Aday Mara who were the reliable shot makers for Michigan. Burnett led the Wolverines in the first half, scoring 10 points, making 4-of-6 shots. He added another five in the second half to finish with 15.

Mara got real hot towards the end of the first half and in the second half. The UCLA transfer was a steady presence under the basket and Oregon didn't have many answers for him. Mara scored eight points in the second half to score 12 in the game.

Point guard Elliot Cadeau scored 10 in the second half and had a team-high 17 for the game. He continues to show touch from deep and is a reliable scorer for Michigan.

Fouls and turnovers

Both teams were in foul trouble in the first half, but Morez Johnson had three early fouls and saw just five minutes of action in the first half. Will Tschetter came in and made a couple of shots, but Michigan really missed Johnson's presence down low both on the boards and his ability to score.

Turnovers were also a big issue for Michigan in the game. The Wolverines turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, with too many careless passes. The Wolverines were much better in the second half, not turning it over once. But Elliot Cadeau's four first-half turnovers both hurt Michigan's offensive rhythm and allowed the Ducks to stay in the game. Oregon scored 19 points off the Wolverines' turnovers.

Michigan's successful West Coast trip

While Michigan had a lot of issues on Saturday, it's never an easy time in the Big Ten -- even without the opposition's stars. Most teams struggle to hit the road and play multiple games out West, but Michigan ended its short trip out West with a perfect 2-0 record.

The Ducks were expected to make the NCAA Tournament this season, and Washington could still sneak its way in there. Regardless, Michigan won its games and continues to learn more about its roster and what needs to be improved with the meat of the schedule still coming up.

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