Five takeaways: Michigan basketball dominates Howard in second half

Michigan basketball was looking closer to Duke in the Blue Devils' narrow victory over Siena in the early going against Howard. The Bison drained 10 3s in the first half, and were shooting over 60% from deep. With just a four-point lead, it looked like it was going to be a struggle session for the Wolverines -- not ideal given how they played in the Big Ten Tournament.

But then the second half happened, and the maize and blue looked more like how they had early in the season when teams couldn't hold a candle to them. The Wolverines beat the Bison, 101-80, in a game that ultimately wasn't even that close. A five-minute defensive showcase while the offense was hitting nearly everything helped Michigan pull away to advance to the Round of 32 (against either Georgia or Saint Louis).

Here are our five takeaways from the win. A tale of two halves As noted, Michigan really struggled defensively in the first half, but it was honestly quite good offensively, having scored 50 points. The Wolverines shot 65% (compared to 69% in the second), but defensively, it allowed the Bison to hit 51.

5% of its shots from the floor and 62. 5% from 3. The offense remained consistent (albeit a little better, and with more fireworks, with dunks galore), but defensively is where the maize and blue stepped up.