Lendeborg scores 25, No. 7 Michigan tunes up for Las Vegas tourney by beating Middle Tennessee
Michigan guard L.J. Cason, right, celebrates with guard Trey McKenney after scoring during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Middle Tennessee, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Credit: AP/Ryan Sun
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Yaxel Lendeborg had season highs with 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 7 Michigan to an 86-61 win over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night.
The Wolverines (4-0) tuned up for next week's three-game tournament in Las Vegas, where they might face No. 2 Houston in a field with many AP Top 25 teams.
The Blue Raiders (3-1) went on a 13-2 run in the first half to pull within one and trailed by just six points at halftime before getting routed.
Lendeborg, a preseason All-America player and UAB transfer, scored nine points in the opening minutes of the second half to give Michigan a 19-point lead.
The Wolverines had a nine-man rotation for much of the game and each of those players scored before coach Dusty May went deeper on his bench with a 26-point cushion with several minutes left in the lopsided game.
Michigan had six players score at least eight points, including North Carolina transfer Elliot Cadeau and UCLA transfer Aday Mara, who scored 10 points apiece.
Middle Tennessee entered with five double-digits scorers and was averaging 95 points a game.
Michigan head coach Dusty May reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Middle Tennessee, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Credit: AP/Ryan Sun
The Blue Raiders had just two players score at least 10 and were held 34 points below their average. Penn State transfer Jahvin Carter matched a career high with 18 points and Kamari Lands, who previously played at Arizona State and Louisville, had 11.
Up next
Michigan plays San Diego State, which is just outside the AP Top 25, in the Players Era Festival on Monday and No. 22 Auburn on Tuesday before playing a third game that will likely be against a team that is at least receiving votes in the poll.
Middle Tennessee plays Murray State in the Cayman Islands Classic on Sunday.
