No. 6 Michigan survives Wake Forest scare, wins in overtime

James Hawkins, The Detroit News on Nov 11, 2025

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DETROIT — Every trip to Little Caesars Arena has been a triumphant one for the Michigan Wolverines.

No. 6 Michigan kept that trend alive, but it didn’t come easy.

After squandering a 13-point second-half lead, Michigan needed a late rally in regulation and a pair of crucial defensive stops in overtime to pull out an 85-84 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.

Elliot Cadeau scored 17 and made the decisive free throw with 13 seconds left in overtime and Aday Mara added 18 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and five blocked shots for Michigan (2-0).

After using a late run to rally from a seven-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation, Michigan took the lead twice in overtime, the last on a floater from Roddy Gayle Jr. (13 points) to make it 84-82 with 3:39 left.

But Michigan squandered one opportunity after another to widen the margin and take control. Mara couldn’t throw down an alley-oop dunk from Cadeau. After blocked layup, Cadeau threw pass to Yaxel Lendeborg, who wasn’t looking and led to a turnover where Wake Forest tied it at 84.

Then after Wake Forst missed two free throws, Cadeau was whistled for an offensive foul on a charge on the ensuing possession.

Despite all that, Michigan still managed to find a way to pull it out. After getting a crucial stop, Cadeau was fouled and split two free throws to make 85-84 with 13 seconds left.

Wake Forest had a chance to win it with 6.6 seconds to go, but Michigan got another stop to seal it and avenge last season’s 72-70 loss in Greensboro, N.C., to complete the two-year neutral-site series.

With the win, Michigan improved to 4-0 at LCA since the venue opened in 2017. The Wolverines beat Detroit Mercy and Eastern Michigan in the regular season in 2017 and 2022, respectively, and beat Oakland in a charity exhibition last season.

Juke Harris scored 19 and Mekhi Mason 16 for Wake Forest (2-1).

Michigan closed the first half on a 25-10 run and built a 13-point halftime lead, but Wake Forest got right back into the game behind a hot stretch from Harris.

Harris went on a personal 8-0 run in the span of 47 seconds to cut the deficit to five. A couple minutes later, Michigan couldn’t locate him and he tipped in a missed shot to make it 56-53 with 13:15 left in the second half.

Back-to-back layups by Trey McKenney and Roddy Gayle Jr. pushed Michigan’s lead to seven and provided some breathing room, but the Wolverines had a tough time making shots and corralling rebounds to shake free from the Demon Deacons.

A pass by L.J. Cason was intercepted and led to a fast-break layup. A blocked layup attempt by Lendeborg preceded a dunk the other way that tied it at 64. A 3-point play by Nate Calmese (11 points) put the Demon Deacons in front, 67-66, at the 8:20 mark.

Michigan reclaimed the lead briefly on an offensive putback by Mara before things grew dire. The Wolverines couldn’t get a 3-pointer to drop. Myles Colvin threw down a fast-break dunk over Cadeau while being fouled to spark a 10-2 spurt. Wake Forest pulled ahead, 77-70, and put Michigan on the ropes with 4:53 to go.

The Wolverines used free throws to claw back and make it a one-possession game before Gayle came away with a steal and knocked down a second-chance 3-pointer – Michigan’s first 3 of the second half after missing its first 12 attempts – to tie it at 77 with 1:44 remaining.

That set the stage for a back-and-forth finish. Michigan got a stop on defense and Cadeau split two free throws to give Michigan a 78-77 edge. On Wake Forest’s ensuing possession, Mara blocked a shot but the Demon Deacons won the scramble for the ball and Colvin buried a 3-pointer for an 80-78 lead.

Cadeau scored on a baseline drive to tie it back up with 36 seconds left and forced overtime by causing a turnover on Wake Forest’s final possession in regulation.

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