Michigan
0-0,0-0Big Ten
Houston (ex)
0-0,0-0Big 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 38 | 45 | 83 |
| Michigan | 31 | 35 | 66 |
10/25/2026 4:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Roddy Gayle Jr. led Michigan with 14 points in his first game back after being cleared for a fifth year of eligibility, shooting 5-for-9 from the field and knocking down two three-pointers.
» Moustapha Thiam finished with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.
» Michigan erased a 10-point first-half deficit with a 15-1 run, capped by an Oscar Goodman three-pointer, to take a 29-25 lead with 5:03 remaining in the opening half.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team fell to No. 10 Houston, 83-66, in its exhibition finale on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 25) as part of The Battleground 2k26 at Van Andel Arena.
Roddy Gayle Jr., a member of Michigan's 2026 national championship team, led the Wolverines with 14 points in his first appearance after being cleared to return for a fifth season. Moustapha Thiam added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Elliot Cadeau finished with nine points and three assists. Trey McKenney and Oscar Goodman each chipped in eight points.
Michigan got on the board first with a Thiam layup before McKenney connected on a three-pointer to give U-M an early 5-3 lead. Houston took a 24-14 lead midway through the first half, but the Wolverines responded with a 15-1 run to take the lead.
A Gayle layup and two Thiam free throws helped spark the comeback before Cadeau added a layup to bring Michigan within four, 24-20, with 8:14 remaining. U-M continued to find success at the free-throw line, with Cadeau, Thiam and McKenney combining for six points before Goodman knocked down a three-pointer to cap the 15-1 run and give Michigan a 29-25 lead with 5:03 left.
Houston answered with 13 straight points to regain control and take a 38-29 lead. Gayle ended the run with a jumper in the closing seconds, sending Michigan into the break trailing 38-31.
Michigan came out strong to begin the second half, with Gayle connecting on a three-pointer before adding two free throws to cut the deficit to four. A dunk from J.P. Estrella pulled U-M within two, 40-38, with 15:47 remaining. Estrella added another dunk off an assist from Cadeau less than two minutes later, but Houston answered and eventually extended its lead to 60-44 with 11 minutes to play.
The Wolverines continued to battle, with Thiam adding four points at the free-throw line before Gayle knocked down his second three-pointer of the afternoon. Quinn Costello then connected on two three-pointers, both off assists from Kenny Noland, to cut the deficit to nine, 68-59, with 5:57 remaining.
Houston pushed its lead back to double digits, and Michigan could not close the gap down the stretch as the Cougars secured the 17-point win.
The Wolverines finished the afternoon shooting 34 percent (17-for-50) from the field and 27.3 percent (9-for-33) from three-point range. Michigan converted 23 of its 29 free-throw attempts (79.3 percent), but was outrebounded 42-30 and outscored 26-14 in the paint. U-M received 16 points from its bench compared to 11 for Houston.
Michigan concludes its three-game exhibition slate with a 2-1 record and will open the 2026-27 regular season on Monday (Nov. 2), hosting Oakland at Crisler Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
