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Mortiz Wagner's double-double leads Michigan past UC Riverside

Mortiz Wagner's double-double leads Michigan past UC Riverside
Posted at 7:24 PM, Nov 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-26 19:24:42-05

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Moritz Wagner had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Charles Matthews had 17 points and 12 assists and Michigan cruised past UC Riverside 87-42 on Sunday.

Duncan Robinson added 13 points for the Wolverines (6-1), who shot 54 percent for the game and raced to a commanding 41-17 halftime lead.

Chance Murray finished with eight points and four rebounds, while Alex Larsson scored seven for Riverside (2-3), which shot 27 percent in the opening half and 30 percent for the game.

The Wolverines used a 15-0 run in the first half to take control. Robinson's 3-pointer gave Michigan a 41-12 advantage with three minutes left.

Not slowing down after the break, the Wolverines pushed the lead to 56-21 after consecutive 3-pointers from Wagner and Eli Brooks.

BIG PICTURE
   UC Riverside: After starting the season with a surprising 74-66 win at Cal, the Highlanders have dropped three of their past four, including lopsided losses against Western New Mexico, 75-57, and Michigan.
   Michigan: The Wolverines, coming off a 2-1 finish at the Maui Jim Maui Invite, capped a stretch of four games in seven days on a high note. Since losing to LSU 77-75 in Hawaii, Michigan has recorded sizable victories over Chaminade, 102-64, and UC Riverside, along with a 68-60 win over VCU. The Wolverines have a big test coming up, traveling to North Carolina on Wednesday for the B1G/ACC Challenge.

BETTER START
   Matthews, who sat out last season after transferring from Kentucky, struggled in the first half in some of the Wolverines' earlier home games this season. But that wasn't the case on Sunday, when the Chicago native played a near-flawless 14 minutes in the opening half as Michigan pulled away from the Highlanders.
   Matthews had 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, including 1 of 2 from 3-point range, while adding seven assists, three rebounds, two steals and no turnovers before the intermission.

UP NEXT
   UC Riverside: Hosts Pacific on Thursday.
   Michigan: At North Carolina on Wednesday.