ANN ARBOR, Mich.- Men's basketball hit the road for a must-win game within the WHAC standings to keep their push for the playoffs going. The Blue Devils also got some much-needed relief with Brandon Beavers' return back to the lineup. Beavers was one of 4 players out for the Blue Devils for the past 3 weeks, still though the Blue Devils are without 3 critical players, including starter Isaiah Cumberland.
The Cardinals stifling second-half defense kept the Blue Devils at bay with the final score 85-71. Overall, the Blue Devils had 30 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, and 10 turnovers for the afternoon; the blue devils never saw the charity stripe the entire game, a rarity in college basketball.
The Blue Devils shot 44.1% from the field and 28.2% from beyond the arc Saturday afternoon. Overall, three players were in double-digits, led by Carter Frantz with 17 pts, Gunnar Gustafson with 16 pts, and Alek Ivanovic with 15 pts. Brandon Beavers had 6 pts, and Sanna Sisawo had 5 pts.
Looking ahead, the men's basketball team looks to bounce back against Rochester in a Sunday matinee in the Don Ridler Field house, with tip-off slated for 3 pm. This week seems to be a grueling week of play for the Blue Devils, who will play back-to-back nights on Wednesday and Thursday, then play Saturday before finishing out with back-to-back nights the following week.