Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg was nothing short of dominant, leading the way to an 83-71 win at Michigan State on Friday.
Lendeborg racked up a team-high 26 points to go with 12 rebounds and
two blocks, fueling Michigan to their first win in East Lansing since 2018 and remaining atop the Big Ten standings.
“We have a lot of guys on our team that haven’t won here and Michigan hasn’t won here since 2018, so we really wanted to be the team to finally get that win,” Lendeborg told the media following the win. “We’re just trying to be the best team that we can be and we want to make a deep run in March, so this is the type of game we’re going to need to win.”
It seemed like Michigan answered every time Michigan State went on a big run, and Lendeborg was the reason behind many of those critical plays. One of the biggest moments came with about two minutes left in the game. Michigan led 69-65 and Michigan State desperately needed a stop, but Lendeborg slid into the lane and finished a clutch layup to extend the lead.
In addition to leading the team in scoring, Lendeborg’s constant effort on the glass was a key factor, as he came away with a game-high 12 boards (six offensive, six defensive). It became clear Lendeborg was on a mission to help Michigan end the losing streak in East Lansing, and his energy and hard work were on full display.
“(Lendeborg) was just always around the ball. I think each of his six offensive rebounds were the deciding plays,” head coach Dusty May said. “He also made big free throw after big free throw in a very, very intense environment, so I’m just really proud of his resolve and his ability to step up and be capable of getting the job done.”
Playing against the nation’s top rated defense in one of the Big Ten’s most difficult environments, it was essential for Michigan to play with physicality and toughness. And that’s exactly what the Wolverines did, with Lendeborg leading the charge. From the opening tip, Michigan was the aggressor and responded to every punch the Spartans.
“We were just trying to show some extra toughness,” Lendeborg said. “Coming into the game, people were talking about how we’re soft. We know that we’re not soft and today was a really great chance to showcase that. We all knew how tough it was going to be. They gave us a haymaker and we just kept jabbing back until we were able to get back on our feet.”
Despite dealing with a calf injury in recent weeks, Lendeborg has continued to show why he’s considered one of the best players in the country. His performance at MSU was not only a reminder of just how dominant he can be when healthy, but also a reminder of the type of team the Wolverines can be when they play up to their full potential.
