How Donaldson Dug Down Deep to Spark Wolverines' Win over Penn State

Michigan point guard had game-high 21 points, 7 assists coming off sub-par game at Purdue. Coach May: 'We need his leadership. We need his ability to generate plays outside of our offense.'

Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

Tre Donaldson, here going against 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin, Jr., led Michigan in every statistic except rebounds against Penn State. The junior point guard controlled the game — particularly in the final two minutes.

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Wolverines were on the ropes, and Tre Donaldson grabbed that rope and pulled his team all the way back to a 76-72 victory Monday night here against Penn State.

Donaldson sparked a game-ending 9-0 run (scoring the final 7 points himself) to finish with a career-high 21 points, 7 assists and zero turnovers coming off a sub-par game at Purdue. And he did all this going against reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin, Jr., who had 15 points and 6 assists but 5 turnovers.

When the final horn sounded before a sellout crowd of 12,707 at Crisler Center, Donaldson looked up to the rafters and shouted, “YEAHHHHH!” Teammates approached to hug him, slap five and chest bump him.

“It meant so much to me because it was something we needed for our team,” said Donaldson, alluding to the two losses in the previous three games. “Going into Purdue and getting a loss like that (91-64) -- it was just something that we needed.

“And I was just happy that God gave me an opportunity to do it for these guys, and it was just exciting.”

He brought Michigan back by scoring 7 points and grabbing the game-clinching rebound in the final 56 seconds, and did so on a bad ankle.

Wow. This was really something.

“Tre had a situation in the last overtime game here,” said Wolverine coach Dusty May of the 80-76 win Jan. 19 over Northwestern. “Where he got to the rim and it just didn’t drop. Made a really nice play and a three- or four-footer hung on the rim and it didn’t drop.

“And, so, for him to [still] have the confidence to want to take the big shots…”

Donaldson started the comeback with a nifty pass to Roddy Gayle, Jr., for a dunk.

Then, with the shot clock about to expire, Donaldson nailed a mid-range jumper on the run at that 56-second mark.

May said, “I mean, his pull-up off the sideline out-of-bounds [pass] was a high-level shot. He elevated, raised up, knocked it in. And then the crowd really got into it when he made that shot.”

He drained his team-high third trey with 24 ticks left for a two-point lead. Then he went high to snare a missed three-pointer by Baldwin and was immediately fouled by Zach Hicks with four seconds left.

When I asked Donaldson what his favorite play of that final stretch was, he didn’t hesitate, saying, “The rebound. The rebound’s big. I mean, my foot’s still bothering me a little bit. So, for me to just go up there and jump and go get it – that was big for me.”

Donaldson went to the free throw line twice with an icing timeout wedged in between attempts.

Swish!

Swish!

Game over, and the first loss in 10 home games averted.

“He made two huge free throws,” said May. “Very, very proud of his confidence – his belief, his ability to stay the course. He continues to get better. With the ankle injury, we didn’t think he was going to play in L.A. Still not 100 percent, but he’s getting closer and closer.

“We need his leadership. We need his ability to generate plays outside of our offense.”

And this comeback came in a game in which leading scorer Vlad Goldin (4 points and 3 rebounds in 16:31 of playing time) was well below his usual capabilities. “Vlad shouldn’t have played tonight,” said May. “He was ill. We appreciate him giving it a run.”

Michigan went from being dominant in three consecutive games to dismal in three straight contests before this much-needed victory.

The Wolverines beat USC, UCLA (both in California) and Washington by a combined 44 points and were ranked in the Top 25.

Then came three games in which Minnesota (overtime loss on road), Northwestern and Purdue brought Michigan back down to earth, knocking them out of the national poll.

“I think we were a little bit over-confident,” said May. “So, I think this game was great for [Donaldson’s] confidence, and belief in ourselves. For him to make two big shots and the free throws [in the final minute] has to be good for his confidence.”

Donaldson got outscored, 24-11, by Purdue point guard Braden Smith and had 6 turnovers in the blowout. Smith flexed his muscles near the end of that game.

“I was just remembering our talk after the Purdue game,” said Donaldson. “What we needed to do different, and not just talk about it, but be about it.

“And that was our response.”

The Wolverines’ play down the stretch spoke volumes. Purdue’s last basket came with 3:12 remaining and two free throws by Baldwin with 2:08 left closed out its scoring.

The Wolverines played four on the road and two at home during this strange run, and had just two days off in between the game in West Lafayette and Penn State.

The schedule has been tough, but there are trade-offs over the long haul of a fourth-month-long college season. Michigan will play three consecutive home games against Rutgers, Illinois and Maryland in late February and early March before ending the regular season March 9 at Michigan State.

But before that, the Boilermakers visit Crisler Feb. 11.

“We got beat bad,” said Donaldson. “But we know who we are. That was out of character, I would say. They’ve got to play us again, and so we’re looking forward to that.”

He said being physical is something the Wolverines discussed after that loss, and Donaldson and May saw strides in that direction in this win.

And so now Michigan is 15-5 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten with 11 games remaining. Everything remains in front of them after a win that might not have saved the season, but surely got it moving back in the right direction.

“You never know when that bamboo is going to sprout up,” said May. “You planted it, and you’re waiting. So, hopefully, this is a good sign going forward.”

Donaldson was the bamboo shooting up in this game, and shooting out the lights in the end.