The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team used a strong defensive second half and a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Nimari Burnett to defeat Rutgers 84-82 on Thursday at Crisler Center.

Leaders and Best
Vladislav Goldin recorded his fourth double-double of the season, leading Michigan with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Burnett had a season-high 20 points and added four rebounds. Will Tschetter scored 16 points, while Danny Wolf added eight points and eight rebounds.

First Half
After Michigan started the game with two misses, the Wolverines made four of their next five attempts from the field, taking an 8-5 lead into the first media timeout. Rutgers responded by making its next five field goals, but seven early points from Tschetter and four consecutive U-M baskets kept Michigan in front 20-17 with 11:29 to go in the half.

Rutgers utilized its press to force a pair of Michigan turnovers and went on an 8-0 run over 40 seconds to give them a 27-23 advantage. Rutgers went 14-for-15 from the field after the first four minutes, holding a 44-37 lead with just under five minutes to play.

Rutgers shot 68 percent from the field in the first period with three players in double figures. Their largest lead of the half was 13 points, 57-44, with 1:13 to go, but Goldin had two consecutive dunks -- four of his 17 first-half points -- that brought U-M within single digits, trailing 57-49 at the half.

Second Half
Burnett scored nine of Michigan's first 11 points in the half to cut Rutgers' lead to 65-60 with 14:04 remaining. Michigan (22-6, 14-3 Big Ten) struggled to find the basket as Rutgers (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten) extended its lead to 74-62. U-M then went on a 6-0 spurt in under a minute while Rutgers suffered a stretch during which they shot 1-for-10 from the field and went on a four-minute scoring drought, but Michigan still trailed 74-68 with 7:49 to go.

Led by its defense, Michigan's 12-2 run over four-and-a-half minutes cut Rutgers' lead down to 76-74 with 5:14 to play. Goldin had a pair of blocks, and Rutgers shot 1-for-14 to help the Wolverines crawl back. A layup from Tschetter tied things up at 76 apiece with 4:33 remaining.

A Goldin dunk tied the game again at 78 with 2:34 remaining as Rutgers went on a skid, shooting two for its last 18 attempts. In the second half, the Scarlet Knights shot just 25 percent, while U-M hit 50 percent of its shots (12-for-24).

Turning Point
With Michigan trailing 82-81 with 3.6 seconds to go, Wolf received the inbounds pass and was surrounded by Scarlet Knights near the three-point line. He dished it to Burnett, who hit a deep triple at the buzzer to give Michigan the 84-82 win.

What's Next
Michigan will continue its three-game homestand on Sunday (March 2) at 3:45 p.m. hosting Illinois at Crisler Center. The game will be broadcast live on CBS.