Transfers Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. have double-doubles as No. 6 Michigan wins at TCU

6 hours ago7 min read

In a gritty, turnover-plagued battle that felt more like a street fight than a polished early-season showcase, the sixth-ranked Michigan Wolverines leaned heavily on their new-look frontcourt to escape Fort Worth with a hard-fought 67-63 victory over a pesky TCU squad. The story of the night, without a doubt, was the transfer portal paying immediate dividends, as UAB import Yaxel Lendeborg and Illinois newcomer Morez Johnson Jr.both posted monster double-doubles, providing the muscle and interior presence that ultimately proved the difference. Lendeborg, with his 14 points and 10 boards, was the steadying force, while Johnson’s 10 points and game-high 12 rebounds, particularly his relentless work on the offensive glass, gave Michigan a crucial second-chance lifeline on a night where they coughed the ball up a staggering 22 times.Let’s be real, 22 turnovers is the kind of stat that usually gets you beat, especially on the road in a hostile environment like Schollmaier Arena, a place where TCU has built a reputation for slaying giants, having won six of their last seven against top-10 opponents at home. This win wasn't about finesse; it was about resilience, about finding a way to win ugly, a trait that separates good teams from great ones come March.The game itself was a rock fight, with only four lead changes all night, and it was freshman guard Trey McKenney who provided the clutch gene, first with a massive and-one play at the 6:24 mark to put Michigan up 51-49, a lead they would never relinquish, and then drilling a triple just over a minute later to extend the advantage. But it was Johnson who truly iced it down the stretch, with a sequence that will surely be on the season highlight reel—a strong finish inside followed by a pure hustle putback—that ballooned the lead to 61-54 and effectively broke TCU’s spirit.For the Horned Frogs, who fell to 2-2, it was a story of a late-game cold snap, missing 11 of 12 shots during a critical six-minute stretch where the game slipped away, despite a team-high 15 points from Brock Harding. While the Wolverines remain undefeated at 3-0, the turnover issue is a glaring red flag that Coach Juwan Howard will need to address before conference play heats up; you can’t expect to survive in the brutal Big Ten giving away possessions like that.This game, however, should instill a quiet confidence in Ann Arbor—when their shots weren't falling and their guards were struggling with pressure, they had the horses inside to grind out a win. It’s a long season, but a road win against a quality, physical opponent like TCU, even an imperfect one, is a massive resume builder and a testament to the immediate impact of their offseason acquisitions. They’ll look to clean things up at home against Middle Tennessee, while TCU has to regroup for Kansas City, but for one night in Texas, Michigan’s new transfers announced their arrival with authority.

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