ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Tarleton State Men's Basketball battled Michigan throughout the first half, but ultimately were unable to answer the Wolverines in the second half falling, 72-49 on the road at the Crisler Center.
 
The Texans (1-5) led the Wolverines (4-1) with seven minutes to play in the first half. The Purple and White led twice in the first half and remained within a basket throughout the majority of the first 20 minutes, but were unable to keep it that way in the second half.
 
Bubu Benjamin led the team in scoring four the fourth time this season. The sophomore from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada posted 15 with all coming from the three-point line. He shot five for seven from deep, with four coming in the first half. The five made triples set a new high for Benjamin.
 
Ronnie Harrison Jr. was the only other Texan to score in double-figures tallying 14. The sophomore played all 40 minutes in his first start after missing a trio of games due to injury. Harrison shot a perfect four-for-four from the charity stripe and five-for-12 from the floor. Izzy Miles contributed seven points off the bench, the only bench player to score for the Texans.
 
Tarleton fell in a hole early, but the mighty Texans showed they weren't going to go away easily. After Michigan took an 11-3 lead, the Purple and White fought back with an 8-0 run to tie it at 11 all. Benjamin posted a pair of made triples in the first 11 accompanied by baskets by Harrison and Jordan Mizell. During the run, the Texans forced a pair of turnovers and Harrison recorded his first block.
 
After Michigan retook the lead, Mizell tied it right back up at 13 with a made jumper with 11:19 remaining in the first half. The Wolverines responded with a 7-0 run ended by Benjamin's third triple of the half. After Michigan knocked down a triple on the next possession, it was Izzy Miles' turn to nail a three from downtown, to cut the deficit to 23-19 with 8:04 to go.
 
The three-ball was following for the Purple and White with Benjamin knocking down his fourth of the half, marking the third-straight three-pointer for Tarleton. Harrison scooped and scored giving the Texans their first lead of the game with 6:54 remaining.
 
Michigan busted on a 6-0 spurt to regain the lead for the remainder of the half. Harrison cut the Blue's six-point lead down to one after another fast break layup and a pair of made free throws. Without a media timeout until the final minute, the Texans were unable to bring fresh legs off the bench. Michigan took advantage and broke out to a double-digit lead with less than a minute remaining in the first session. Ultimately, the Wolverines led 40-30 at the break.
 
Tarleton shot a season-best 50 percent from the floor in the first half and 71.4 percent from deep.
 
Michigan took control in the beginning of the second half running out an a 10-0 run to start the half. The Texans notched their first bucket 4:11 into the second session on a Harrison lay-up. Trailing 54-34, Chris Mpaka made a pair of in-the-paint jumpers. After Harrison knocked down a pair of freebies, the Purple and White deficit was shrunk down to 14.
 
With 7:37 to go, Mpaka made another jumper in the paint to shorten the deficit to 13, the lowest for the remainder of the game. Benjamin sunk his fifth three of the night with 3:27 remaining after the Wolverines had ballooned the lead to their largest of the night, 22.
 
Ultimately the Wolverines closed out the victory, 72-49. Michigan shot 44.0 percent from the floor and 27.3 from deep. Tarleton was unable to keep up its hot paced shooting in the second half shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point land after starting the first half on a torrid pace. The Wolverines won the battle of the boards, 32-25. Michigan committed 11 turnovers while forcing the Texans to force 24, marking its sixth-straight contest with at least 20 turnovers.
 
Tarleton State will head to the Bahamas next for the 2024 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship spanning from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The Purple and White will open with Iona on Friday followed by Hofstra and Indiana State on the weekend.