UM-Dearborn men drop opener to Wilberforce

WILBERFORCE, Ohio - The University of Michigan-Dearborn men's basketball team dropped its 2016-17 season opener to Wilberforce University Tuesday in Wilberforce, Ohio.

The Bulldogs started the night off shooting strong from the floor as the Wolverines looked to find their footing. Wilberforce held a 16-point halftime lead and held on to top UM-Dearborn 94-74. The Bulldogs shot 51.7 percent from the field, compared to 43.8 percent from the Wolverines.

Four players finished in double figures for the Wolverines, led by Xavier Crofford (SO/Detroit, MI) with 15 points. Crofford finished 4-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep, while adding three rebounds and three assists. Freshman Cody Kegley (FR/Yale, MI) rebounded from early foul trouble to score 13 points in his UM-Dearborn debut. Kegley hit a team-high four shots from 3-point range, showing the promise that has head coach Taylor Langley excited about the freshman's future.

Marcus Williams (SR/Lagos, Nigeria) got his final season with the Wolverines underway with 12 points and four rebounds, while his front-court partner Jason Penn (JR/Detroit, MI) added 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.

The Wolverines shot 25-of-57 from the field, 10-of-25 from deep and 14-of-22 from the free-throw line. UM-Dearborn finished with 13 assists and 13 turnovers.

The Bulldogs had five players finish in double figures led by Arthur Haggard III with 16 points, while Maxime Maisonnet added 14 points. Patrick Mitchell picked up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Wolverines look to get in the win column with two games this weekend, starting against Purdue University-Northwest at 8 p.m. Friday in Hammond, Ind.