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Michigan advances to NCAA championship game, snuffing Loyola's "Cinderella" run

Both teams struggled scoring the first half, but the Wolverines then turned up the defensive pressure and started hitting shots.
Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The Michigan Wolverines bench celebrates in the games final minutes against the Texas A&M Aggies in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Staples Center on March 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

Michigan ended the Cinderella run of Loyola-Chicago with strong second half in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

The 69-57 win wasn't easy, though.

Loyola led by 10 at 41-31 at the 14:04 mark of the second half. Michigan got closer with an 11-4 run. But the Ramblers still appeared in control.

However, the Wolverines then turned up the defensive pressure and started hitting shots. A three-point play by Moe Wagner capped a 17-2 run that gave them a seven-point lead.

Wagner, who finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, later hit a three-pointer that extended the lead to 59-51, and Michigan held on from there.

Both teams struggled scoring the first half. Twelve minutes into the game there were just 27 combined points and neither team was shooting better than 32% with several misses at point-blank range..

Michigan led 12-4, but Loyola took control midway through the half and led 29-22 after Donte Ingram's rebound basket beat the halftime buzzer.

Wagner topped all first-half scorers with 11 points. The other Wolverines, however, shot just 4-of-22 from the field.

Michigan will face the winner of Saturday's second semifinal between Villanova and Kansas in the national championship game Monday.

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