Hardaway has 17 points and 7 assists as No. 2 Michigan routs Eastern Michigan, 93-54
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Eastern Michigan coach Rob Murphy had one prevailing thought going through his mind when his team led No. 2 Michigan by four points Thursday night.
"It's early," Murphy recalled thinking.
Indeed, it was too soon to get excited.
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Tim Hardaway Jr. had 17 points and a career-high seven assists to help the Wolverines rout the Eagles 93-54.
Michigan trailed 6-2 in the opening minutes, then took control with a 20-0 run. The Wolverines led 40-24 at halftime and enjoyed an even bigger cushion for much of the second half.
"I've never coached against a team who can shoot the ball at a high rate like Michigan does," Murphy said. "Every position outside of the (center) can really shoot."
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Eastern Michigan (6-4) has lost two straight since beating Purdue.
Earlier this month, the Eagles lost to No. 3 Syracuse 84-48, giving Murphy an up-close look at two of college basketball's best teams.
"Syracuse is extremely athletic with great size," said Murphy, a former Orange assistant. "Michigan has some great shooters and they are really efficient.
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"Both teams have great point guards."
Murphy, though, said he's really not concerned with how his team matches up with elite teams because they're not in the Mid-American Conference.
"Our ultimate goal is to win the MAC championship," he said. "I can't judge my team when we play Syracuse and Michigan."
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Eastern Michigan's Daylen Harrison scored 13 points and Glen Bryant had 10.
The Wolverines (12-0) are off to their best start since winning the first 16 games of the 1985-86 season.
Michigan's Trey Burke had 11 points and eight assists. Nik Stauskas made three 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 16 points, while fellow freshmen Mitch McGary had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double and Glenn Robinson III added 13 points for the Wolverines.
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Burke, the reigning Big Ten player of the week, took the ball from Jalen Ross on the first possession of the game and made a layup.
Ross responded with a 3-pointer and Bryant made another shot from beyond the arc to give the Eagles a four-point lead that proved to be their highlight of the night. Michigan used a balanced offense and aggressive defense to build a 22-6 lead.
The Wolverines then seemed to show some mercy — briefly playing five freshmen, including two that seldom play — and didn't add much to their lead in the first half.
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Ross had nine points in the first half but the rest of the Eagles' starters scored just seven combined. Ross didn't score after halftime.
Jordan Morgan made a low-post shot and a mid-range jumper on Michigan's first two possessions of the second half. The Wolverines led by 30-plus points with 14 minutes left and coasted to another lopsided victory.
"We let a couple teams come back on us early in the season, but we didn't want that to happen again," Hardaway said. "It's a matter of mental focus and preparation. We know that we have to keep playing when we get a lead."
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After beating No. 25 North Carolina State by seven points, Michigan won its next five games — against Bradley, Western Michigan, Arkansas, Binghamton and West Virginia — by an average of 19-plus points to reach its highest ranking since the 1992-93 season, the second year of the Fab Five era.
The Wolverines have one more tuneup — Dec. 29 at home against Central Michigan — before facing Big Ten competition.
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