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Michigan cruises past Long Beach State

Nov 22, 2013 - 2:58 AM San Juan, PR (SportsNetwork.com) - Nik Stauskas scored 24 points and Caris LeVert added 20 as 14th-ranked Michigan ran past Long Beach State, 85-61, in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Glenn Robinson III tallied 14 points for the Wolverines (3-1), who will play Friday against Florida State. The Seminoles upset No. 10 VCU, 85-67, Thursday night.

Michigan made a tournament-record 14 3-point shots. Stauskas and LeVert each made four, part of a 14-for-30 effort for the Wolverines.

"We did a great job the second half of really pulling away, they played well the whole game though. I think our defense really helped us get the win," LeVert said.

A.J. Spencer and Mike Caffey each had 12 points, and Branford Jones scored 11 for the 49ers (1-4), who fell behind 7-0 and never led.

"This is our third BCS game - Kansas State, Arizona and Michigan - we've just got to be able to take scouting reports and be able to disrupt somebody and not get people comfortable right out of the gate so easy," Long Beach State coach Dan Monson said.

The Wolverines, who were coming off a loss at Iowa State Sunday, got quick 3- pointers from Derrick Walton Jr. and Robinson. Robinson then sank a free throw for the 7-0 edge.

Spencer's conversion from beyond the arc cut the deficit to 12-10, but Robinson's long-distance bucket started an ensuing 20-4 burst. LeVert's layup capped the rally with nearly 9 1/2 minutes left in the half.

Another Spencer's 3-pointer trimmed the margin to 36-29, but Stauskas drained three consecutive attempts from the charity stripe with 2:18 to go in the half. He then drilled a 3-ball for a 42-29 cushion at the break.

The 49ers made one final run. A dunk from David Samuels got Long Beach State within 61-52 with nearly nine minutes left, but Stauskas made a 3-point shot following a Michigan timeout. The Wolverines, who shot 66.7 percent in the second half, were up double digits the rest of the game.

Game Notes

Long Beach State is 2-19 against ranked opponents under Monson ... The 49ers last such win came against Xavier in 2011 ... Michigan shot 53.4 percent from the field.