ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Interstat) — The Michigan Wolverines used a dominant second-half performance and a career night from Yaxel Lendeborg to pull away from the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders for an 86-61 victory in a non-conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at a charged Crisler Center.

A crowd of 11,188 watched as the Wolverines remained undefeated, improving to 4-0, while the Blue Raiders suffered their first loss of the season, falling to 3-1.

The game was a tale of two halves, with the first period offering a competitive contest before Michigan’s depth and efficiency took over after the break. The Wolverines led by just six points at halftime, 36-30, but exploded for 50 points in the second half, nearly doubling up the Blue Raiders over the final 20 minutes.

Michigan’s offense operated with surgical precision, scoring 86 points on 80 possessions for an offensive rating of 107.0. Middle Tennessee, by contrast, managed just 61 points on 79 possessions, an offensive rating of 77.5, hampered by inefficient shooting all night.

The Wolverines’ attack was brutally effective inside, outscoring the Blue Raiders 50-12 in the paint. Michigan also capitalized on transition opportunities, scoring 13 fastbreak points to Middle Tennessee’s zero.

Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 forward from Pennsauken, New Jersey, was the engine of the Michigan offense, pouring in a game-high 25 points in just 27 minutes of action. He was a model of efficiency, adding three assists and a block while anchoring the Wolverines’ interior presence.

He was complemented by a balanced scoring effort. Elliot Cadeau, a guard from West Orange, New Jersey, chipped in 10 points, while fellow big men Morez Johnson and Aday Mara each added 9 and 10 points, respectively. The Wolverines’ depth was on full display as eight different players scored at least eight points.

For Middle Tennessee, guard Jahvin Carter of Alcoa, Tennessee, provided the primary offensive spark, leading the Blue Raiders with 18 points. Kamari Lands added 11 points, but the team struggled to find consistent offense against a stout Michigan defense.

The Blue Raiders’ shooting woes were the story of their night. They connected on just 21 of 69 field goal attempts, a frigid 30.4 percent from the floor. While they hit 10 three-pointers, it came on 37 attempts, a 27 percent success rate. Michigan was not much better from deep, making only 5 of 25, but their overwhelming advantage in the paint rendered their long-distance struggles moot.

Michigan also controlled the glass, securing 11 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points. Both teams were evenly matched in assists, steals, and blocks, but Michigan’s ability to limit its own mistakes while forcing 14 Middle Tennessee turnovers proved decisive.

The game began with a back-and-forth first half. Michigan’s Will Tschetter opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but Middle Tennessee’s Kamari Lands answered with one of his own to keep the Blue Raiders close. The Wolverines built a small lead midway through the period, but a late push from the Blue Raiders, capped by a Jahvin Carter three-pointer, kept the deficit manageable at the break.

Any hope of a Middle Tennessee upset was quickly extinguished in the second half. Michigan came out of the locker room with renewed intensity, immediately going on a 13-3 run to stretch the lead to 49-33. The Wolverines’ ball movement and interior scoring were simply too much, and the lead continued to swell as the half wore on, reaching as high as 25 points before the final buzzer.

The victory extends Michigan’s strong start to the season, which includes notable wins over Texas Christian and Wake Forest in overtime. The Wolverines will next head to Las Vegas for a pair of high-profile games against San Diego State and Auburn.

Middle Tennessee, which had opened its season with three consecutive wins, will look to rebound in a multi-team event in Parry Sound, Ontario, beginning with a game against Murray State.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Michigan was projected with a 94.40 percent probability to win. The Wolverines also covered the pregame spread of -25.5. The total score of 147 fell under the over/under line of 157.5.