04/04/26 10:03:00
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04/04 22:02 CDT Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg returns to Final Four game
against Arizona after hurting ankle, knee
Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg returns to Final Four game against Arizona after
hurting ankle, knee
By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) --- Michigan star forward Yaxel Lendeborg returned to
Saturday's Final Four game against Arizona after exiting in the first half with
ankle and knee injuries, and he immediately made an impact.
The first-team All-American was back on the court to start the second half.
That came after he gingerly went through a series of warmup exercises at
midcourt to test his left ankle, including running backward, shuffling side to
side and repeatedly jumping --- grimacing and biting his lip as he pushed
through the exercises.
Lendeborg also wore a brace on his left knee, and TBS reported on the broadcast
that he had an MCL sprain.
Nonetheless, Lendeborg buried a pair of 3-pointers in the opening 4 1/2 minutes
of the second half to show he could be effective even when hobbled in a matchup
of the NCAA Tournament's remaining No. 1 seeds.
Lendeborg had a rough start with two quick fouls and then exited after he
stepped on the foot of Arizona big man Motiejus Krivas and twisted his left
ankle, the same one he had tweaked during the loss to Purdue in the Big Ten
Tournament championship game. Lendeborg left the bench for trainers to retape
his ankle and treat it with ice, returned briefly, then went back to the locker
room.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Lendeborg entered the game averaging 15.2 points, 7.0
rebounds and 3.3 assists.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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