Freshman forward Ignas Brazdeikis scored 23 points and No. 7 Michigan bounced back from its second loss of the season by downing host Rutgers 77-65 on Tuesday in Piscataway, N.J.

Jordan Poole scored 15 points and Zavier Simpson had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Charles Matthews added 11 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Wolverines, who lost at Iowa 74-59 on Friday.

Michigan (21-2 overall, 10-2 Big Ten) moved a half-game ahead of Purdue for first place in the conference.

The Wolverines have won all 11 meetings against Rutgers dating to 1933.

Coach John Beilein celebrated his 66th birthday by capturing his 121st Big Ten win, passing Johnny Orr for the most by a Michigan coach.

Eugene Omoruyi led the Scarlet Knights (11-11 , 4-8) with 21 points and Montez Mathis had 12 points and five assists.

Michigan shot 59.3 percent from the field in the first half and led 43-31 at halftime. Brazdeikis scored 14 points and Matthews had nine points and four assists.

Brazdeikis scored the Wolverines' first eight points and Michigan led 18-6 less than six minutes into the contest. Simpson gave Michigan a 17-point advantage with 7:31 remaining in the half on a 3-pointer.

The lead was still 17 after a Simpson layup three minutes later, but Rutgers scored the next eight points, capped by a Geo Baker 3-pointer. Michigan reestablished a double-digit advantage with a Poole 3-pointer and a Brazdeikis layup.

Rutgers chipped away early in the second half and got the deficit under double digits on a Mathis 3 with 15:28 remaining. Shaquille Doorson made a dunk moments later to cut the Wolverines' advantage to 48-41.

An 8-2 Michigan spurt, featuring 3-pointers by Poole and Brazdeikis, pushed the lead to 13.

Simpson's hook shot with 6:22 remaining gave Michigan a 63-51 lead. Omoruyi hit a 3-pointer a minute later to pull Rutgers within 10 at 66-56.

The Scarlet Knights' offense stalled after that bucket as they couldn't get closer than eight points the rest of the way.

--Field Level Media