ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jordan Poole is noticing some extra attention from opposing defenses now.

“I think today was the first time that I was actually being denied the ball on the perimeter, so it was something that I had to adjust to,” the Michigan sophomore said. “But we know that we were able to read the coverages. I think that’s something that really started to get us going later in the second half.”

Poole scored 17 points and Iggy Brazdeikis had 16 points and 11 rebounds as No. 2 Michigan returned to Big Ten play with a 68-55 victory over Penn State on Thursday night. It was the ninth straight game in double figures for Poole, who appeared comfortable on a night when his team struggled to get untracked.

The unbeaten Wolverines (14-0, 3-0) weren’t always that dominant while playing lesser competition in December, and the first half against Penn State (7-7, 0-3) wasn’t all that great either from an aesthetic standpoint. The teams combined for 18 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Michigan led 25-20.

The Nittany Lions scored the first two points of the second, but the Wolverines responded with a 13-3 run.

Charles Matthews scored 14 points for Michigan.

Mike Watkins scored 19 points for Penn State, and Lamar Stevens added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Penn State shot 1 of 14 from 3-point range and couldn’t keep up after holding Michigan to 36-percent shooting in the first half.

“I really enjoyed this game, competing. I thought our team showed some real grit and some incredible passion,” Nittany Lions coach Patrick Chambers said. “This is a game we can build on.”

Chambers apologized following the game for an incident in the first half in which he appeared to shove freshman guard Myles Dread during a timeout.

UP NEXT

Penn State: The Nittany Lions host No. 22 Wisconsin on Sunday night.

Michigan: The Wolverines host No. 21 Indiana on Sunday.