Lithuania defeated Michigan Wolverines 96-84 in an international friendly on 23 August 2026. The hosts needed to find their rhythm after a difficult run of results, and by then they had something to prove.
Michigan arrived with momentum — five straight wins including victories over Connecticut, Tennessee and Alabama. They had been dominant in those matches, pulling away from their opponents. But this was different ground, and things came to a head early on.
Lithuania had not been in good shape recently. They lost 74-88 to Arizona Wildcats on 22 August, then went down 108-110 against Estonia two days earlier. Before that came a 81-82 defeat to Italy and a narrow 89-88 win over Britain. They needed to reset, and this match offered a chance to do it.
The final score tells you where it went. Michigan's winning streak came to an end, while Lithuania showed they could still compete on the international stage. The nine-point margin was respectable, though not decisive enough to claim anything more than a solid performance.
What matters now is what this means for both sides. Lithuania looked like a team finding its feet again. Michigan will want to know whether their recent dominance was legitimate or just a product of softer opposition. The answer will come in time.