SAN ANTONIO _ Michigan basketball ran into the national darling and a brutal shooting slump Saturday in Texas.
But as this team has done all year long, the Wolverines found a way.
And Monday night at the Alamodome, Michigan will play for a national championship.
The Wolverines overcame a horrid first-half shooting performance, received 24 points and 14 rebounds from Moritz Wagner and erased a 10-point Loyola Chicago second-half deficit with a 69-57 win over the Ramblers in San Antonio.
Michigan (33-7) will play the winner of Kansas-Villanova on Monday night for the national title. It'll be Michigan's seventh national title game appearance and second in the past six years.
And the Wolverines got there the hard way.
Michigan's first half was, outside of one area, a bundle of frustration. Wagner finished the first 20 minutes with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Wolverines feasted on second-chance points against undersized Loyola, but the rest of the team floundered.
Wagner and Charles Matthews went a combined 8-for-16 from the floor in the first half. The rest of the team combined to shoot 1-for-15.
Loyola, meanwhile, slowly took advantage by closing the half on an elongated 25-10 run that led to a 29-22 lead at the break.
The Ramblers opened the second half where they left off, as big man Cameron Krutwig converted an early three-point play to push the lead to 10 just 20 seconds in.
Michigan started to come to life midway through the half behind its bench. Jaaron Simmons hit his first 3-pointer since February. Jordan Poole scored on a driving layup before a Duncan Robinson 3-pointer with 10:06 to play made it 45-42, Loyola.
Loyola went on a three-minute scoring drought and Wagner tied the score with a triple from the corner. Poole put Michigan in front, 49-47, with a pair of free throws at the 6:20 mark of the second half. It was Michigan's first lead since 15-13.
Michigan's run grew to 17-2 and a seven-point lead after a Wagner put-back and the foul, as the Ramblers went cold with five turnovers in four minutes and 20 seconds.
For all the struggles Michigan had early, its finish was equally impressive as the Wolverines overpowered Loyola down the stretch time.
Michigan shot 29 percent in the first half and 57.1 percent in the second. The Wolverines outscored Loyola 47-28 after halftime.
