No. 14 Michigan got off to a red-hot start, building a 15-point lead over Arkansas in the first half, but a second half full of turnovers and hot shots for the Razorbacks resulted in an 89-87 loss for the Wolverines in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday evening at Madison Square Garden.

Michigan led 49-45 at halftime, but was outscored 33-11 early in the second frame and trailed by as many as 18 points at 80-62. The Wolverines responded with a 12-0 run to pull within six points, but that poor start after halftime was too much for the Maize and Blue.

The Wolverines are 8-2 on the year, with each of their two losses by two points. Here are five takeaways from today’s game…

After a sloppy start, Michigan turned things around and played mostly mistake-free basketball for the first 20 minutes of this game. The Wolverines only had five turnovers in the first half, but Michigan’s turnover problem reared its ugly head in the second half.

The Wolverines had __ giveaways after halftime and their __ turnovers resulted in __ points for the Razorbacks.

Michigan’s 7-foot center got off to a slow start this season and didn’t seem comfortable playing with a new group of teammates. That was a bit surprising considering Goldin was the only UM player who had previous experience playing for head coach Dusty May, but it was still true.

However, in his last four games, Goldin has totaled (__) (62+tonight) points while shooting over 60% and adding (21+tonight) rebounds and (6+tonight) blocks. It’s been fun to watch the chemistry that has developed between Goldin and his teammate Danny Wolf, and Goldin’s renewed presence in the post has added another element to Michigan’s already potent offense.

Michigan’s offense is at its best when it runs through Danny Wolf, and that was abundantly clear tonight. Yes, Wolf also had a few turnovers (three tonight), but generally good things happen when the ball is in his hands.

Wolf nearly had a triple-double with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists and shot 6 of 11 from the floor. The connection he built with Goldin got his teammate out of early season slump, making this team very dangerous going forward. Point guard Tre Donaldson is a good player who has been outstanding at times this season, but Wolf is the best and most complete player on this team.

Will Tschetter averaged just nine minutes per game off the bench and provided an immediate spark for the Wolverines in this game. The senior played 4-on-4 (including 3-on-3 from deep) and quickly scored 13 points to help Michigan extend its 15-point first-half lead.

One of the early themes of this team was the fact that on any given night, any guy could show up and make a difference. Tonight it was Tschetter in the first half.

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics: