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The No. 1 Michigan Wolverines continued rolling in the 2026 NCAA Tournament with an impressive 95-72 win over No. 9 Saint Louis in the second round.
The Wolverines were on the bubble for a No. 1 seed after losing the Big Ten conference championship to Purdue, but they were still given the top seed in the Midwest Region. Michigan dominated Howard in the first round and continued that momentum with the 23-point win over St. Louis in the second round.
A large (pun intended) part of Michigan's win was center Aday Mara. The 7-foot-3 junior was not only an offensive threat in the first half, but he was essential in shutting down the Saint Louis offense, racking up four blocks in the first half.
Here is more on how Mara played for Michigan against St. Louis in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
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Aday Mara stats today
Here is how Mara fared in the 2026 NCAA Tournament win over Saint Louis.
- 26 minutes
- 16 points
- 5 rebounds
- 5 assists
- 4 blocks
- 1 steal
- 1 turnover
- 7-12 FG
- 0-0 3FG
- 2-4 FT
Most blocks in March Madness game
Mara had four blocks in the first half. With his being on pace for eight in the game, at the time, some began looking to see if he had a shot at the all-time record for blocks in a game in the NCAA Tournament. Even if Mara had eight, which he didn't, as he finished with four, it still would have fallen short of the all-time record held by Shaquille O'Neal, who had 11 blocks in a tournament game in 1991.
HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5
Aday Mara season stats
Here is a look at Mara's per-game season stats.
| Season | School | Minutes | Games | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Blocks | FG% | 3FG% | FT% |
| 2023-24 | UCLA | 9.5 | 28 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 44.2% | 0.00% | 70.0% |
| 2024-25 | UCLA | 13.0 | 33 | 6.4 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 59.0% | 0.00% | 57.7% |
| 2025-26 | Michigan | 23.0 | 35 | 11.9 | 6.9 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 67.9% | 25.0% | 54.6% |
| Total | 2 teams | 15.6 | 96 | 7.5 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 61.0% | 25.0% | 57.6% |
Aday Mara highlights vs. St. Louis
Mara had several highlight reel plays against St. Louis, but there are some that stand out above the others. While it is always impressive when he blocks opponents' shots, he showed off his athleticism by finishing a full-court alley-oop. Later, Mara proved he had a little ball handling in his bag when he got Robbie Avila with a pump fake that he turned into a spin, which helped him drive to the rim for the score. In the second half, the Michigan center got the assist on an alley-oop to teammate Morez Johnson.
Mara finishes reverse alley-oop
Mara isn't just tall, he is athletic. In the first half, he got out on the fast break. Yaxel Lendeborg had a breakout pass that ended up being a full-court alley-oop pass. Mara caught it while moving and effortlessly finished the ball with a reverse dunk. At halftime, Charles Barkley said that the play was one of the most impressive things he had seen in the last few years.
THE BIGS CONNECT FOR A CROSS-COURT ALLEY 😤#MarchMadness @umichbball pic.twitter.com/GIZ19AqYR2
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2026Mara pump fakes Avila
You never want to be the player on the other end of a highlight, but you definitely don't want to be the one who got pump-faked. Avila is a fan favorite in the tournament for his look that matches his game and the funny nicknames he has acquired. Unfortunately for him, Mara pump-faked a pass, and Avila whipped around to look where it went. The Michigan center then spun around and used the space to put up a short shot, which he scored.
My GOODNESS 😳#MarchMadness @umichbball pic.twitter.com/ZU664yRiGH
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2026Mara assists alley-oop to Johnson
Mara finished a full-court alley-oop in the first half while he was in transition. In the second half, he was on the arc and actually assisted an alley-oop to Johnson, who finished it with a dunk of his own.
MOREZ JOHNSON TAKES TO THE SKY ✈️#MarchMadness @umichbball pic.twitter.com/dhsZE4c3Bf
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2026SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
Aday Mara height
Mara is listed at 7-foot-3 on Michigan's website. He is one of two players for the Wolverines who are listed above 7 ft, joining freshman center Malick Kordel, who is listed at 7-2.
Aday Mara wingspan
The Michigan center reportedly has a wingspan of nearly 7 ft 7 inches.
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