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Ann Arbor – The Michigan women’s basketball team set regular-season highs for total wins and Big Ten wins, then earned the program’s highest NCAA Tournament seed.
Now, the Wolverines want more. The players said they’re capable of a national championship, and they’ve set the stage to make a run.
Michigan, a No. 2 seed, earned a spot in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history after plowing through its first two NCAA Tournament games at Crisler Center. The Wolverines (27-6) defeated No. 7-seed N.C. State, 92-63 on Sunday and will play Saturday in the Ft. Worth Region.
The Wolverines will face the winner of the game Monday between No. 3 seed Louisville and No. 6 seed Alabama. The UM Sweet 16 game will be Saturday at a time to be determined.
Olivia Olson scored a game-high 27 points – all in the second half – Syla Swords added 26 and Mila Holloway had 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Wolverines, 16-1 at home this season, to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022.
The Wolfpack played without one of its top players, Zoe Brooks, who watched courtside wearing a boot on her right foot. Brooks suffered an injury in the first-round game against Tennessee after scoring eight points in 17 minutes.
Her absence was missed by N.C. State, particularly in the second half when the Wolfpack became turnover prone, allowing Michigan to build a lead too tough to overcome.
N.C. State had 22 turnovers, which led to 35 points for the Wolverines, who had only six turnovers in the game.
Carrying a three-point lead into the second half, the Wolverines took advantage of some sloppy play from the Wolfpack, which had five turnovers in the opening five minutes. Michigan went on a 6-0 run, forcing three N.C. State turnovers during that span, and built a 40-32 lead with 4:55 left.
With just less than four minutes remaining in the third, UM outscored the Wolfpack 6-0 over a 33-second span. Swords started things off, then Olson got a steal and assist on a basket from Holloway, and then Brooke Quarles Daniels got another quick steal and passed to Olson, who scored to build a 49-35 lead.
In the final 32.5 seconds of the quarter, Swords hit a 3-pointer and Olson scored on a layup just before the buzzer to make it 60-44. Michigan outscored N.C. State 32-19 in the third. Olson had 11 points in the third and Swords added nine. The Wolfpack committed 10 turnovers in the quarter to bring their total to 20. Michigan scored 32 points off those miscues.
With Olson, the team’s leading scorer, in foul trouble and on the bench to open the second quarter, Swords took over. Michigan built a 21-13 lead after going on a 9-0 run in the opening two minutes. Swords scored seven of those points, including her first 3-pointer of the game before N.C. State called a timeout with 7:41 left.
The Wolverines’ defense swarmed N.C. State and forced six turnovers while going on a 14-0 run to take a 26-13 lead with 5:21 left. Michigan did not turn over the ball during the run.
But the scoring frenzy didn’t last for the Wolverines. The Wolfpack finally scored nearly six minutes into the second quarter and had their own run, 12-2, to pull within three at the halftime, 28-25. During that span, Michigan went cold, with 1-of-11 shooting.
Olson returned to the game with 3:17 left in the first half and was scoreless for the half after missing on five field-goal attempts.
Michigan built a 6-4 lead early in the game, but the shooting went cold with just less than seven minutes left. The Wolverines went 4:31 without a point and took a 12-10 lead with 1:32 left, but N.C. State scored a 3-pointer in the waning seconds to take a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Perhaps most significant was Olson getting her second foul with 47 seconds left and exiting the game. She did not start the second quarter. The Wolverines were 2 of 11 from the field the final seven minutes and shot 33.3% for the quarter. They were 0 of 5 from the 3-point line and had four turnovers.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan women headed to Sweet 16 after smashing North Carolina State
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Now, the Wolverines want more. The players said they’re capable of a national championship, and they’ve set the stage to make a run.
Michigan, a No. 2 seed, earned a spot in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history after plowing through its first two NCAA Tournament games at Crisler Center. The Wolverines (27-6) defeated No. 7-seed N.C. State, 92-63 on Sunday and will play Saturday in the Ft. Worth Region.
The Wolverines will face the winner of the game Monday between No. 3 seed Louisville and No. 6 seed Alabama. The UM Sweet 16 game will be Saturday at a time to be determined.
Olivia Olson scored a game-high 27 points – all in the second half – Syla Swords added 26 and Mila Holloway had 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Wolverines, 16-1 at home this season, to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022.
The Wolfpack played without one of its top players, Zoe Brooks, who watched courtside wearing a boot on her right foot. Brooks suffered an injury in the first-round game against Tennessee after scoring eight points in 17 minutes.
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Her absence was missed by N.C. State, particularly in the second half when the Wolfpack became turnover prone, allowing Michigan to build a lead too tough to overcome.
N.C. State had 22 turnovers, which led to 35 points for the Wolverines, who had only six turnovers in the game.
Carrying a three-point lead into the second half, the Wolverines took advantage of some sloppy play from the Wolfpack, which had five turnovers in the opening five minutes. Michigan went on a 6-0 run, forcing three N.C. State turnovers during that span, and built a 40-32 lead with 4:55 left.
With just less than four minutes remaining in the third, UM outscored the Wolfpack 6-0 over a 33-second span. Swords started things off, then Olson got a steal and assist on a basket from Holloway, and then Brooke Quarles Daniels got another quick steal and passed to Olson, who scored to build a 49-35 lead.
In the final 32.5 seconds of the quarter, Swords hit a 3-pointer and Olson scored on a layup just before the buzzer to make it 60-44. Michigan outscored N.C. State 32-19 in the third. Olson had 11 points in the third and Swords added nine. The Wolfpack committed 10 turnovers in the quarter to bring their total to 20. Michigan scored 32 points off those miscues.
With Olson, the team’s leading scorer, in foul trouble and on the bench to open the second quarter, Swords took over. Michigan built a 21-13 lead after going on a 9-0 run in the opening two minutes. Swords scored seven of those points, including her first 3-pointer of the game before N.C. State called a timeout with 7:41 left.
The Wolverines’ defense swarmed N.C. State and forced six turnovers while going on a 14-0 run to take a 26-13 lead with 5:21 left. Michigan did not turn over the ball during the run.
But the scoring frenzy didn’t last for the Wolverines. The Wolfpack finally scored nearly six minutes into the second quarter and had their own run, 12-2, to pull within three at the halftime, 28-25. During that span, Michigan went cold, with 1-of-11 shooting.
Olson returned to the game with 3:17 left in the first half and was scoreless for the half after missing on five field-goal attempts.
Michigan built a 6-4 lead early in the game, but the shooting went cold with just less than seven minutes left. The Wolverines went 4:31 without a point and took a 12-10 lead with 1:32 left, but N.C. State scored a 3-pointer in the waning seconds to take a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Perhaps most significant was Olson getting her second foul with 47 seconds left and exiting the game. She did not start the second quarter. The Wolverines were 2 of 11 from the field the final seven minutes and shot 33.3% for the quarter. They were 0 of 5 from the 3-point line and had four turnovers.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan women headed to Sweet 16 after smashing North Carolina State
Continue reading...
