Freshman phenom Syla Swords scores 27 in debut as Michigan falls to No. 1 South Carolina

In case you missed it last night, @umichwbball narrowly lost to No. 1 South Carolina, with true freshman Syla Swords leading all scorers with 27 points in her debut. @Kellen__Voss has more on an encouraging loss:

Monday night was a busy one for Michigan’s basketball programs. While the men’s squad beat up on Cleveland State in Dusty May’s U-M coaching debut, the women’s team also impressed viewers, narrowly falling to No. 1 South Carolina — the reigning national champions — 68-62.

Coaches often hate to talk about moral victories and focus on results, but there are a lot of positives to take away from this one. In a game played in Las Vegas and broadcast nationally on TNT, the Wolverines led at halftime and held their own against one of the best teams in the country.

Coming off an Olympic appearance just a few months ago, true freshman Syla Swords — the highest-ranked recruit in program history — turned a few heads by leading all scorers with 27 points. She also had 12 rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Swords shot 47 percent from the field and went 2-of-6 from three, getting her buckets in a multitude of ways. She finished well around the rim and was very comfortable with the pace of play, only turning the ball over once and thriving in transition. She finished over taller defenders, and while she did miss two crucial free throws late, back-to-back three-pointers in the final minute gave Michigan a chance to pull off the upset.

That James Harden-esque step-back on the final three was especially tough; it’s hard to guard a shifty player who can shoot the ball that well. This was not a normal freshman performance — when the lights were brightest, the Canadian Olympian really showed out.

“Golly, I’m happy that she’s in our program,” head coach Kim Barnes Arico said after the loss. “She’s just a competitor. I’ve never seen anything like it. She’s relentless, she has a motor, she just made things happen. She never stopped working, she had a nose for the basketball. That’s a heck of a freshman debut, for sure. And she’s wonderful. I think the greatest thing about her is she’s so humble. She’s a wonderful teammate. It wasn’t like every single thing was run for her. She made a lot of those plays happen by her effort and her hustle. She’s just awesome.”

Some other key performances and stats from this game:

-If not for Swords, the lead story from this game may have been Jordan Hobbs. She posted 19 points, three shy of her career high, providing consistent offense even when Swords was off the floor. The senior will be a key piece of this team, especially in a leadership role.

-Two other Michigan freshmen made solid contributions. Olivia Olson, Michigan’s second five-star along with Swords, had five points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. Mila Holloway, the third freshman in the starting lineup, had two points and four rebounds, but did turn the ball over six times.

-Speaking of turnovers, the Gamecocks took care of the ball better than the Wolverines (15-10), which certainly played a factor in a tight game like this.

-Michigan opened the game on a 7-0 run and led at the half, 38-37.

-Michigan never faded away in this tight contest, which featured seven lead changes and was tied three times.

-The Wolverines shot 43.75 percent in the second half, the best shooting percentage of either team in either half.

Obviously all losses count as the same when looking at overall record, but there’s a lot to be encouraged about with this loss. Despite all the turnover from last year’s roster, the 2024 class has brought newfound excitement to the program, and when you combine that with a few key returnees and some solid transfers, it makes for a winning recipe.

Barnes Arico has led the Wolverines to six consecutive NCAA tournaments, and with the talent on this team showcased in this opener, a seventh straight March Madness appearance is undoubtedly on the table.

The Wolverines next chance to get in the win column comes this Friday, as they host Lehigh. That game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on B1G+.