Michigan Women’s Basketball rides second-half surge to victory over Washington in Big Ten Tournament

The Michigan Wolverines used a 13-0 run in the third quarter to help them get past the Washington Huskies in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament:

The Michigan Wolverines are moving on to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament after defeating the Washington Huskies , 66-58, on Thursday afternoon.

This was a back-and-forth affair early, with nine lead changes, but the Wolverines used a 13-0 second-half run to keep sizable advantage.

Michigan won the sole match-up between the two teams by 13 points back on Jan 15. In a game Washington desperately needed to get off the bubble, the Huskies opened the game strong, but Michigan was just too good in second half. Freshman Olivia Olson led the way with 21 points, her eighth time scoring 20 points or more this season.

First half

The Wolverines got off to a hot start, scoring 10 straight points after Washington made the opening basket. That hot start was powered by some hot shooting for Michigan’s seniors, Greta Kampschroeder and All-Big Ten honorable mention Jordan Hobbs .

Olson, fresh off being named All-Big Ten second-team and the conference’s Co-Freshman of the Year, put up six points in the opening quarter, but a 2-of-10 overall stretch from the field shrunk Michigan’s lead to 14-13 at the quarter break. Washington clawed back slowly but surely, partially thanks to this last-second heave from the logo from Hannah Stines.

The Huskies ended the first quarter on an 10-0 run that bled into the second half, with Michigan not scoring its first points of the second quarter until the 4:23 mark. To add insult to injury, Hobbs went to the locker room after getting hit in the face on a drive. She returned a few minutes later and immediately scored Michigan’s last two baskets of the half.

Offense was hard to come by for the Wolverines, who shot 35 percent from the field and 22 percent from three through the first 20 minutes. Hobbs led all Wolverines with seven points at halftime.

Second half

The back-and-forth nature to end the first half continued in the second half, with each team trading buckets to keep it a one-possession game for a while. An 8-0 run helped the Wolverines jump ahead, with Olivia Olson using her size to get buckets around the rim.

The five-star freshman really took over this game in the second half. Michigan was able to go up 49-39 with a few minutes to play in the third quarter after an Olson and-one. Michigan ended up outscoring the Huskies in the third quarter, 23-13.

Michigan played excellent team defense throughout this run, gaining 24 points off 17 Washington turnovers and making life hard for a Washington offense that died midway through the second half.

Washington didn’t give up in the fourth quarter, cutting Michigan’s lead to single digits a few times on the back of 22 points from Dalayah Daniels. But it was too little too late with some Olson and Syla Swords free throws icing the game.

Bracketology check-in

Michigan is firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture, projected to be a 6-seed by Mark Schindler with The Athletic , and a 7-seed by Charlie Creme with ESPN and Megan Gauer with Her Hoops Stats . That said, earning a few more wins in the conference tournament could help the Wolverines jump a seed line or two.

Up Next

The Wolverines will face Maryland on Friday afternoon — 25 minutes after the noon game wraps up — on Big Ten Network. The Terrapins are a tough squad, as they are ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll and projected to be a 5-seed in March Madness.