In the third quarter, it wasn’t looking great for the Wolverines.
The Michigan women’s basketball team (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) was coming out of a half where it couldn’t get anything going offensively, compounded by the hostile environment at Illinois (21-8, 11-7). The Wolverines slowly chipped away, heading into the final frame down three. With a loss, Michigan could have fallen as low as the #9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament later this week.
But freshmen guards Mila Holloway and Olivia Olson combined for 19 in a 30-point takeover in the final frame, headlined by a suffocating 19-4 run to end the game. Michigan came away with a much-needed win and is locked into the #5 seed on Thursday, playing the winner of the #12 and #13 teams.
SECOND-HALF TURNAROUND
The first quarter wasn’t pretty for the Wolverines or the Fighting Illini, finishing with a sluggish score of 11-8 in favor of the home team. Shooting a combined 8-for-29 from the floor and ten total turnovers, neither team was happy with their play.
Early on, it didn’t look like Michigan would have a true standout player. Senior guard Greta Kampschroeder finished the half with ten points on 4-for-5 shooting, standing strong in the paint against forward Kendall Bostic and sinking two triples. Outside that, the Wolverines were still trailing and out of rhythm on offense.
“We were making some shots, and then we were able to pick up full-court defensively, which sped them up a little bit,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said postgame. “We weren’t able to do that all game long. So our shots really opened up our opportunity to get up in full court, pressure them. And I thought we took them out of rhythm when we were able to do that.”
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