WBB @ Northwestern: Needed a Win, Got a Win

Opponent: Northwestern (8-19, 3-13 B1G, 13th place)

Result: Win, 74-60

Record: 17-11, 8-8 B1G, 7th place

Date:  2/24, Away

Starters: Laila Phelia, Lauren Hansen, Jordan Hobbs, Chyra Evans, Elissa Brett (12 starts together this season)

Injuries/inactives: Whitney Sollom and Taylor Williams dressed, but did not play

1st quarter:

• Brett made Michigan’s first bucket with a contested corner three, which Brett followed up with a steal down low to get the ball back
• On Northwestern’s second possession, Michigan forced a shot clock violation by clogging lanes and forcing a desperation airball three at the end of the clock
• Michigan went up 7-0 early then went six minutes without a made field goal, missing 8 shots, committing 3 turnovers, and allowing Northwestern to take a three point lead
• Northwestern’s leading scorer Caileigh Walsh got her second foul reaching over Cam Williams and had to sit with three minutes left in the quarter
• Hansen broke the shooting drought with an open three she helped create by passing in transition and then getting the ball back from Hobbs
• Michigan used their 1-2-2 press with Phelia at the point to slow Northwestern and waste shot clock, though Michigan seemed to figure it out after they saw it once
• Hobbs gave Michigan a 2 point lead off two free throws, but Michigan was lucky to have that, shooting 22% from the field in the quarter. Thankfully, Northwestern only shot 26%

2nd quarter: 

• Brett scored Michigan’s first bucket of the quarter when Northwestern trapped Hansen at half. She stepped through the defenders and passed to Stuck at the free throw line who found Brett wide open down low
• Northwestern’s struggles were typified by a possession where they broke the press successfully, got the ball to a player open under the basket, but couldn’t make the shot
• Michigan pieced together a 9-0 run to start the quarter with a three from Phelia, then two free throws and a mid-range jumper from Hansen
• Michigan almost forced another shot clock violation, but Caileigh Walsh got the ball at the three point line, sidestepped to eliminate Woodson, and hit the shot at the buzzer
• Northwestern struggled to find passes inside, both Cam Williams and Phelia intercepting passes that seemed intended for them
• Hansen hit an open mid-range jumper after a pump fake behind the three point line put her defender on the ground
• Phelia held the ball for the last shot of the half, but was only able to find a contested mid-range shot and missed it
• No bench player scored in the first half and Michigan did not get to twenty points in either quarter. Michigan dominated the glass with 25 rebounds to Northwestern’s 15 and turnovers were about even, but Michigan couldn’t get shots to fall, shooting 32% from the field in the first half

3rd quarter: 

• Michigan went on a 10-0 run over the first minute and a half of the quarter with a layup from Evans, transition three from Brett, steal and a layup from Phelia, and a corner three from Hansen. Northwestern timeout
• Out of the timeout, Phelia stole the ball again and got it in transition to Hansen for an open three to make it a 15 point lead
• After a missed shot, Phelia drove the length of the floor and hit the layup, drew the foul, and completed the three point play
• Northwestern finally started scoring some points by putting up contested shots, but Michigan stayed with them and stretched the lead to 20 on another Hansen three
• Cam Williams scored the team’s first bench points with four minutes left in the quarter when she got the ball with her back to the basket, turned quickly, and made the layup
• Michigan outscored Northwestern 30-16 in the quarter, shooting 12-16 (75%) and could have had more if they didn’t commit three turnovers

4th quarter: 

• Northwestern got back within 8 by going on an 15-0 run that started with a minute and a half left in the third quarter and featured 5 Michigan turnovers
• Phelia had a heads up play when she saw a Northwestern player who wasn’t paying attention and came over quickly to force a jump ball, possession Michigan
• Jordan Hobbs finally put some points on the board with five and half minutes left when Cam Williams found her open in the corner for a three
• After Caileigh Walsh hit two free throws, Michigan was up 11 and Northwestern tried their full court press again. Michigan passed through it effectively, but Brett missed the open three
• Northwestern cut the lead to 9 when Phelia misjudged a pass that Northwestern intercepted and ran out for a layup
• Northwestern started fouling with a minute and a half left and had to commit four in a row to put Michigan in the bonus. Phelia made it to the free throw line and hit both free throws to put the lead back at 11. Michigan would make 5-6 free throws to close out the game

Notable stats:

• Four Michigan starters scored in double digits, with Evans the lone woman out at 9. Hansen led the way with 18 points on 6-11 shooting and 4-7 from three. Phelia had 16, Brett had 15, and Hobbs had 10
  • Phelia also tallied 10 rebounds for her first career double-double
• Caileigh Walsh had 14 points on 3-4 shooting from deep
• Michigan’s shooting was cold in the first quarter, but improved to 44% (26-59) by the end of the game, 38% (8-21) from three point range
• Michigan edged Northwestern in most of the statistical categories except blocks, where Northwestern had 6 to Michigan’s 1

Overall: 

• Michigan needed a win to keep their tournament hopes alive and got one. Next up is a rematch with an Ohio State team that has only won since they lost to Michigan at Crisler in December. A win in Columbus would surely put Michigan in the tournament. If they lose, Michigan will need to beat Purdue at home and have a good showing in the Big Ten Tournament to make March Madness.

Up next: 

• 2/28: away at #2 Ohio State (23-3, 14-1 B1G, 1st place) at 7pm on Peacock
  • The last game was a 69-60 Michigan win at Crisler on 12/30. Since then, Ohio State has been white hot, winning 13 straight games, beating both Iowa and Indiana in Columbus
  • Cotie McMahon is the one you may have seen in the headlines because of her 33 point performance against Iowa. She is a legitimate star as a sophomore, second on the team in points per game with 14.1 and leading the team in rebounds per game (6.5)
  • You will hear Jacy Sheldon’s name called in the WNBA draft after March Madness. She is leading the team in points per game (17.9) and assists per game (3.5)
  • Ohio State also has a wealth of experience filling out the roster with junior Taylor Thierry, senior Celeste Taylor, senior Rebeka Mikulasikova, and senior Rikki Harris
• 3/3: home vs Purdue (11-15, 4-11 B1G, 12th place) at 7pm on FS1
  • Purdue’s only B1G wins are over Wisconsin, Rutgers, Illinois, and Northwestern
  • Four players are averaging double digit points, led by senior guard Abbey Ellis with 13.1 points per game
  • Senior guard Jeanae Terry leads in both rebounds per game (7.1) and assists per game (6.2), but can’t score many points herself
  • Purdue struggles with rebounding, so Michigan should be able to win that battle and take the game with a decent offensive output
• Big Ten Tournament:
  • If Michigan stays in 7th place, they would play on the second day of the tournament (3/7) against the 10th place team, which is currently Wisconsin. They would then face the 2nd place team, currently Indiana

Most recent bracketology: 

• ESPN has Michigan as a 10 seed and one of the “last four byes” (updated 2/23)
  • 8 B1G teams in the field
• Her Hoop Stats has Michigan as one of the “last four in” and a 12 seed (2/22)
  • 9 B1G teams in field
• College Sports Madness has Michigan out of the field (2/19)
  • 7 B1G teams in field