Following its first Big Ten road test Tuesday, the No. 6 Michigan women’s basketball team found itself in another battle, this time against Washington. Ultimately, the Wolverines’ consistent offensive struggles proved to be critical as the Huskies smothered Michigan.
From the opening tip, Michigan (11-2 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) was continuously forced into difficult shots both inside the paint and beyond the perimeter. The Wolverines’ inability to knock down shots quickly became an issue as Washington (12-2, 2-1) saw its own shots drop. The difference in offensive output was significant enough to cause Michigan to drop its first conference game, 64-52.
“I thought Washington did a really good job of slowing us down and slowing the tempo and pace of the game,” Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “And (Washington) brought a toughness and an edge on their home court.”
Washington’s defensive presence was evident from the jump, as the Wolverines faced an early 8-0 deficit. It had been nearly five minutes before sophomore forward Kendall Dudley ended the scoring drought with a split at the free-throw line. Led by four made free throws from sophomore guard Mila Holloway, the Wolverines generated a run of their own, scoring the next eight points.
After trailing by just two at the end of the first quarter, the Huskies began to run away with it again in the next quarter. Michigan continued to struggle from beyond the arc as it shot zero-for-four in the second quarter. To accommodate for their shooting struggles, the Wolverines tried to look inside. However, with multiple missed layups by junior forward Ashley Sofilkanich and sophomore guard Syla Swords, a major interior presence was lacking.
As the second quarter progressed, the same offensive struggles intensified to a degree that pushed Michigan to an extended deficit. After the Sofilkanich basket, the Wolverines only connected on two more field goals over the final six minutes of the half. When the first-half buzzer concluded, the score read 33-18 in favor of the Huskies.
With the third quarter beginning, it became clear that in order to mount a comeback, Michigan would need to dial in offensively.
It was able to stop the bleeding momentarily, as sophomore guard Syla Swords began to knock down some much-needed buckets. She connected on two three-pointers as the Wolverines briefly swung the momentum. However, the positive energy wilted as Washington brought its lead back to 18, 51-33.
“It took us a minute to adjust,” Barnes Arico said. “We scored a little bit but we couldn’t keep that scoring output in the second and third quarter and that allowed them to take a bit of a lead.”
Trailing by a significant margin, Michigan would need about everything to go its way to pull off a comeback. After the Huskies found themselves facing similar shooting struggles to the Wolverines, a comeback was not completely written off. Sofilkanich added two more layups, helping Michigan to a 7-0 run to open the fourth quarter. However, Washington guard Sayvia Sellers splashed a three-pointer with just over 5 minutes remaining, halting any remaining momentum.
From that point on, the Wolverines’ inability to hit key shots ruined all chances of making a late-game push. Swords had multiple attempts while contested at the rim late in the fourth quarter, and neither layup fell — a snapshot of Michigan’s night.
As time continued to be a factor, the Wolverines failed to do much with whatever they had left. And quickly, the buzzer sounded as Michigan left Seattle with a tough result to begin the new year, dropping its first Big Ten game.
Despite answering Washington’s initial run, Michigan’s ineffective shooting and overall lackluster offensive performance made it extremely difficult to pull off the comeback.
