SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In the first half, 3-point shots weren’t falling for the No. 6 seed Michigan women’s basketball team. The Wolverines got good looks, but finished just 4-for-15 from beyond the arc in the first half, allowing No. 11 seed Iowa State to head into halftime with a five-point lead.
But in the second half, things finally clicked for Michigan. Trading threes for twos, the Wolverines made eight of their 18 3-point attempts in the second half, propelling them to a 48-point second half and eventual six-point win.
At the start of the game, Michigan looked to push the pace off of Cyclones’ missed shots and turnovers, and as a result, ended up with several 3-point attempts early in the shot clock. But they weren’t hitting.
Early in the first quarter, freshman guard Syla Swords grabbed an offensive rebound following a missed three from freshman guard Olivia Olson. But the Wolverines couldn’t convert on the extra possession, as senior guard Jordan Hobbs proceeded to miss a triple of her own. Michigan finished the quarter 1-for-10 from beyond the arc, but escaped with a six-point lead due to Iowa State struggling to generate any offense of its own.
For most of the second, the Wolverines didn’t take many threes from beyond the arc, instead struggling to get stops and eventually going down by eight points. At the end of the quarter, however, Swords struck, draining a three as time expired to cut Michigan’s halftime deficit to just five.
“I think just telling them if they’re missing them, then the percentages are the percentages — they’re going to make the next one,” Hobbs said. “I don’t think anyone was really that worried in the first half. We’ve been in that situation so many times this year.”
The sparks from Swords’ made three erupted into flames in the second half, as the Wolverines drained eight threes in a 48-point second half. To get things going, senior guard Greta Kampschroeder nailed a wide-open three from the corner, as Cyclones sophomore center Audi Crooks was unable to stay with her on the perimeter. And on the next possession, Hobbs hit a triple on an assist from Swords, cutting Michigan’s deficit to just four.
After Iowa State expanded its lead back to seven, Hobbs struck again later in the third quarter, nailing a triple. But once again, Iowa State fired back, retaking a seven-point lead. However, Swords and fellow freshman guard Olivia Olson responded emphatically, both draining threes in the final minute of the third to give the Wolverines only a one-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. After an up-and-down second and third quarter, Michigan was right within striking distance heading into the fourth thanks to its hot 3-point shooting.
“If we’re going to play five guards, we might have to trade threes for twos,” Kampschroeder said. “But in the end we’ll be successful doing it.”
The Wolverines gained a slight edge in the fourth quarter, taking a seven-point lead a few minutes in. However, the Cyclones’ offense eventually caught fire, as they started hitting 3-pointers of their own, and Crooks began to score at will in the post.
Michigan launched an emphatic response, as freshman guard Mila Holloway, Kampschroeder and Hobbs hit back-to-back-to-back threes to keep the Wolverines up six. At the game’s most important moment and with Iowa State’s offense gaining momentum, that barrage of 3-pointers kept Michigan on top.
“I saw Mila and smiled,” Hobbs said. “… I feel like at that moment I knew we were gonna win, and they had gone on a huge run in the third quarter, so for us to be able to push back and be able to get back ahead and take the lead is really important.”
It took some time for the Wolverines to heat up from beyond the arc. In the end, they were successful, making big-time shots that altered the course of the game.
As a result, Michigan advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, keeping its life in the tournament going for just another day.
