DETROIT — With the bench picking up the bulk of the minutes once again, the No. 6 Michigan women’s basketball team took advantage of its matchup against Detroit Mercy to make structural shifts.
The Wolverines continued heavily rotating their lineup in the first quarter against the Titans. Senior guard Brooke Quarles Daniels filled out the starting five as their fourth guard after coming off the bench for 21 minutes against Syracuse. Bringing support to the frontcourt, sophomore forward Te’Yala Delfosse came off the bench to strengthen the margin and cushion Michigan on possessions with rebounds.
With a fluid rotation and continuing to test things out, the Wolverines (6-1) dominated the Titans (1-4) with physicality all game, taking down Detroit Mercy, 102-53.
Coming into the first quarter, heavy defensive pressure in the paint created frustration at the net. The Titans were on high alert as sophomore guards Syla Swords and Olivia Olson took charge of running plays for the Wolverines. Soon enough Swords and Olson were so aggressively guarded that Michigan quickly restructured possessions. Delfosse later subbed in for Olson and immediately found success in the paint.
Quarles Daniels continued her dominance that she had against the Orange, driving the ball into the lane and finding unexpected gaps on the court as the Titans stuck to Olson and Swords. Quarles Daniels became a primary playmaker alongside sophomore guard Mila Holloway Delfosse’s offensive rebounding created numerous second-chance opportunities which she often took advantage of herself.
The duo was later joined by freshman guard McKenzie Mathurin and freshman forward Ciara Byars who sparked offensive intensity, putting up nine points and sealing the end of the first, 31-6.
“We had a great start,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “We scored 30 points in the first quarter. I thought our defense ignited our offense. Our bench is continuing to grow and improve, which is something that’s going to be important as the season progresses.”
As Detroit Mercy was overwhelmed by the Wolverines’ depth, its physicality picked up in the second quarter. Olson and Holloway struggled to step back on defense resulting in some unnecessary free throws for the Titans. Once again, the bench stepped in to support scoring and this time brought level-headedness to the aggressive dynamic on the court. Junior guard Macy Brown being one of those critical contributors. Although having limited playing time against Syracuse and Connecticut, Brown was fully equipped to aid the offense.
Brown was a consistent defensive presence through the half court while remaining available for offensive contributions as well. Moments into the second quarter, Brown got hands on the ball following a dry spell. She took her time on the possession as Michigan regrouped and, once Swords was left unguarded, Brown swung the ball to the net and Swords grabbed the layup. Working off these dynamics for the remainder of the half, the Wolverines were successful in throwing off Detroit Mercy’s game plan, and stood firm in the lead, 50-18.
With strong offensive depth overworking the Titan’s defense, Michigan relaxed its press for the second half and continued experimenting with different dynamics on the floor due to its sizable lead. Holloway brought her focus out of the paint, putting up two threes early in the third quarter. Delfosse continued to be an offensive weapon with her scoring and offensive rebounding. Brown similarly built off first-half successes, continuing to distribute intensity and create passing opportunities.
The Wolverines didn’t need to play their star players and instead resorted to the bench for a considerable amount of the fourth quarter. And, just as it had all game, the Wolverines’ offensive depth shined through the entirety of their lineup. So Michigan completed yet another blowout win.
