DETROIT — The No. 6 Michigan women’s basketball team got whatever it wanted against Detroit Mercy on Wednesday: The press wreaked its usual havoc, 13 different players scored and the Wolverines cruised to a nearly 50-point victory.
But perhaps most important of all, sophomore guard Mila Holloway had a return-to-form game.
Holloway’s last three games haven’t been her best. She was still averaging 8.3 points per game and moving the ball well, but her shots weren’t falling. Holloway is still an efficient guard when her jumper isn’t falling, however, Michigan is definitely at its best when she is getting downhill in transition and making her 3-pointers.
And against the Titans, Holloway showed how her skills facilitate the Wolverines’ playstyle on both ends of the court.
“She’s a great passer,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “She can handle the ball and when you add scoring to it, she’s a tough matchup for anyone.”
Holloway quickly hit nylon. After converting just three of her last 13 3-point attempts, Holloway’s first triple came on her first shot of the night.
It wasn’t a flashy play, she didn’t even have a hand in her face. But after a dribble handoff from junior forward Ashley Sofilkanich, Holloway had a few feet of space and she calmly knocked the shot down. Instead of letting the game speed her up early on, she put herself in the driver’s seat and her assertiveness contributed to an early lead.
Holloway’s early aggressiveness is something that is vital to Michigan’s offense. When teams are forced to respect her jumper, it opens the lane for drives and kick-outs, which also gives enough space for the Wolverines’ other talented guards to go to work. So with one early 3-pointer, Holloway put her slight slump in the rearview mirror and put Michigan in gear.
“The past two games, my jumpshot has been pretty broken,” Holloway said with a laugh. “But they were able to fall today. My teammates have been finding me ways to get the ball all season, now I just have to put the ball in the hole.”
The task sounds simple but Holloway made it look easy. Later in the quarter, she knocked down a pull-up jumper near the baseline and then hit another three to bring her total to eight points — good enough to lead all scorers. On the night, she finished 3-for-6 from deep.
In addition to her outside game, Holloway got downhill and was able to finish at the rim. With seven minutes left in the second quarter, Michigan got out in transition and pushed the ball to its point guard. Working with the space she had, Holloway got by her defender and finished through contact to earn a chance at a three-point play. Thirty seconds later, she did it again. This time, Holloway beat her man off the dribble and got a friendly roll and a whistle again. Holloway is quick downhill, but her brakes really set her apart.
“She’s a three-level scorer, but her change of pace makes her really dynamic,” Barnes Arico said.
Holloway also got it done on the defensive side of the floor. Pressing for most of the game, Michigan emphasized getting its opponent on its heels and forcing turnovers. Holloway played the system perfectly as she logged four steals, the most of any player.
The Wolverines love Holloway’s active hands on the defensive end because for every steal she rips, her team has a great opportunity to run in transition with the ball already in their best facilitator’s hands.
Holloway’s 19 points and four steals aren’t her best numbers all year. She’s had games where the stats point to better productivity or efficiency. But Wednesday’s win was a chance for her to get right — and she did. Holloway’s aggressiveness in transition, touch from 3-point range and active hands on the defensive end are all facets of her game that she’s shown before. But putting the three together in concert is a reminder to everyone that when all of her cylinders are firing, her engine revs a little higher than everyone else’s.
