EAST LANSING — There was never a pretense of a slow start for the Michigan women’s basketball team on Sunday. But as a lightning-quick opening for both the Wolverines and Michigan State slipped into a slugfest, both teams’ ability to remain competitive contributed to a tight game.
In Sunday’s matchup, No. 9 Michigan (19-3 overall, 10-1 Big Ten) defeated the 13th-ranked Spartans (19-3, 8-3) 94-91 in a gutsy overtime matchup with 17 lead changes. With neither team leading by double digits at any point, the rivalry matchup was almost dead even until the very end.
“We completely understand the rivalry with Michigan State,” sophomore guard Mila Holloway said. “They came in and punked us on our home court last season, so we had a sour taste in our mouth and knowing that we were coming here to return the favor.”
In a frenzied environment, the Spartans settled down quicker. Both teams shot the ball well early, each above 50% from the field in the first quarter, but Michigan held the edge on the glass and took a 25-22 lead going into the second quarter. The first quarter was quick, but it wasn’t sloppy. Something about turnovers to add to last sentence?
The Wolverines’ usually balanced offensive attack lost its depth as only three players scored in the second quarter and a late Michigan State run put it up 42-21 at the half.
Early in the third quarter, Holloway’s assertiveness jump-started the offense. Getting downhill in transition, Holloway drew whistles and confidently finished at the rim. She picked her spots with poise and steadied the Wolverines in the face of a raucous crowd.
“She is so even-keeled,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said of Holloway. “… Her demeanor is perfect for the position that she plays.”
But as soon as the Wolverines surged ahead, the Spartans responded. It seemed cyclical as Michigan State runs engaged the crowd, and Michigan’s answers quieted it.
The Wolverines have played in close ranked matchups in road environments before, but on Sunday, they found themselves having to come back from double-digit deficits. The wire-to-wire deadlock characterized the entire game, making every possession hold massive implications.
With Michigan slipping further into foul trouble, the Spartans closed the third quarter on a 6-0 run. Tensions rose as Michigan State clung to a 65-64 lead.
Continuing their trend of starting quarters strong, the Wolverines again pulled ahead early in the fourth. Intensity climbed toward a fever pitch, and the paint became a warzone as every layup came with contact — whether a foul was called or not.
Even with a Holloway catch-and-shoot 3-pointer putting Michigan ahead by three with three minutes left, Michigan State guard Rashunda Jones responded with a game-tying three of her own. Possession after possession, neither team could pull ahead by more than one or two scores.
“Sometimes we turn the basketball over,” Barnes Arico said. “But the pace at which we play and our aggressiveness on the defensive end allows us to be successful.”
The chaos of a high-turnover game is built into Barnes Arico’s gameplan. Turnovers allowed the Spartans to punch back with runs of their own, but Michigan’s pace kept the offense flowing.
The Wolverines hit their shots down the stretch, but the Spartans did too. With 10 seconds left and a two-point deficit, Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair drove the lane and hit a tough finish off the glass to tie the game and send it to overtime.
To no one’s surprise, 40 minutes of regulation couldn’t decide a winner in this back-and-forth affair. So, when Michigan needed a bucket, it went to sophomore guard Olivia Olson. Early in overtime, Olson Euro-stepped through an and-1 and knocked down a three on the next possession, putting the Wolverines up six.
Taking possessions deep into the shot clock in an effort to run out the game, Michigan desperately clung to its lead. Even going on a 10-0 run, the Wolverines’ lead felt eerily tenuous.
But when Michigan State guard Juliann Woodard missed a 3-pointer, the game fell out of reach and Michigan’s uncomfortable two-possession lead proved decisive. Executing where it counted, the Wolverines took home their first win at the Breslin Center in 13 years — and secured its biggest win of the season.
