Youth on full display as Michigan races past Northwood 81-52

All offseason, one thing was certain about the Michigan women’s basketball team: it would be a squad heavily reliant on its youth to run the show.

And in their first on-court action of the season, that youth was on full display. The Wolverines’ starting lineup featured three freshmen, and they combined for 44 points, 19 rebounds and 7 assists in the Wolverines’ 81-52 win over Northwood in an exhibition on Sunday.

Freshman guard Mila Holloway stole the show at the start of the game. She slashed through the Timberwolves’ defense for an easy layup to put the Wolverines on the board. But that wasn’t it for Holloway, as she hit two threes and recorded an and-1 floater on her way to a 12-point first half.

As coach Kim Barnes Arico alluded to before the season, Holloway served as Michigan’s primary ball handler in Sunday’s game. Playing alongside a faster, more athletic roster than the Wolverines are accustomed to, Holloway looked to push the ball whenever possible, getting up the floor quickly and finding teammates with outlet passes.

However, it took freshman guards Olivia Olson and Syla Swords — both of whom were named McDonald’s All-Americans last spring — more time to get going. Michigan went to Olson a bunch early on, running a set play to get her an open elbow jumper on the game’s first possession. She missed that one, and then her next two, before nailing a pull-up jumper to get on the board. Olson quickly settled down, making three of her next five shots including a sweet change-of-pace euro step layup in transition. 

Olson continued to find her groove in the second half, leading the Wolverines in the frame with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting. It took just one game for Olson to cement herself as Michigan’s go-to option offensively, leading all scorers with 22 points.

Swords struggled to shoot the ball Sunday, but she made her presence felt as a distributor. She recorded a team-high five assists, including a drive-and-dish to Holloway for a corner 3-pointer. Having missed practice time after playing in this summer’s Olympics, it’s unsurprising that Swords didn’t fully settle in offensively today.

The Wolverines suffered through early growing pains outside of the shot-making department as well. Holloway and Swords in particular struggled to take care of the basketball, surrendering eight combined turnovers on the day. While Michigan generated some offense in transition, many of its turnovers came while trying to push the ball.

After only one game, it’s apparent that the Wolverines’ freshman will carry a bulk of the load this year. They’re a talented group oozing potential, but they’re still adjusting to the pace and physicality of the college game. 

They had their way with Northwood today, but they’ll be facing much tougher competition next week in their regular-season debut against No. 1 South Carolina.

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