Michigan women top Holy Cross in NCAA Tournament opener
· Yahoo Sports
Ann Arbor – As far as NCAA Tournament openers go, the Michigan women’s basketball team could not have asked for anything better. The Wolverines, installed as enormous 41-point favorites, used their first-round game to shake off some rust and flex some muscle.
Michigan overwhelmed Holy Cross, 83-48, in an NCAA first-round game on Friday at Crisler Center. The Crusaders finished their season 23-10. The ninth-ranked Wolverines (26-6) will face the winner of N.C. State-Tennessee in a second-round game on Sunday at Crisler Center.
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Mila Holloway led the Wolverines in scoring with 20 points and eight rebounds, Syla Swords added 13 points, Oliva Olson scored 12 and had eight rebounds, Brooke Quarles Daniels added 12 and Te’Yala Delfosse 10.
What’s on the line Sunday is a spot in the Sweet 16. That’s why earning a top-16 seed in the women’s tournament is such a priority, because it gives teams the opportunity to host, which is a clear advantage in terms of advancing.
Before the first-round game, Swords said the time off between the Wolverines’ last game, a Big Ten Tournament semifinal loss to Iowa on March 7, gave them a chance to focus on themselves. They did not have to prepare for an opponent until after last Sunday’s Tournament reveal, so the Wolverines worked on their fundamentals.
“We've been able to play with the tops in the country, and that's because we're very focused on us,” Swords said Thursday. “And we know if we do what we can do, then we're going to have a lot of success.”
Against Holy Cross, 10 Michigan players got playing time, which could play dividends during a long tournament run.
Michigan opened the second half with a 7-0 run that expanded its lead to 28 points. The Wolverines led 57-34 at the end of the third quarter. A 9-0 run in the fourth quarter sealed the game.
The Wolverines led 43-22 at halftime and by as many as 26 points despite sagging a bit in the middle of the second quarter. They had five of their six first-half turnovers in the quarter, and Holy Cross went on a 7-0 run while Michigan was 0 of 4 from the field. Still, the Crusaders were only able to close within 19.
Swords scored with 3:06 left to snap a nearly four-minute scoreless drought for the Wolverines. She led Michigan with 12-first half points, and Holloway added 10.
Michigan used a 15-2 run in the final 4:31 of the first quarter to build a 27-6 lead. The Wolverines’ defense was smothering and held Holy Cross to 3-of-16 shooting. Michigan, meanwhile, shot 52.4% from the field, had a 16-7 rebounding advantage and had 10 second-chance points.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan won its NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament opener