While sophomore Olivia Olson is the Michigan women’s basketball team’s engine, sophomore Milla Holloway and senior Brooke Quarles Daniels drive the race car. But the duo was handcuffed with two fouls each in the first period, resulting in an evening of life in the slow lane.Â
Here are three reactions from an epic Michigan women's basketball win (88-86) over Ohio State, thanks to a game-winner from Olson.
Flowers for Olivia Olson
When a team faces adversity, its best player must step up. Against Ohio State, Olson put the team on her back playing 40:12 of a 45:00-minute game. She had 31 points on 50% shooting from the floor (50% from 3 pt and 5-6 free throws), nine rebounds, four assists, and one steal. With the team’s primary interior defender, junior Ashley Sofilkanich hampered with fouls, Olson was called upon to roam the lane in Michigan’s switch-heavy defense. Olson’s clutch performance gave Michigan sole possession of second place in the standings.
Macy Brown rides to the rescueÂ
With Ohio St. up 86-78 with 1:40 in OT, it looked hopeless for Michigan. Ohio State sophomore Ava Watson had grabbed the defensive rebound, drove up the court, then passed it to senior Chance Gray for a layup. After Watson passed the ball, she barreled into junior Macy Brown who flew to the floor. Right in front of the referee. No foul called. (Cough, cough)Â
Just like in the movies, Brown picked herself off the floor and made the bad guys pay. When she caught the pass from sophomore Syla Swords, you could hear the swell of the trumpets as she dribbled to the hoop and (in slow motion) executed a perfect cross over dribble. Then as she shot the layup, the player she’d just schooled hacked her, sending her to the floor again, and the refs had to call the foul. Brown picked herself up off the floor again and made two free throws that were nothing but net. Lead down to six.
In the ensuing possession, Brown continued her heroics by forcing a bad pass that would eventually lead to Brown making an open 3-point shot a couple of steps behind the line. Lead down to three. After the Michigan defense forced a shot clock violation, they had 35.2 left in OT. Michigan worked the ball around, found Brown on the right wing a couple of steps behind the 3 pt line again, and she shot it without hesitation. Again, slow motion: high arc, hits the side then front of rim spinning the ball high off the backboard, caroms off the very top, sending it down against the front of the rim, bounces, then settles into the net. Tied game! Back-to-back 3 pt shots! The drama continued with a missed Ohio St. jump shot, then Olson making her jump to get the lead to two. With seconds ticking away, Ohio St. made a half-court heave that was ruled to be shot after the clock expired.
Battling for the #2 Seed
Second-place Michigan (14-3) has Maryland on 2/28. Third-place Iowa (13-3) hosts Illinois on February 26, then travels to Wisconsin on March 1. Fourth-place Minnesota (12-5) is at Illinois on 3/1. Dropping to fifth is Ohio State (12-5), which is at Michigan State on 3/1. Michigan is in control of its fate with a win over Maryland.