TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Playing on the same court once dominated by Larry Bird, the Michigan women’s basketball team came into Monday night’s contest against Indiana State looking to bring some of Larry Legend’s magic back.

With clutch shooting and defensive stops down the stretch, the Wolverines held on to beat the Sycamores, 63-58, in front of a rowdy Indiana State crowd.

With the game tied at nine, the Wolverines (2-2) went on a tear to take a dominant 23-9 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

Sophomore forward Nya Jordan carried Michigan for the better part of the first 20 minutes, scoring seven of Michigan’s first nine points.

“Nya is one of those kids that is feast or famine, and tonight she was feasting in the first half,” Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said after the game. “She’s our athlete, she can get to the rim, and she made our first two buckets and some great assists as well. She had a great night.”

But the Sycamores (2-2) responded to the Wolverines’ run. Indiana State began to establish itself both inside and out, sparking a 14-6 run to end the half. The Sycamores shared the ball nicely, as four players had four points or more in the first and no player had more than six.

Michigan held on to a slim 29-25 lead heading into the locker room.

“I just don’t think we are tough enough and strong enough around that basket defensively,” Borseth said. “We back off. I was and still am pretty upset with that.”

Less than three minutes into the second half, the Wolverines' lead was cut to just one. But Michigan responded with 3-pointers by Jordan, sophomore forward Rachel Sheffer and sophomore guard Jenny Ryan to give the Wolverines what appeared to be a comfortable nine-point lead with about 13 minutes to go.

But from there, Indiana State exploded from beyond the arc.

Led by junior guard Taylor Whitley’s five 3-pointers in the second half, the Sycamores took a five-point lead, their largest of the game, with just over seven minutes to play.

With senior Veronica Hicks in foul trouble and struggling from the field, Michigan needed somebody else to step up.

And when the Wolverines needed it most, Hicks's teammates rose to the occasion. Junior forward Sam Arnold came up huge for Michigan down the stretch, as all nine of her points came in the second half. Ryan also responded to the call, scoring 10 of her 16 in the second frame.

“Balance is everything,” Borseth said. “We have a lot of kids who are able to shoot and score, so that gives us a lot of firepower.”

The Wolverines broke a 58-58 tie with 35 seconds left on a left-handed baby hook by Arnold, who drew a foul in the process and hit from the charity stripe to give Michigan a three-point lead.

After two defensive stops, Ryan hit two free throws with four seconds left to seal the victory for the Wolverines.

“I don’t want to say that four games into the year we were urgent for a win,” Ryan said. “But for a young team like we are, you get to the point where every game is a tipping point. From a player’s standpoint, this win was big.”