INDIANAPOLIS — On the biggest stage of the season at the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, the Michigan women’s basketball team chose the best time to shine.

And in the first half especially, the Wolverines may not have shined brighter all year.

En route to a 67-54 win over Northwestern, Michigan went into halftime with a mammoth 22-point lead, which proved to be insurmountable.

The Wolverines' 25-to-11 rebounding edge in the first half was one of the primary keys to their success. Offensive rebounds especially were critical against a Wildcat defense that frustrated Michigan’s shooters in the team’s two regular-season losses to Northwestern. The Wolverines scored 12 second-chance points on their eight offensive boards.

“This was one of the first games of the year where we actually put together a great first half,” freshman guard Jenny Ryan said. “Just being in the Big Ten Tournament, you’re ready to go, it’s exciting, and it’s a new season for everybody. So we just wanted to make a statement to start out.”

Though freshman guard Jenny Ryan contributed eight boards of her own, the Saginaw native also had 12 points, tying a career high.

The unheralded shooter hit several outside jumpers, including a last-second two-pointer from just inside the 3-point line as part of 14-2 Michigan run to close the first half.

“She’s one of those kids that really doesn’t have any fear at all,” Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said. “She plays with a lot of confidence, and obviously we feed off of that.”

And although the Wolverines came out hot to start the second half, scoring the first two buckets, the team was held scoreless for almost eight minutes of play.

But even with the ensuing 15-0 Northwestern run, the Wildcats couldn’t pull the game within single digits.

Still, the second half was much tenser than the scoreboard indicated as Michigan was forced to hit its free throws down the stretch, something they couldn’t do earlier this season in Evanston.

“(Northwestern coach Joe McKeown) was telling them to foul, and I figured, ‘oh boy, here we go,’ ” Borseth said. “If we’re not careful, they’ll knock it out of our hands. … If you make (free throws), you maintain your lead. If you don’t, you let the other team back in -- but today we made them.”

Sophomore guard Courtney Boylan was perfect at the line, going 7-for-7 on the day. Her play was critical down the stretch, nailing four from the stripe in the final minutes as part of her team-high 14 points.

Three other players besides Boylan and Ryan scored in double figures, showing the Wolverines’ normally balanced scoring attack.

“That’s the goal,” Borseth said. “We’ve got an offense that relies on all five people being able to score. They keep telling me they’re face guarding Carmen, they’re face guarding Carmen. Well, let them face guard Carmen. There’s four other guards that have to be able to produce. They did.”

With the win, Michigan (9-10 Big Ten, 17-12 overall) keeps their NCAA Tournament hopes alive and advances to play Michigan State tomorrow. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines in both of their contests this season.

But just as the Wildcats (7-12, 17-12) found out today, it’s always difficult to beat a team three times in one year.

“As far as the NCAA Tournament, that’s not where we are right now,” junior guard Veronica Hicks said. “We’re at the Big Ten Tournament and we want a conference title. And we want to win games here.”