IOWA CITY — Because of its lack of size and physicality, the Michigan women's basketball team might have a tough time matching up with other Big Ten teams. But the Wolverines think otherwise, and last night's win over Iowa proved to be pretty good evidence for their case.

Besides 6-foot-6 senior Krista Phillips, Michigan doesn’t have an advantage in height. But it stunned Iowa last night with team speed.

“Being aggressive and fast is what we like to do,” junior guard Veronica Hicks said. “That’s really what we want to do.”

Michigan racked up points on a 12-2 run in the game's first three-and-a-half minutes. The Wolverines also finished the evening with 12 fastbreak opportunities to the Hawkeyes' two.

“We like playing fast, and I think we play better when we play in the frontcourt,” Phillips said. “That’s what works for us right now so that’s what we’re going to keep sticking with.”

Freshman guard Jenny Ryan showed the most impressive display of speed when she blocked an Iowa 3-pointer, took the ball inside two defenders and finished with a layup.

Strong coaching leads to success: With the exception of last year, when the Wolverines finished 10-20, Michigan coach Kevin Borseth is known for winning games. His Wisconsin-Green Bay teams made the NCAA Tournament seven times during his nine-year coaching tenure. And this season, Michigan is again enjoying what it feels like to win largely because of Borseth's smart decisions.

In the last five minutes of last night’s game, Iowa cut its deficit down to seven. Borseth handled the problem very unconventionally. Instead of playing conservatively on defense in order to avoid giving up big plays, he told the Wolverines to take a risk.

Borseth called for a full court press, which forced the Hawkeyes to work the ball quicker than they were prepared for. Michigan forced two turnovers in the last four minutes.

“We were trying to slow them down,” Borseth said. “We were trying to get the ball out of their hands a little bit, trying to up the tempo a little bit, instead of just getting to half-court and laying low and taking punches like Muhammad Ali. Better to be more aggressive.”

Borseth is consistently playing every athlete on the active roster, which includes six freshmen. It’s difficult to get every freshman game time while the team wins by 15 or more points, as Michigan has done in five of its six wins.

The benefit of having 13 players on the court — all of whom the coach can trust at any point — is that it allows rest for a team that is attempting to play at a faster pace than its opponents.

Defensive strengths: Every week, Michigan fans hold signs that read “team defense.”

The signs are deserved -- the Wolverines' style of defense makes up for their size disadvantage. Even though Michigan was outrebounded 41-37 last night, the team made up for it, forcing 18 turnovers compared to Iowa’s 14.

“I love ‘team defense,’ ” Ryan said. “I love to get into the passing lanes, and right now, it’s about taking what I know about being aggressive and jumping on the floor and getting the defensive rebounds.”

Even more impressive was the Wolverines' edge in blocks. Michigan finished with seven blocks compared to Iowa’s five.

Notes: Michigan’s all-time record against Iowa is 42-12. ... The Wolverines outscored the Hawkeyes 34-14 inside the paint. ... After Phillips scored the team's first points, Michigan kept the lead for the entire game.