Teams can be made up in many different ways. Some are led by stars; others are driven by their depth, getting contributions from many.
The Michigan women’s swimming and diving team (4-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) demonstrated it has elements of both, as it defeated the 15th-ranked Hoosiers (3-4, 0-1), 186-114, in a dual meet on Saturday.
With Michigan reeling from back-to-back wins by Indiana swimmers, it needed a boost. Senior Tommy Cope gave the Wolverines a win and a momentum shift in the 200-yard breaststroke. Cope nudged the Hoosiers’ Mohamed Samy Hassan by 0.93 seconds and helped narrow the deficit to only one point, 104-103.
The win helped spur the No. 3 Michigan men’s swimming team (4-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) to a 160-140 victory over No. 5 Indiana (6-3, 2-1) on Saturday morning.
After Michigan’s first four field goals all came from right at the hoop, it was clear that its offense against Penn State would run through the paint.
But in the Wolverines’ 82-48 win on Tuesday, their dominance in the paint allowed them to score from other positions and contributed to a more diverse offensive attack.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Michigan was right in it.
A pair of layups from sophomore and senior forwards Naz Hillmon and Kayla Robbins cut Maryland’s lead to seven, and with shots finally falling, the Wolverines looked poised to stage a comeback.
But on the other end, Terrapin guard Taylor Mikesell buried the game’s first 3-pointer, sinking a dagger into Michigan’s comeback hopes and propelling Maryland to a 70-55 victory.
In her three years as a starter, junior forward Hailey Brown has consistently produced solid numbers for the Michigan women’s basketball team. Though she isn’t the team’s most prolific scorer, her veteran post presence and high basketball IQ help her to score key points and guide the team through rough patches offensively.
Midway through the third quarter on Sunday, Michigan found itself on the wrong end of an Oakland run.
After hitting only one field goal in four minutes, the Wolverines saw their once 13-point lead dwindle down to just four with 2:18 remaining in the quarter. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were on fire, scoring 13 points over that same stretch. Michigan needed a spark.
It’s all basketball this week on Highway to Hail, as senior sports editor Ben Katz sits down with the men’s and women’s basketball beats to discuss the teams’ respective seasons, where they both currently stand and what to expect from both programs over winter break.
An exhibition match is usually one to give the seniors and captains a solid pre-season tune-up. It’s an opportunity to give the freshman a walkthrough at Crisler Center for what’s to come. But they aren’t supposed to be the ones carrying the team. The freshmen are supposed to perform like freshman and the seniors are supposed to perform like seniors.
But not for the Michigan women’s gymnastics team.
Michigan’s players looked up. Two minutes remained in overtime. They led Syracuse by five. They could have dug in their heels, played drop-back defense and waited for the clock to bleed down. But there would be no waiting in this game. Senior guard Akienreh Johnson jumped on a bad pass by guard Teisha Hyman, broke to the basket and picked up an and-one. The Wolverines didn’t look back on their way to an 84-76 win over Syracuse.
The Michigan women’s basketball team has made short order of most of its opponents. Mid-major teams like Morgan State, Eastern Michigan and Bradley have offered little resistance, and as a result, the Wolverines’ six wins came at an average margin of 23 points.