A
s senior wing Leigha
Brown dribbled down the
floor after a block from
senior forward Naz Hillmon on
the other end, Brown looked
up. Seeing junior guard Maddie
Nolan ahead of her post up on the
3-point line, Brown fired a pass
to Nolan. Taking the pass and
squaring up the basket, Nolan
unleashed her first 3-pointer of
the game — of which seven more
would follow.
The No. 11 Michigan women’s
basketball team faced off with
No. 8 Maryland Sunday in
College Park. Led by a game-
high 21 points from Nolan,
the Wolverines unleashed a
beatdown, winning 69-49. The
win snapped the Terrapins’
31-game home winning streak
and marked the first win in
program history at College Park.
Early full-court defensive
pressure from the Terrapins
couldn’t stop the Wolverines
from scoring. Michigan came out
white hot in the first quarter,
entering the first media timeout
having gone 6-for-6 from the
floor. The Wolverines looked
unfazed against the aggressive
pressure.
Carrying the team from the
outset, Nolan stayed hot from
behind the 3-point line for the
entire night. In the first quarter
alone, she went 3-for-3, setting
an immediate tone.
More of the squad also
contributed from three, with
Brown and freshman guard Laila
Phelia nailing early 3-pointers.
The Wolverines ended the first
shooting 71.4% from three.
“Tonight I feel like we did a lot
better (of a) job of capitalizing
on and just being able to put up
shots at the right times,” Brown
said.
With the Terrapins
concentrating their defense
in the paint against Hillmon,
Michigan adjusted, bringing
their offense to the perimeter.
Ending the first quarter with 26
points, the Wolverines outscored
Maryland by 10.
“Teams are going to start
double and triple teaming Naz
(Hillmon),” Nolan said. “And
if we can have people that can
consistently knock down outside
shots that’s going to be a game-
changer for us.”
Against Maryland, it was.
On the opposite end,
Michigan’s defense hedged
hard on ball screens, forcing
the Terrapins into multiple
turnovers and holding them
scoreless for the last two
minutes of the first quarter. That
narrative continued down the
stretch.
Despite the slow start,
Maryland tried to chip away in
the second quarter. Speeding
up the game, the Terrapins
attempted to convert its
defensive possessions into
quick offensive buckets. But
the Wolverines had all the
momentum. Michigan held onto
its lead, controlling the ball and
not allowing the full-court press
to disrupt their composure.
Dominant 3-point shooting
persisted throughout the second
quarter, with Nolan leading the
charge. She opened the quarter
with another 3-pointer from the
wing, doubling the Wolverines’
lead. Senior guard Danielle
Rauch also nailed a 3-pointer.
Going into the locker room,
Michigan held a comfortable
15 point halftime lead, one that
would only grow.
The second half largely
mirrored the first. Nolan
continued to dominate from
behind the 3-point line, making
back-to-back 3-pointers in the
third quarter and another in the
fourth. Brown’s driving jumpers
in the lane continued to stump
Maryland’s defense. Bringing
another layer of offensive
prowess, Phelia and Hillmon
also found their groove in the
fourth quarter, scoring 11 and
nine points, respectively.
Combined, Nolan and Brown
notched 36 points, outscoring
the Terrapins themselves for
the majority of the game.
“Our guards stepped up
and just made play after
play,” Michigan coach Kim
Barnes Arico said. “Leigha
Brown is arguably one of the
best if not the best guards in
the country, I believe. And
Maddie Nolan is one of the
best 3-point shooters and
I’m happy that the whole
world got a chance to see
that tonight.”
No. 11 Michigan
steamrolls No.
8 Maryland,
69-49
ABBIE TELGENHOF
Daily Sports Writer
S P O R T S W E D N E S D AY
shellacked
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