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

Becca Mahon/Daily | Design by Sophie Grand

