Michigan to Face Back-to-Back In-State Foes

Saturday, November 20

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

Central Michigan

Women's Basketball Team Huddle Tunnel Generic

(Michigan Photography)

11/18/2021 3:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

By: Sarah VanMetre

» Michigan will hit the road for the first time this season, heading to Mount Pleasant to face Central Michigan on Saturday (Nov. 20) before returning home to host Oakland on Monday (Nov. 22) at Crisler.
» U-M graduate manager Reyna Frost, a Central Michigan legend and 2019 MAC Player of the Year, will be honored after the game at CMU.
» This is the second straight season that Michigan is facing Central Michigan and Oakland in back-to-back games with only one day in between.

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team (3-0) hits the road for the first time this season, heading to Mount Pleasant to face Central Michigan (1-1) on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 20) at 1 p.m. U-M will return home to Crisler Center on Monday (Nov. 22) to host Oakland at 7 p.m. Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+, while Monday's contest will be streamed live on B1G+.

Wolverine Notes

• Michigan is 3-0 to start the 2021-22 season, marking the fourth straight season and the sixth time the Wolverines have won their first three games under 10th-year head coach Kim Barnes Arico.

• Junior Maddie Nolan set a new career high with six triples on 6-for-7 shooting from deep against UMass Lowell (Nov. 16). It was the second game of her career with at least five three-pointers after she made five at Wisconsin last season (Jan. 14). Nolan is the eighth different Wolverine to hit at least six triples in a game and the first since Hailey Brown made six at Penn State on Feb. 10, 2019. Nolan leads the team this year in three-point shooting, hitting eight from range on 53.3 percent shooting.

• Senior Danielle Rauch has picked up where she left off in last season's NCAA Tournament. Rauch has started all three games at point guard and is averaging 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 27.7 minutes per game. Against UMass Lowell, Rauch set or tied career highs in points (10), assists (six) and rebounds (six) as she scored in double figures for the first time in her career.

• There are connections abound for Saturday's (Nov. 20) contest at Central Michigan. CMU head coach Heather Oesterle played basketball at Michigan under former U-M and CMU head coach Sue Guevera. U-M graduate manager Reyna Frost is a Central Michigan legend, helping the Chips to the 2019 NCAA Sweet 16 and graduating as the Mid-American Conference leader in career rebounds (1,526). Frost, the 2019 MAC Player of the Year, and Guevara will be honored by Central Michigan following the game.

• This marks the second consecutive season that Michigan is playing CMU and Oakland in back-to-back games with just one day in between. The Wolverines recorded a 93-75 win over the Chips in the season opener at Crisler (Nov. 25, 2020) and followed it up with a 95-62 win at Oakland (Nov. 27, 2020).

• Central Michigan (1-1) recorded its first win the last time out, getting a 65-61 win at Valparaiso (Nov. 14) after falling to Georgia Tech, 74-40, in the season opener (Nov. 9). CMU is averaging 52.5 points per game on 31.4 percent shooting, while allowing 67.5 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting. Jahari Smith leads the way for Central, averaging 11.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Michigan leads the all-time series, 16-9, and will be making its first official trip to Mount Pleasant since 2006. The teams have scrimmaged over the last few seasons.

• The Golden Grizzlies (1-1) opened the season with an 84-72 loss to Toledo (Nov. 9) before rebounding for a 77-64 win over Niagara (Nov. 12). OU is averaging 74.5 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting, while allowing 74.0 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting. The Golden Grizzlies have a trio of double-figure scorers in Kahlaijah Dean (19.0 ppg), Lamariyee Williams (10.5 ppg) and Breanne Beatty (10.0 ppg). U-M leads the all-time series 10-5 and has won the last five games against Oakland. Oakland will play twice before heading to Ann Arbor.

Up Next

Friday, Nov. 26 -- vs. Oregon State - Daytona Beach Invitational (Daytona Beach, Fla.), 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 27 -- vs. Mississippi State - Daytona Beach Invitational (Daytona Beach, Fla.), 4:30 p.m.