Michigan
16-5,6-4Big Ten
Maryland
17-4,8-2Big Ten
Michigan's Late Rallies Thwarted in Setback at No. 10 Maryland
1/26/2023 9:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team led midway through the first quarter, but No. 10-ranked Maryland used a 7-0 run to end the first quarter, taking the lead for good en route to a 72-64 win on Thursday evening (Jan. 26) at the Xfinity Center.
Michigan (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) had a trio of double-figure scorers, led by Leigha Brown's 16 points, five boards and five assists. Laila Phelia turned in 15 points, seven boards and four assists, with Emily Kiser chipping in 11 points and nine boards to just miss the double-double. Maddie Nolan and Jordan Hobbs each went for nine points as Michigan shot 40.7 percent from the field. U-M outrebounded the Terrapins 34-31 but committed 24 turnovers that turned into 25 Maryland points.
Michigan grabbed an early 7-4 lead off a Nolan triple in the early going, eventually using a 6-0 run capped by a Phelia layup in transition with 4:34 on the first-quarter clock for a 13-9 lead.
Maryland answered with six straight for a 15-13 lead before Brown cashed in on a pull-up off an Elise Stuck offensive board at the 2:10 mark of the first quarter. Maryland ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run, holding Michigan off the board for the final 1:58 of the period for a 22-15 lead after 10 minutes of action.
The Wolverines slowly chipped away at the Terrapins' lead, eventually getting within four points, 26-22, off a Brown triple with 7:16 left in the second quarter. Maryland countered with an 8-0 run for a 34-22 lead with just over five to go before the half, with Phelia knocking down a three-pointer to stop the run and get back within nine with 4:35 to go.
Michigan scored the final four points of the second quarter, getting jumpers from Kiser and Brown, while holding the Terps scoreless over the final 3:02. Maryland hit the half with a 39-29 advantage after leading by as many as 14 points over the first 20 minutes.
The Terps scored the first four points of the third quarter, with Nolan cashing in on her second three-pointer of the contest with 8:54 left in the third. Brown made Michigan's first trip to the free-throw line at the 7:52 mark of the third, hitting both as Michigan closed within nine, 43-34.
Michigan strung together a couple of defensive stops but could not convert on the other end, as Maryland put together a 7-0 run for a 50-34 lead with 4:38 remaining in the third. Michigan countered with a Brown turnaround jumper and a pair of Kiser free throws, with a pair of Hobbs free throws with 17.9 left brought U-M back within 10, 54-44.
Maryland scored on its final possession for a 56-44 lead after three quarters.
Brown opened the fourth quarter with three straight points for Michigan, with Phelia making good on a pair of free throws with 8:13 remaining to close the Terrapins' lead to 56-49. Kiser stole the ball on the other end, calling timeout to save the possession with just under eight minutes to play.
Michigan got within seven twice again around the five-minute mark, coming on a Nolan three-pointer and a Hobbs layup, but U-M got no closer the rest of the way.
Michigan wraps up a two-game road swing on Sunday (Jan. 29), heading to Minneapolis to face Minnesota at 2 p.m. CST.
