Michigan
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South Carolina
1-0,0-0SEC
U-M Falls Just Short Against No. 1 South Carolina
11/4/2024 10:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LAS VEGAS -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team went toe-to-toe with defending national champion and No. 1 South Carolina before falling 68-62 in the Hall of Fame Series season opener at T-Mobile Arena.
Syla Swords had a sensational debut in the Maize and Blue, recording a double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds in her first collegiate game. Jordan Hobbs contributed 19 points, while Olivia Olson added five points and five rebounds. Michigan held South Carolina to just 33.3 percent shooting and matched the Gamecocks with 52 rebounds.
Michigan opened the game on a 7-0 run, getting a triple from Hobbs and buckets from Swords and Mila Holloway for the early advantage.
Michigan got a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Hobbs to end the first quarter, taking a 21-18 lead. Swords led the way with 10 points in the first quarter, with Hobbs adding six as the Wolverines took the early lead.
Swords scored on the opening possession of the second quarter, pushing Michigan's lead to five points. An Olson layup with 8:18 left maintained the five-point advantage at 27-22. South Carolina answered with six straight points, forcing a Michigan timeout at the 4:50 mark with the Gamecocks holding a one-point lead.
The teams went back and forth until a three-pointer from Greta Kampschroeder and two free throws from Swords resulted in a 36-30 lead with 2:26 remaining until the break. South Carolina responded by hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the half, trimming Michigan's lead to 38-37 after 20 minutes.
South Carolina scored the first four points of the third quarter, extending its run to 7-0 and taking a 41-38 lead. A pair of free throws by Swords with 7:14 on the clock stopped the run and brought Michigan back within a point. The Gamecocks continued to apply pressure, building their largest lead of the game at that point, 49-43, with just over six minutes remaining in the third.
Michigan refused to go away, closing within three points after 30 minutes. Hobbs scored five straight points for the Wolverines, making it a 54-51 South Carolina lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Michigan closed within four points, 60-56, on a free throw from Swords with just over three minutes remaining. South Carolina scored on its next possession to extend the lead to six, but Michigan continued to battle.
Swords hit back-to-back three-pointers, sandwiched around two missed free throws from South Carolina, pulling the Maize and Blue within two points with 22 seconds remaining.
The Gamecocks made both free throws after Michigan was forced to foul on the ensuing possession. Michigan could not convert on its next possession, and South Carolina made two more free throws with less than a second remaining to seal the six-point victory.
Michigan returns to Ann Arbor, Mich., on Friday, Nov. 8, for its home opener against Lehigh at 7 p.m.
