Michigan
9-2,1-0Big Ten
Oklahoma
10-1,0-0SEC
Late Oklahoma Run Sends Sooners Past Michigan at Jumpman Invitational
12/17/2024 11:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The No. 20-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team saw its nine-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of No. 10 Oklahoma, falling 72-62 to the Sooners on Tuesday night (Dec. 17) in the Jumpman Invitational at the Spectrum Center. The Sooners used a run to open the fourth quarter to take control of the game.
Michigan was within three at the start of the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma scored 12 of the first 16 points to take control of the game. Michigan closed within single digits one more time but could not get closer in the contest.
U-M had a trio of double-figure scorers, led by Mila Holloway's 20 points in her return to her hometown. Jordan Hobbs went for 14 and Syla Swords chipped in 11 as Michigan battled foul trouble all game as two players fouled out and Michigan was whistled for 26 fouls. OU held a 44-37 advantage on the glass as Michigan was outrebounded for the first time this season.
Michigan fell behind in the early going, facing an 11-5 deficit with 6:31 on the first quarter clock. The Wolverines answered with six straight points, getting four from Olivia Olson and a bucket in transition from Hobbs to tie the contest at 11 at the midway point of the quarter.
A Swords stepback jumper on the left side pulled Michigan even at 13 with 2:46 left in the first quarter. She picked up her second foul on the ensuing defensive possession, sending her to the bench for the rest of the period as Oklahoma ended the first 10 minutes on a 7-0 run for a 20-13 lead.
The Sooners scored the first two points of the second quarter for a 22-13 lead before back-to-back buckets from Yulia Grabovskaia and Hobbs pulled Michigan within five points at 22-17. An Olson free throw and four straight points from Holloway tied the contest at 22 with just under five minutes remaining in the second quarter as U-M put together a 9-0 run over 4:34 of game time.
Holloway hit a second-chance triple from the left wing after the media timeout, pushing Michigan's run to 12-0 for a 25-22 lead. Oklahoma answered, eventually taking a 30-27 lead of a pair of free throws with 1:27 remaining. Alyssa Crockett hit a left-corner triple at the 1:09 mark, pulling Michigan level on the ensuing possession.
U-M held Oklahoma to a season low for points in a quarter, yielding just 10 points to the Sooners as the teams hit the half tied at 30.
The Sooners hit an opening triple to start the third quarter, but Michigan answered with seven straight points for a 37-33 advantage on an Olson free throw. A Hobbs runner in the lane kept the Michigan lead at four, 39-35, at the 6:39 mark. Oklahoma responded with a 9-0 run, forcing a Michigan timeout with 4:05 on the clock with the Sooner lead at 44-39.
Michigan ran the play to perfection out of the timeout as Olson found a cutting Swords for a short jumper off the glass, stopping the Sooner run and pulling Michigan within a possession at 44-41.
A Grabovskaia putback on Michigan's final possession of the third quarter again pulled U-M within one possession, 50-47, heading to the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma opened the final quarter by scoring 12 of the first 16 points to get separation from the Wolverines. Michigan tried to hang in there, getting a triple from Swords out of the media timeout to cut the deficit to single digits, 64-56, with just over four minutes remaining but Michigan got no closer.
Michigan wraps up the non-conference portion of its season on Friday (Dec. 20), heading to Akron to face the Zips at noon.
