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Michigan Drops Game Late to No. 9 Ohio State
1/8/2025 10:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team hung with No. 9 Ohio State in its third straight game against a top-10 opponent, but Ohio State executed down the stretch in an 84-77 loss on Wednesday night (Jan. 8) at Crisler Center. U-M led for the majority of the contest before Ohio State took the lead midway through the fourth quarter and hung on for the win behind 31 points in the final 10 minutes.
Olivia Olson turned in her fifth 20-point performance of the season, going 8-for-12 from the field. Three other Wolverines were in double figures -- Syla Swords (14), Jordan Hobbs (13) and Greta Kampschroeder (13). The Wolverines shot 53 percent from the field, highlighted by shooting 69.2 percent in the first half. U-M led by as many as 16 in the contest before Ohio State rallied.
A back-and-forth fourth quarter started off slow with Michigan's first basket coming with 7:36 remaining as Hobbs made a reverse layup to put Michigan ahead 60-55. The Wolverines and Buckeyes continued to trade baskets, ultimately resulting in a 64-all tie with just over five minutes remaining. The Buckeyes crawled all the way back to take their first lead of the game, 68-66, with 4:26 left in regulation. The Buckeyes pushed the lead to four, but Olson hit a three with 2:26 on the clock, bringing Michigan back within one point.
Ohio State answered with a free throw on the ensuing possession and blocked Michigan's shot attempt on the next, holding a 71-69 lead with just over two minutes left. A short OSU jumper pushed the Buckeyes lead to four before Alyssa Crockett grabbed a miss off a free throw and converted the putback. After another pair of OSU free throws, Yulia Grabovskaia pulled the home team within a bucket, 75-73, at the 48-second mark but Michigan got no closer as Ohio State made two straight layups and five-of-six free throws in the closing minute.
It was all Michigan in the first half as the Wolverines led by as many as 16 in the opening 20 minutes behind 13 first-half points from Kampschroeder.
Back-to-back triples from Olson and Hobbs allowed Michigan to close the first quarter on a 6-0 run for a 26-18 lead after 10 minutes.
Ohio State closed within six points in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but Michigan answered with a 7-0 spurt behind an Olson triple, a Kampschroeder pull-up and an Olson layup for a 35-22 lead with 5:45 left before the half. Michigan's lead grew to 16 in the waning moments of the period as Kampschroeder made good on a corner triple, but Ohio State countered with one of its own as U-M hit the break with a 44-31 lead.
Olson opened up the second half with split free throws and a layup to follow, but that was all Michigan scored until just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter as OSU slowly chipped away. With 1:47 left in the quarter and the score tied at 53, Michigan called timeout. Following the timeout, Michigan scored the final four points of the quarter on a Swords putback and a Grabovskaia layup for a four-point lead heading into the final period.
Michigan hits the road again this weekend, heading to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue on Saturday (Jan. 11) at 2 p.m.
