Michigan
25-5,15-3Big Ten
Oregon
22-12,8-10Big Ten
Balanced Effort Sends Michigan Past Oregon Into B1G Tourney Semifinals
3/6/2026 11:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team used balanced scoring and never trailed in an 80-58 win over Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday evening (March 6) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With the win, Michigan has advanced to the semifinals for the third straight season.
Michigan had four players score in double figures, paced by 17 points and eight rebounds from Syla Swords. Olivia Olson weathered first-half foul trouble, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. Ashley Sofilkanich finished with 14 points and six rebounds, with Kendall Dudley turning in 10 points off the bench. Mila Holloway just missed her first career double-double, going for nine points and 10 assists, the first time a Wolverine has reached double figures in helpers since 2023. Michigan grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, resulting in 20 second-chance points while also getting 20 points from its bench.
Michigan raced out to a 7-3 lead in the early going on a Swords three-pointer, a turnaround jumper from Olson, and a layup from Sofilkanich. Oregon tied the game twice in the opening 10 minutes, but Michigan took an 18-13 lead at the end of the first quarter behind five points from Olson.
Sofilkanich converted a three-point play for a 21-13 lead with 7:46 to go in the second, but Oregon got back within four, 22-18, off its own three-point play with 6:33 on the clock.
Dudley found Swords for her second triple of the opening half just over a minute later, reestablishing a seven-point lead, 25-18. The Ducks closed within five several times for the rest of the half, but U-M maintained at least a two-possession lead the rest of the way.
Sofilkanich's putback on Michigan's final possession of the half sent Michigan to the break with a 33-24 lead. U-M had 12 second-chance points in the first 20 minutes, with Swords and Sofilkanich pacing the offense with eight points each.
U-M took its first double-figure lead of the game, 39-29, after Holloway's free throws in the early moments of the third quarter. An Olson three-point play just past the halfway point of the third pushed the Michigan lead to 42-30.
After two points from Oregon, Michigan used a 7-0 run that featured a Dudley layup, a Macy Brown triple and a layup from Swords to force a timeout from the Ducks with 3:16 left in the third.
U-M headed to the fourth with a 56-43 lead, putting up 23 points in the third quarter.
Michigan scored the first four points of the fourth on buckets from Olson and Sofilkanich, pushing the lead back to 17. U-M led by as many as 22 in the final 10 minutes.
Michigan will face No. 2 seed Iowa in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday (March 7) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The contest will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
