The No. 2 seed Michigan women’s basketball team will face No. 7 seed North Carolina State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ABC), following a win against No. 15 seed Holy Cross.
The Wolverines (26-6) are 14.5-point favorites against the Wolfpack (21-10), who beat No. 10 seed Tennessee, 76-61 to advance to the second round. Here’s an in-depth look at the matchup:
Round 1 Recap
In Michigan’s 83-48 victory against Holy Cross, sophomore guard Mila Holloway exploded for 20 points,
eight rebounds and seven assists while facilitating an offense that produced five double-figure scorers. The Wolverines out-rebounded the Crusaders 43-28, including 11 on the offensive glass, while forcing 20 turnovers on 10 steals. Michigan found tremendous success in transition produced by that turnover generation, getting 14 fast-break points and 20 off turnovers while outscoring Holy Cross by 20 in the paint.
NC State defeated Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 76-61. The Wolfpack jumped out to a hot start, leading by 15 points at the 4:59 mark in the first quarter. While the Volunteers eventually punched back, trimming the margin down to a two-point deficit with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter, it was too little, too late.
Despite being out-rebounded 41-32 — including 21 on the offensive glass for Tennessee — NC State outscored the Volunteers in the paint 40-24 while allowing just 17 second-chance points. The Wolfpack found sustainable success driving downhill, scoring 30 points off layups and going 21-for-25 at the free throw line. Sophomore guard Zamareya Jones finished with 30 points, including 10 from the charity stripe, more than double her season average of 14.3 entering the game. Her play was complemented largely by junior forward Khamil Pierre, who was unfazed by her 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. Pierre averages a double-double of 16.8 points and 12 rebounds per game.
“I feel like 30 points is really big in March,” Pierre said. “For me, a double-double is still what’s expected so I don’t think I had a great game, but to be on a team where everybody can score and you have players like Z who can step up and really take over the game, it helps a lot. I think that’s what really matters in March.”
Zoe Brooks’ potential injury
The Wolfpack’s 15-point victory was bittersweet, as at the 5:02 mark in the third quarter, their second-leading scorer, sophomore guard Zoe Brooks (16 points per game), went down with a foot injury. Sitting out of practice on Saturday while in a boot and on crutches, NC State is taking every precaution to prioritize Brooks’ health while keeping the door open as a possibility for her to compete on Sunday.
Brooks averages 16 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on 43.7 percent shooting.
“She just can affect the game in so many ways with the ball in her hand,” head coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “She’s so dynamic. She’s such a play-maker. She can score the basketball. She can facilitate. She’s just built a little bit different. … I think they were 8-for-8 to start the game (last night). That was without Pierre even getting a shot. …I think they have so many players that really ignite their team, but Zoe is certainly one of ’em.”
With Brooks potentially out, that would allow the Wolverines to reposition Big Ten All-Defensive team senior guard Brooke Quarles Daniels to hound a less-experienced guard facilitating the Wolfpack’s offense.
“Barring that Zoe Brooks (isn’t) back from her quick injury against Tennessee, (Quarles Daniels’ role is) really working to make her life hard, make their ball handler’s life very difficult,” assistant coach Danielle Rauch said. “So whether that’s Zoe Brooks or Zam Jones, of how can we really make it hard for them to do what they want to do. Take away their option A, make them passers, make them do something different I think is her number one goal.”
NC State’s a team full of driving guards who play physically and aren’t afraid to take a defender 1-on-1. Michigan will have to prepare for paint defense, either through dribble penetration drives or the Wolfpack’s front court duo.
Counteracting the height
The Wolverines experienced the advantages and drawbacks of playing more guards than their opponent last season, in which Michigan deployed a five-guard lineup against teams that almost always featured a post. NC State plays Pierre, a 6-foot-2 forward, alongside Tilda Trygger, a 6-foot-6 sophomore center. The duo operate as a tandem in the paint, both averaging double figures. Pierre’s a walking double-double with 22 double-doubles, the second-most in school history and third-most nationally, and an AP All-America honorable mention. Trygger adds 10.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game on 52 percent shooting.
“There’s definitely a challenge,” Barnes Arico said. “6’6 is a tough matchup for anyone. We talked a little bit about that at practice today. You can’t just go right at (Trygger). Her shot-blocking ability is crazy. You have to have a counter move. You have to do something different.
“She shoots the ball really well, too. She pick-and-pops. She’s a face-up kid that’s playing really well. She’s involved on the offensive end as well as the defensive end.
“Pierre, we talked about her a lot in our scout. She’s a double-double every single night. … She has a motor for the basketball. She reminds me a little bit of Naz in terms of her rebounding motor. Then she has an incredibly soft touch around the rim. She can take you with the back to the basket, with a face-up. That’s going to present a challenge for us.”
With Barnes Arico’s summary, Pierre and Trygger present a formidable front. Their shot-blocking ability will impact the Wolverines’ paint drives, and require Olson or another guard to defend a post when the tandem is in together, while testing junior forward Ashley Sofilkanich. Yet their slower speed may create opportunities for Michigan to exploit, particularly on the perimeter and in transition.
Michigan’s advantages
Based on NC State’s scout, the Wolfpack identified some of Michigan’s strengths and how they apply to their gameplan. With three players averaging in double-figures (sophomore guards Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Mila Holloway with 18.9, 14.4 and 12.6 points per game, respectively), the Wolverines present a multifaceted, fast-paced attack and full-court press tandem which make their pace of play unsustainable for some teams to keep up with.
“They present a lot of problems,” NC State head coach Wes Moore said. “Play really hard. They crash the boards hard. They’re going to press. A little bit different than Tennessee’s press, but still man-to-man, similar press. And again, got a lot of players that can hurt you. Again, three starters in double figures. So Olson, obviously a great player. Swords shoots the heck out of it. Holloway can score at all three ranges.”
Possessing a strong nose for the ball, Michigan crashes the offensive glass hard. Five-foot-7 Quarles Daniels leads the team with 92, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the Wolverines’ collection. Her impact will be felt on the glass and defensively, particularly in Michigan’s trademark press.
The Wolverines’ variety of weapons in their arsenal, possessing top guards who can score at all three levels in combination with strong rim-running forwards to support transition offense, make them a formidable threat. They’ve been in practically every situation this season: single- and double-overtimes, down and completing comebacks, withstanding opponent runs, and competing tightly against the nation’s best.
To advance to the Sweet Sixteen, it’ll require a complete game from either team. But Michigan imposing its brand of basketball for 40 minutes and staying true to its identity will be hard to keep up with.
