#3 Seed Wolverines sees Balance Effort in convincing win over the #11 Seed Ducks 

#3 Seed Wolverines sees Balance Effort in convincing win over the #11 Seed Ducks

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

    The #3 Seed Michigan Wolverines took care of the #11 Seed Oregon Ducks 80-58 win in the final Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal Friday Night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Michigan is 25-5 and will face #2 Seed Iowa tomorrow in the second semifinal at 4:30 PM. Oregon is 22-12 and will return to Eugene to await their postseason tournament fate.

   Syla Swords led the Wolverines with 17 points, Olivia Olson scored 16 points, Ashley Sofilkanich scored 14 points and 10 points from Kendall Dudley and Mila Holloway dished out 10 assists and had 9 points. Michigan went 31-71 from the field for 43%, 4-19 from three-point range and 14-19 from the free throw line for 73%. The Wolverines had 44 rebounds, 18 assists, 11 steals, 3 blocks and 9 turnovers. Michigan scored 34 points in the paint, 20 second chance points, 20 bench points, 18 points off turnovers and 6 fastbreak points.

  Katie Fiso scored 22 points to lead the Ducks and Ehis Etute recorded her third straight double-double in three days scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds. Oregon went 24-59 from the field for 40%, 3-19 from three-point range for 15% and 7-14 from the free throw line for 50%. Oregon had 31 rebounds, 15 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks and 17 turnovers. The Ducks scored 36 points in the paint, 12 points off turnovers, 5 bench points, 5 fastbreak points and 4 fastbreak points.

  The game was tied and there were no lead changes. Michigan led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter. The Wolverines outscored the Ducks 15-11 in the second quarter as Michigan went into the locker room leading 31-24 at halftime with 11 points from Oregon’s Katie Fiso. Michigan outscored Oregon 47-34 in the second half. Michigan outscored Oregon 23-19 at the end of the third quarter as the Wolverines led 54-43 going into the fourth quarter. Michigan closed the final quarter outscoring Oregon 24-15 and ended the game a 6-0 run in the final two and half minutes as the Ducks were held scoreless for the final two minutes and 35 seconds of the game.

   Michigan gets a chance to face Iowa for a second time after the Hawkeyes beat the Wolverines 62-44 on February 22^nd in Iowa City. Michigan head coach Kim Barnes-Arico talked about how hard that game was playing on their Senior day at 11 am local time and how Iowa came out very physical and put the game away early and the players are excited for the rematch and players admitted how tough a place Carver Hawkeye Arena is to play with a 15 thousand fans rooting against them. Iowa has a lot of fans in Indianapolis and so does Michigan so it will be a dogfight for the chance to play for a Big Ten Championship against UCLA or Ohio State on Sunday.