This week in Michigan Women’s Basketball (1/23)

After a huge win Saturday against Rutgers, the Michigan Wolverines now turn their attention to their top heavy upcoming week in Big Ten action.

They kick off the week hosting No. 6 Indiana at Crisler tonight at 8:15 p.m. on BTN. Then they’ll spend the week traveling to Maryland and Minnesota.

This past week, the team traveled to Piscataway to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Wolverines made some history after crushing them, 81-58. Forward Emily Kiser led the Wolverines with 25 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the floor and pulling in four rebounds. Guard Laila Phelia had 23 points, six rebounds and two steals. Guard Leigha Brown was also huge for the Wolverines, scoring 13 points and dishing out 10 assists for a double-double, her third this season.

Rutgers played close in the first quarter, but never led at any point. The Wolverines shot 50 percent from the floor and 41 percent from beyond the arc. Rutgers couldn’t keep up, shooting 37 percent from the field and 26 percent from three. While it came up with 13 steals, 20 Rutgers turnovers didn’t help.

Michigan really put the game away shooting 18-of-19 from the line, even with a low scoring fourth quarter for the Maize and Blue. Michigan’s 23-point win over the Scarlet Knights was its first win ever as a program in Piscataway.

Next up for the Wolverines is a huge home game tonight against Indiana. The Hoosiers are currently second in conference with a 7-1 record in Big Ten play and a 17-1 record overall. Their lone loss came on the road against the Michigan State Spartans. Since then, they have been on a five-game winning streak.

The Hoosiers are led by forward Mackenzie Holmes, who averages 21.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Her 68 percent shooting from the floor leads the team. She’s aided by guard Yarden Garzon, who averages 12.4 points and 3.6 assists, while shooting a team-high 49 percent from three. Guard Sydney Parrish averages 12.3 while leading the team in steals, averaging two a game.

Michigan will then travel to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins Thursday evening. They sit just above the Wolverines in the conference, with a 7-2 record in Big Ten play and a 16-4 record overall. They’re on a three-game winning streak after falling to Indiana on the road two weeks ago. Most recently, they took a game back from Nebraska on the road after dropping a disappointing loss to the Cornhuskers earlier in the season.

Maryland is led by guard Diamond Miller, who averages 18.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. Guard Shyanne Sellers averages 14.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals a game while shooting a team-best 50 percent from the floor. Guard Abby Meyers puts up 13.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game as well.

Michigan rounds out the week on the road at Minnesota Sunday afternoon. This is a contest that will likely mimic this past week’s game against Rutgers. The Golden Gophers are 2-7 in conference play and sit at 9-11 overall. They’ve dropped four out of their past five, with their most recent loss on the road to Purdue, a team that Michigan took care of handedly.