Michigan Rides Fast Start To Defeat Rutgers

After their comeback came up just short Monday against No. 5 Vanderbilt, the Wolverines started Thursday's matchup against Rutgers with something to prove.

Utilizing an explosive first quarter, the No. 7 Michigan women's basketball team (16-3 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) coasted to a 94-60 win over Rutgers (9-10, 1-7).

The Wolverines' sophomore trio of guard Syla Swords, guard Mila Holloway, and forward Olivia Olson led the way in the contest. Swords finished with 16 points and three assists, while Holloway collected 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Olson scored 16 points along with her five assists, and five rebounds as well.

Rutgers didn't miss a shot until nearly five minutes had elapsed. Strangely, Michigan already had a 14-7 lead. While the Scarlet Knights were making the shots they put up, they had already amassed six turnovers.

The Wolverines were taking advantage, too. They made 13 of their 18 shots in the first quarter, including a 4-for-5 clip from beyond the arc, helping to open up a sizeable lead despite Rutgers' initial hot shooting.

Everything was coming up maize and blue, and by the end of the first quarter, Michigan boasted a massive 31-13 advantage. Rutgers finished the period with eight turnovers, and the Wolverines flipped those into 11 points. Michigan's offense could do no wrong, and after 10 minutes of play, Rutgers had dug itself quite a hole to climb out of.

Michigan cooled off just a bit into the second quarter, and the Scarlet Knights started to heat up again. Rutgers guard Kaylah Ivey knocked in three straight 3-pointers, but the Wolverines' lead was already so sizeable that it only brought the deficit down to 14 at 36-22.

The scoring was well down compared to the first quarter, with both squads combining for 23 total points in the second. But the Wolverines held onto their early lead, and they entered halftime with a comfortable 43-24 lead.

Both teams found their offensive rhythm again out of the break, as the Scarlet Knights made four of their first six shots, and Holloway hit two 3-pointers. The squads were playing each other relatively even, but if Rutgers wanted to climb out of its hole, it needed to do much more than play even. But time was wearing on, and the Wolverines held strong, carrying a 57-34 lead halfway through the third quarter.

And as the third quarter continued to dwindle, it became clearer that Rutgers was simply not going to be able to mount the massive comeback. Michigan continually got to the free-throw line, and they made their shots. So, by the time the third quarter came to a close, the Wolverines held a massive 30-point cushion, 69-39.

Rutgers showed signs of life with a 7-0 run near the start of the fourth quarter, but Michigan shut that down rather quickly, responding immediately with a 7-0 run of its own. If the game wasn't sealed before, it certainly was then.

As time ran out on the game clock, Michigan picked up a bounce back win. The Wolverines did a lot of their work in the first quarter, but they put together a complete 40 minutes on their way to the 34-point victory.