No. 5 Michigan downs No. 12 Washington 66-58 to advance in Big Ten tournament

No. 5 seed Michigan women’s basketball beat No. 12 seed Washington Thursday, 66-58, in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. The Huskies were on a five-game winning streak, but the Wolverines have now won seven of their last nine contests. The maize and blue advance to play No. 4 seed Maryland in the quarterfinals Friday (March 7).

Michigan women’s basketball advances to Big Ten tournament quarterfinals

Washington’s Dalayah Daniels led all scorers with ten points in the first-half, but the Wolverines led 29-28 going into the break. The teams were neck-and-neck until Michigan took off midway through the third quarter. The Wolverines were down 39-38 and went on a 19-4 run spanning over nine minutes, ending with them up 57-43 with 7:12 left in the game.

New: Turnovers remain an issue as Michigan basketball falls to Maryland 71-65

Daniels finished with game-highs in points (22) and rebounds (10) to go with four assists.

For a team mostly comprised of freshmen, the Wolverines looked unbothered by the pressure of a conference tournament. Olivia Olson had a team-high 21 points to go with six rebounds. Syla Swords recorded 15 points, four rebounds and three assists. 

Olson said being in this position is everything she ever hoped for.

“It was awesome. I mean, you work your whole childhood for this and I’m living my dream,” Olson told the Big Ten Network after the game. “I love my team and all our hard work throughout the season, now it’s time to shine and show what we’ve been working on.”

With the win, Michigan is set for a rematch with Maryland. The Wolverines fell to the Terps on the road earlier this season (Feb. 17) 85-77. Olson had 26 points against Maryland the first time around, and she said Michigan needs to be fierce from the tip.

More: Olivia Olson named Big Ten co-freshman of the year, more Wolverines honored

“… We need to go out and punch right away against Maryland,” Olson said. “We played them close a couple weeks ago and let a lead (get away), so we need to stay high with our intensity the whole time and run in transition and play defense.”

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms