Big Ten Recap: Michigan’s Dominance and Indiana’s Resilience
The Wolverines hand Maryland its first home conference loss since 2018 and the Hoosiers struggle to stay healthy
Minus 33.
That’s how far under their seventh-ranked season average for points per game Michigan held Maryland on Sunday afternoon in their 69-49 win.
In our short game preview last week, we said Michigan could beat Maryland if they kept the Terrapins off the offensive glass, if Naz Hillmon and Emily Kiser rebounded well, and if the Wolverines could be the better shooting team, at least overall and from two.
The Wolverines did all three, pretty emphatically, plus more. It was the first time the Terrapins scored less than 50 points since 2012.
Michigan held Maryland to just 10 offensive rebounds, a full 5.4 below their season average. Terrapin sophomore Angel Reese still got hers, pulling down 10 rebounds (right around her season average of 10.7), but no other Maryland player got more than four. For the Wolverines, Hillmon grabbed eight (right around her season number of 8.4/game), Kiser got six, and Danielle Rauch and Maddie Nolan each got five.
Nolan, it has to be said, was the story of the night. In addition to pulling down five rebounds (one more than she averages on the season), she made seven threes. Yes, seven. It’s the 64th time this season a player has made at least seven threes, which doesn’t sound THAT impressive until you consider how many players, or even just guards, have played in a game this season. It’s also just the 29th time this season a player has shot at least 63% from three while taking at least 10 shots from distance.
In addition to Nolan’s 63% shooting from three and 54% shooting overall, Michigan as a team outshot Maryland in every category. Overall, they shot 48%, beating Maryland by 17% and surpassing their own 19th-ranked season mark by 3%. From two, they shot 47%, beating Maryland by 12%. The biggest discrepancy between the two squads, shooting-wise, was from three. The Wolverines shot 50% from beyond the arc, which is to say Maddie Nolan shot 63.6% while the rest of the team shot 33.3%. That 50% number doubled up the Terrapins (who, as we mentioned last week, are the better three-point shooting team on the season).
Michigan followed it up with an 83-44 mauling of Wisconsin that put the Wolverines at 16-2, the best start in program history.
For Maryland, it was a different style but the same outcome in their next game at Ohio State, where the 95-89 final score obscured how much Ohio State controlled the game. Former Terp Taylor Mikesell went 5-5 from three-point range, scoring 33 points while playing the full 40 minutes in handing Maryland its sixth loss of the season and third conference defeat. The Terps managed to cross the 50-point mark in the third quarter and showed more balanced scoring, but the Buckeyes, like Michigan, controlled the tempo. Perhaps the biggest concern for Maryland is Ashley Owusu’s offense; her shooting percentage has dropped from 49% last year to 40% this season. She went 3-15 against Ohio State.
Missing in Action
Indiana had to postpone both of its games this week due to COVID issues, against Michigan State in Bloomington and a trip to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes, and they weren’t working with a full roster anyway. Junior forward Mackenzie Holmes, who has missed the last two games due to a knee injury, won’t be back until late February or early March, Head Coach Teri Moren told BTN. In her absence, the Hoosiers beat Nebraska and outlasted Purdue in overtime, but the prospect of going a month without their leading scorer and rebounder isn’t a comforting thought. To make matters worse, senior guard Ali Patberg injured her ankle against Purdue, although she did play 42 minutes in the game.
To fill the hole left by Holmes, IU has turned to Kiandra Browne, a sophomore who provides rebounding help but doesn’t offer a similar replacement on the offensive end; her career-best scoring output is 12 points last season. Guard Chloe Moore-McNeil started against Purdue in place of Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, who sat out due to COVID protocols, and scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. Moore-McNeil’s development could provide important depth as the season progresses since Indiana’s backcourt has been logging serious minutes.
IU isn’t the only team dealing with postponed games, and between that and injuries, the result could be a conference tournament where the seeding might not accurately represent where teams are by March.
Going for Three
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark had two triple-doubles in the past week, bringing her season total to four. Six of the 18 triple-doubles this season are from Big Ten players. Speaking of 3s, Penn State picked up its third conference win of the season with a hard-fought 63-59 victory over Northwestern. The Nittany Lions scored 21 points in the final period to keep the Wildcats at bay.
Games To Watch
Wish there were more of them, but maybe February?
Northwestern at Maryland (Sunday, Jan. 23)
HHS Prediction: Maryland 81 - Northwestern 65 (Maryland with a 88% chance to win)
Maryland really needs this win after dropping two in a row, while a win by Northwestern would be a big boost in the conference rankings. If the Wildcats can control the pace and frustrate the Terps with their defense it’s not out of the question.
Michigan at Ohio State (Thursday, Jan. 27)
HHS Prediction: Ohio State 74 - Michigan 73 (Ohio State with a 53% chance to win)
A matchup of two teams playing well, and it’s a rivalry game? Count us in. How Ohio State handles Michigan’s physical perimeter defense and how the Buckeyes try to contain Naz Hillmon and Emily Kiser inside are two of the big questions in this contest. Michigan soundly beat Ohio State on New Year’s Eve.
Iowa at Northwestern (Thursday, Jan. 27)
HHS Prediction: Iowa 75 - Northwestern 70 (Iowa with a 66% chance to win)
The Hawkeyes will be looking to avenge their 77-69 loss to the Wildcats at home on Jan. 6, when both teams shot 41% from the floor. If Iowa can run that will help, but Northwestern won’t make it easy. Figure another stat-lovers game when Clark and Veronica Burton face off.