Michigan had been knocking on the door for years in these early-season heavyweight matchups. On Thursday, the Wolverines finally kicked it in.
Facing No. 2 UConn, Michigan delivered the kind of win that had been building through the last three seasons of brutal non-conference tests, taking a lead into halftime and finishing off a 77-66 victory in Ann Arbor. For Kim Barnes Arico’s group, it was the breakthrough result that had eluded them in previous tries against the sport’s best.
“I just think it was a tremendous win for our program,” Kim Barnes Arico said. “Obviously, it’s super early in the season, so it’s not as if we won the national championship. But we had one of the best teams in college basketball come to Ann Arbor, and we were able to get that victory.”
Michigan has made a habit of opening itself up to elite competition. Two seasons ago, the Wolverines started against then-No.
1 South Carolina and stayed right with the Gamecocks despite a roster built mostly around freshmen. Michigan even carried a halftime lead before falling 68-62, but the performance made a clear statement.
The next year brought another early measuring stick, this time against then-No. 1 UConn.
The Huskies jumped out to a 23-4 lead in the first quarter and appeared to have the game in hand, but Michigan kept swinging after the break. Syla Swords sparked a 3-point barrage that gave the Wolverines a chance to tie on the final possession, though they came up short at the buzzer.
This time, there was no missed opportunity. Michigan handled the game on its own terms, turned that early-season test into a win, and finally got the result it had been chasing in one of these showcase games.
“It’s why we came here,” Te’Yala Delfosse said of playing elite competition. “We had belief in the program, and we wanted to help build it to take it places it hasn’t been.
And it’s a credit to the people who came before us, who we committed to play because we watched them. And I just think it’s the overall culture of hard work and consistency every day.”
“We were bound to get one,” Olson said with a chuckle.
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Michigan State Faces One Last Chance To Flip This Rivalry Mood
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For the Spartans, the timing could hardly be more delicate. They have dropped six straight and are still sorting through the status of their starting quarterback because of injury, which leaves a lot riding on how they respond in a game that means more than the standings suggest. Both programs and both coaches know the rivalry can reset a seasons conversation in a hurry, and Michigan State still has one last chance to change the tone before this one is over. [Read more 🡒]