Gophers women’s basketball team slips in fourth quarter, falls to Michigan

This was a bigger stage.

The Gophers women’s basketball team was playing in Williams Arena on Wednesday as a ranked team for the first time this season. The 23rd-ranked Gophers were hosting No. 24 Michigan, the first time in five years both teams on the arena’s elevated floor were ranked.

And there just wasn’t enough offense for the Gophers over the final 10 minutes.

Minnesota took a 54-53 lead into the fourth quarter but was outscored 17-11 down the stretch in a 70-65 loss to the Wolverines, who won their fourth consecutive game.

“I thought we had some opportunities in the third and fourth [quarters] around the rim,” Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit said.

But the Gophers (17-3 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) struggled to finish against Michigan’s physical defense, making only nine of 33 second-half shots and just four of 15 in the fourth quarter. Led by their dynamic trio of freshmen — Minnesota’s own Olivia Olson with Syla Swords and Mila Holloway — Michigan opened the fourth quarter on a 14-6 run to go up seven and held on for the victory.

“I think we showed when we really do lock in and play hard, we can hang around,” said Gophers point guard Amaya Battle, who led all scorers with a season-high 25 points. “But it’s a matter of we have to do it consistently, throughout the entire game.”

Swords and Olson — Olson played at Benilde-St. Margaret’s and had a large contingent of fans at the game — are the only freshman teammates in the nation both averaging more than 15 points a game. Swords hit six of 11 three-pointers Wednesday and scored 23 points, eight in the fourth quarter. Olson scored 19, Holloway 12. The three first-year players accounted for 54 of Michigan’s 70 points.

The Gophers shot only 36.5% and made six of 25 three-pointers. Michigan (14-5, 5-3) shot nearly 47% and went 11-for-24 on threes.

Until the offensive frustrations mounted late, the two teams had traded runs. Taking advantage of some missed assignments, the Wolverines hit 10 of 14 shots and five of eight three-pointers — Swords had three of them — while building a 26-22 lead after a quarter. In the second quarter the Gophers defense locked in, holding Michigan to 2-for-16 shooting. Minnesota ended the half on a 12-2 run, holding the Wolverines scoreless over the final 6:21 of the half.

The Gophers held a 37-33 halftime lead and still led by a point entering the fourth.

Then the shots got tougher.

“I think it was our defense,” said Annika Stewart, who scored 16 points, making three of the Gophers’ six three-pointers. “We know our defense leads into our offense. And I just think we struggled to get quick stops. We weren’t as aggressive, and that led to a slow-paced offense, which is not what we want. Give them credit. They’re a good team and they were solid defensively.”

Swords and Olson combined to score 10 points in Michigan’s 14-6 start to the final quarter.

That included two baskets and a three-pointer by Swords as the Wolverines outscored the Gophers 7-3 over the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. With 5:26 left, Swords hit another three to put Michigan up seven and the Gophers never got closer than four again in front of a crowd of 4,344.

Next the Gophers host a struggling Wisconsin team Sunday, before making a road trip to USC and UCLA and coming home to play Iowa, Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon.

“I think we’re learning, we’re improving,” Plitzuweit said. “We’re entering the toughest stretch of our schedule. Now we have to get recovered and get ready for a really tough matchup.”