Michigan basketball advances in NCAA Tournament with dominant home victory

ANN ARBOR – In its first home NCAA Tournament game since 2022, No. 9 Michigan handled business with ease. Michigan, a program-best No. 2 seed, jumped on 15 seed Holy Cross early and rolled to an 83-48 victory at Crisler Center on Friday. It will host the winner of No. 7 seed NC State and No. 10 seed Tennessee on Sunday in a second-round matchup. Michigan’s offense, which ranks ninth nationally at 83.6 points per game, overpowered a stingy Holy Cross defense that allows just 56.8 points per game (19th nationally). The Wolverines (26-6) shot 47 percent from the field and held a significant advantage in rebounding (43-28) against a Holy Cross team that has just two players 6-feet or taller. Their press also created problems for the Crusaders, forcing 12 first-half turnovers and converting them into 12 points. With 13 days off since its last game — a 59-42 loss to Iowa in the Big Ten semifinals — the Wolverines emphasized sharpening their own play before the tournament. They wasted no time asserting themselves, scoring the game’s first 10 points. Michigan held Holy Cross scoreless for the first 3:59 and built a commanding 27-6 lead after the first quarter. Bucknell transfer Ashley Sofilkanich, the 2025 Patriot League Player of the Year, is familiar with Holy Cross after competing in the same conference the past two seasons. The 6-foot-3 junior forward, who was high school teammates with two Crusaders players, scored a pair of early baskets in the paint to spark Michigan. Michigan’s do-it-all point guard Mila Holloway finished with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including five made triples. She also had a team-high eight rebounds and eight assists. Sophomore guard Syla Swords, an all-Big Ten first-team honoree, went 5-for-7 from the field and added 13 points. Sophomore Olivia Olson, Michigan’s second Associated Press All-American in program history, contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Senior Brooke Quarles Daniels (12 points) and sophomore Te’Yala Delfosse also scored in double figures. The Wolverines improved to 15-1 at Crisler this season and are looking to build off their best regular season in program history. Their deepest run in the NCAA Tournament came in 2022, the last time they hosted first- and second-round games as a No. 3 seed.