9-0 start propels Michigan to No. 14 in this week's AP Poll
Miami and Northwestern were the two latest victims of the Michigan women's basketball team, which is off to an unbeaten 9-0 start. The Wolverines have had a fair share of blowouts and tight contests, but Kim Barnes Arico has done a remarkable job of keeping Michigan firmly in the national picture after it lost Naz Hillmon over the offseason.
This week's slate of games against the Hurricanes and Wildcats featured close battles, but Michigan was able to made clutch shots in the closing minutes of each game to extend its winning streak.
Leigha Brown and Emily Kiser put on a show in Miami on Tuesday, as the Wolverines knocked off the Hurricanes in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The two Wolverines combined for 46 points and an exceptional 19-20 from the free throw line.
That win over Miami put Michigan at a perfect 8-0 heading into the Big Ten opener against Northwestern on Sunday.
The Wolverines struggled early on against the Wildcats, as they put together arguably their worst quarter of the season. Barnes Arico's squad tallied just 13 points in the opening quarter.
Michigan's defense kept Northwestern from taking a commanding lead, and the Wolverines carried a two-point lead going into halftime. The scoring troubles were left in the locker room, though.
After scoring just 28 points in the first half, Michigan scored 23 points in the third quarter, and it added 26 more in the fourth quarter to put away Northwestern. The win gave Michigan a 9-0 start for just the second time in program history.
The Wolverines will host Toledo on Thursday at 7 p.m. before the team takes a break for finals. Below is the full AP Poll:
1. South Carolina
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. Indiana
5. Notre Dame
6. UConn
7. Virginia Tech
8. North Carolina
9. NC State
10. Iowa State
11. LSU
12. Arizona
13. UCLA
14. Michigan
15. Utah
16. Iowa
17. Oregon
18. Creighton
19. Baylor
20. Maryland
21. Arkansas
22. Gonzaga
23. Oklahoma
24. Kansas State
25. Villanova
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