Wolverines to Return Home to 'Crash Crisler'

» Michigan will kick off a two-game homestand on Sunday (Jan. 27), when they host Michigan State in the annual "Crash Crisler" game. It is the first of two meetings between the rivals this season.
» U-M will face its eighth ranked team of the season and will seek its third victory over a top-25 team.
» Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance of Sunday's game, show up early and wear maize. Parking around Crisler Center is open and free, along with Pioneer High School. Doors to Crisler Center will open at 12:30 p.m.

THIS WEEK
Sunday, Jan. 27 -- vs. No. 23 Michigan State (Crisler Center), 2 p.m.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team (12-8, 3-5 Big Ten) returns home to host No. 23-ranked Michigan State (14-5, 4-4 Big Ten) on Sunday (Jan. 27) at Crisler Center in its annual "Crash Crisler" contest. The game is set for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

• Michigan will be back at home for its fourth conference game of the season when it hosts Michigan State in the first of two games between the rivals. U-M is 8-0 at Crisler Center this season, most recently rallying for a 62-58 win over Ohio State last Sunday (Jan. 20). U-M is averaging 78.6 points per game at Crisler, while allowing 52.2 points per contest.

• Last year, Michigan and Michigan State split their season series as both teams won at home. The Wolverines came away with a 74-48 win over the Spartans at Crisler Center (Jan 23, 2018) before MSU countered with a 66-61 victory at the Breslin Center (Feb. 11, 2018). Michigan's 26-point victory in Ann Arbor was the largest margin of victory for the Wolverines in the series. Michigan and Michigan State have faced off against each other 13 times since 2012-13, the most frequent opponent for U-M during that stretch. The teams have met at least twice in all but one of the last six seasons, including two seasons (2012-13, 2014-15) with three games between the rivals.

• Senior Hallie Thome tied a career high with five blocks at Indiana on Thursday (Jan. 24), pushing her career total to 187. She is second all-time at Michigan and with 13 more rejections, will become just the second player in school history to total 200 career blocks.

• Junior Kayla Robbins has a connection to Michigan State as her father, Kevin, played football at MSU from 1987-88. He was a third-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, going No. 75 overall to the Los Angeles Rams.

• A large crowd is expected for Sunday's game in the annual "Crash Crisler" contest. It is U-M's third "Crash Crisler" game, with the first played in 2017 against MSU resulting in the first sellout in program history (12,707). In last season's "Crash Crisler" game against Ohio State, U-M welcomed a crowd of 8,313 for the second-largest crowd in program history.

• Freshman Naz Hillmon has found consistency over the last three games, reaching double figures in scoring each game en route to averaging 17.3 points per game on 71.4 percent shooting. Hillmon scored 16 points at Iowa (Jan. 17) before putting up 20 points in U-M's come-from-behind win against Ohio State (Jan. 20). She followed that up with 20 points at Indiana (Jan. 24). On the season, Hillmon is second both nationally and in the Big Ten to Megan Gustafson in field-goal percentage (.704). Hillmon and Gustafson are the only two players in the country to be shooting at least 70 percent from the floor.

• Michigan State (14-5, 4-4 Big Ten) is coming off a 77-60 win over Illinois on Thursday (Jan. 24) at home. The Spartans are averaging 79.4 points per game on 46.5 percent shooting while allowing 65.6 points per contest on 40.7 percent shooting. MSU has five players scoring in double figures in Jenna Allen (14.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Shay Colley (13.3 ppg), Nia Clouden (11.4 ppg), Taryn McCutcheon (10.7 ppg) and Sidney Cooks (10.1 ppg). U-M and MSU split the season series last year.