Wolverines Return Home for Pink Game Against No. 15 Ohio State

» Michigan faces its second-straight ranked opponent, closing out the season series against No. 15 Ohio State.
» U-M is looking to snap a three-game skid against Ohio State. Each of the last 10 games between the two rivals has been decided by single digits and by a total of 62 points (6.2 ppg).
» The game marks Michigan's annual Pink Game. The Wolverines will be wearing pink shoes, pink accessories, and maize uniforms with pink trim.

THIS WEEK
Sunday, Feb. 21 -- vs. #15 Ohio State (Crisler Center), 2 p.m.
TV: ESPN2 | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team (12-2, 7-2 B1G) returns home for its annual Pink Game, with the Wolverines hosting No. 15-ranked Ohio State (13-3, 9-3 B1G) Sunday afternoon (Feb. 21) at 2 p.m. The game can be seen live on ESPN2. Michigan will be wearing pink shoes, pink accessories, and maize uniforms with pink trim.

Hail From Home

Game days may look different this season, but the tradition of cheering on Michigan women's basketball continues. Hail From Home is our way to virtually bring the excitement of game day to fans. Throughout the season, fans can look forward to a variety of digital engagements including a game day check-in with monthly prizes, fan cutouts at Crisler Center, game day playlists, Crisler scoreboard messages, special theme games, and more. » Hail From Home

Wolverine Notes

• Michigan and Ohio State have played some close games since the 2009-10 season. Only two of the last 20 games between Ohio State and Michigan have had a margin larger than 11: a 64-49 U-M win in Columbus on Jan. 5, 2014, and a 64-51 Michigan win at Crisler on Dec. 30, 2010. The last 10 games between the two rivals have each been decided by single digits and by a total of 62 points (6.2 points per game). Michigan has four wins over Ohio State since Kim Barnes Arico took over in 2012-13, accounting for 30 percent of U-M's 13 all-time wins against the Buckeyes.

• Michigan is out to break a three-game losing streak to Ohio State, with the last three OSU wins coming on the road or at a neutral site. Michigan's last win against Ohio State came during OSU's last trip to Ann Arbor, a 62-58 come-from-behind win for the Wolverines on Jan. 20, 2019. In that game, the Wolverines were down 12 points with eight minutes to go before rallying for the win. Then-freshman Naz Hillmon scored with seven seconds remaining to give U-M a two-point lead, and Nicole Munger sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 1.5 ticks left. Hillmon scored 20 off the bench to lead Michigan. In four career games against Ohio State, Hillmon is averaging 29.0 points per game on 66.2 percent shooting to go with 13.8 rebounds per game.

• Junior Naz Hillmon is making her case for All-America honors during her third season in Ann Arbor. She is third nationally in scoring (25.9 ppg), 12th in rebounding (11.6), second in field goal percentage (.648) and 16th in double-doubles (10). She has scored at least 18 points in all but one game, including a 50-point game (at Ohio State, Jan. 21) and two 35-point games. She has topped the 30-point mark four times this season, most recently turning in an efficient 31 points on 12-for-14 shooting against Michigan State (Feb. 16). Hillmon is up to 1,367 career points to rank 13th in program history, with her 678 rebounds ranking 15th.

• Michigan has been effective on the glass, outrebounding its opponents in all but two games this season. U-M is fourth nationally and leads the Big Ten in rebounding margin at +14.0. U-M also leads the conference in rebounding offense (44.3) and rebounding defense (30.3). Michigan has grabbed at least 50 rebounds in three games this season. U-M has three players averaging at least five boards a game in Big Ten-leading Naz Hillmon (11.7 rpg), Amy Dilk (5.2 rpg) and Akienreh Johnson (6.4 rpg). In addition, Maddie Nolan (4.3 rpg) and Hailey Brown (4.4 rpg) are hovering near the five-board mark.

• No. 15 Ohio State (13-3, 9-3 B1G) picked up a 100-85 win over Purdue last time out (Thursday, Feb. 19), reaching the 100-point mark for the third time this season. OSU is averaging 83.3 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting while giving up 68.7 points per game on 39.7 percent shooting. The Buckeyes have five players scoring in double figures in Jacy Sheldon (16.5 ppg), Dorka Juhasz (15.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg), Madison Greene (13.4 ppg), Aaliyah Patty (12.0 ppg) and Braxtin Miller (11.3 ppg). OSU has won three straight in the series.

Last Time Against Ohio State

The comeback attempt by the No. 11-ranked Wolverines team fell short against No. 17 Ohio State as U-M was defeated, 81-77, for its first loss in the 2020-21 campaign Jan. 21 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Junior Naz Hillmon broke the Michigan basketball scoring record, netting a career-high 50 points, and became just the second player in Michigan women's basketball history to score more than 40 points, joining the company of Diane Dietz, who accomplished the feat Feb. 27, 1982, with the previous program-best 45 points.

U-M, playing without Leigha Brown, opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to come within one of the Buckeyes, 66-65, with 4:55 left to play after trailing by as many as 16 in the contest. Hillmon knotted the score at 67, grabbing an offensive board and scoring on the putback with 4:05 left. The junior broke the U-M women's basketball scoring record on the next possession, pulling down her 10th offensive board and scoring to put Michigan up, 69-67, with 2:55 remaining. The lead changed hands six times in the final three minutes with OSU outlasting the Wolverines for the win.

Up Next

Thursday, Feb. 25 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), Time TBA