Michigan
Florida Gulf Coast
Michigan to Open NCAA Tournament Against Florida Gulf Coast
3/18/2021 11:33:00 AM | Women's Basketball
» Michigan enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Riverwalk region, facing off against No. 11 seed Florida Gulf Coast in the first round Sunday (March 21) at 2 p.m. CDT/3 p.m. EDT.
» The Wolverines secured the highest seed in program history with a No. 6 seed after spending the entire season ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.
» It is the second time U-M and FGCU will meet in the postseason after squaring off in the semifinals of the 2016 WNIT.
THIS WEEK
Sunday, March 21 -- vs. #24 Florida Gulf Coast - NCAA Tournament First Round (San Antonio, Texas), 2 p.m. CDT
TV: ESPN2 | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video | NCAA Digital Program
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-seeded and No. 16-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team (14-5) relocates to San Antonio, Texas, for the 2021 NCAA Tournament, facing No. 11 seed and No. 24-ranked Florida Gulf Coast (26-2) in the first round Sunday (March 21) at 2 p.m. CDT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
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
Tweet of the Week
Feels good to be dancing!#goblue #NCAAW pic.twitter.com/0jRLbkvEW4
— Michigan Women's Basketball (@umichwbball) March 16, 2021
Wolverine Notes
• Michigan secured the highest seed in program history, earning the No. 6 seed in the Riverwalk region. It is the ninth NCAA Tournament berth for the Wolverines, including the third straight (2018, 2019, 2021). Four of the nine bids have come under ninth-year head coach Kim Barnes Arico, who is the only coach in program history to lead U-M the tourney four times.
• Head coach Kim Barnes Arico will be making her eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with the first four coming at St. John's (2006, '10, '11, '12). She is 8-7 all-time in the tournament and reached the Sweet 16 in 2012. KBA has led Michigan to the second round in all three prior appearances (2013, '18, '19), tying its best tournament performance.
• U-M has eight players making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in junior Leigha Brown; sophomores Maddie Nolan, Michelle Sidor and Izabel Varejão; along with the freshman class of Meghan Fiso, Whitney Sollom, Elise Stuck and Cameron Williams.
• Senior Hailey Brown and graduate student Akienreh Johnson have now been part of three NCAA Tournament teams at Michigan, joining Anne Thorius (1998-2001) and current U-M Executive Associate Athletic Director Katie (Dykhouse) Fraumann (1998-2001) as Wolverines to make three tourneys in a career.
• U-M will face No. 11 seed and ASUN champion Florida Gulf Coast (26-2) in the first round of the tournament at the UTSA Convocation Center. It is the second time these teams will face each other in postseason action after meeting in the semifinals of the 2016 WNIT. The game will feature two of the top-five scorers in the country in Naz Hillmon (4th, 25.1 ppg) and FGCU's Kierstan Bell (5th, 24.3 ppg).
• Michigan is one of seven Big Ten teams to earn a bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. U-M is joined by No. 2-seed Maryland, No. 4-seed Indiana, No. 5-seed Iowa, No. 6-seed Rutgers, No. 7-seed Northwestern and No. 10-seed Michigan State. The seven teams tie the most the Big Ten has sent to the NCAA Tournament, matching the total in 2012 and 2015.
• Junior Naz Hillmon, the 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year, was named to the Associated Press All-America second team this week, becoming the first Wolverine in program history to earn AP All-America honors. She is 23 points away from recording her second straight and the program's 16th 500-point season. Hillmon also has moved into sole possession of third place in career double-doubles with 32. [ 2020-21 U-M National Honors ]
• Michigan features a trio of double-figure scorers in Naz Hillmon (25.1 ppg), Leigha Brown (16.9 ppg) and Akienreh Johnson (10.8 ppg).
• The game between Michigan and Florida Gulf Coast will see two contrasting styles meet. FGCU has made more three-pointers (334) than the Wolverines have attempted (325). Michigan holds the advantage on the glass, outrebounding its opponents by 11.6 boards per game with the Eagles at -0.6 on the glass.
About Florida Gulf Coast
• Florida Gulf Coast (26-2) has won 25 straight entering the NCAA Tournament, running through its conference season with a perfect 16-0 mark and winning the ASUN Tournament with an 84-62 win over Liberty in the championship game. FGCU is averaging 82.1 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting while allowing 58.6 points per game on 37.7 percent shooting. The Eagles average 35.8 three-point field goal attempts per game, making 11.9 per game at a 33.4 percent clip.
• FGCU has two double-figure scorers in Kierstan Bell (24.3 ppg) and Tishara Morehouse (17.7 ppg), with two others chipping in at least nine points per game.
• Michigan squared off against both Kierstan Bell (Ohio State) and Aaliyah Stanley (Eastern Michigan) last season, as both are in their first season at Florida Gulf Coast.
• This is Michigan's second game in program history against the Eagles, as the two teams faced off in the semifinals of the 2016 WNIT on March 31, 2016. FGCU recorded a 71-62 win in Fort Myers, Fla.
Up Next
If the Wolverines advance to the second round, they will face the winner of the contest between No. 3 seed Tennessee and No. 14 seed Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday (March 23).
