Michigan
Rutgers
Wolverines to Wrap Road Swing With Trip to Rutgers
1/19/2024 2:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team (12-6, 3-3 Big Ten) completes a two-game road swing on Sunday (Jan. 21), heading east to face Rutgers (6-14, 0-7 Big Ten) at Jersey Mike's Arena. Tip is set for 2 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on B1G+.
Notes
• The game marks somewhat of a homecoming for Lauren Hansen, who hails from Long Island and played her high school basketball at Ward Melville High School. With her first four seasons of college basketball spent in the SEC, the closest she has gotten before was a holiday tournament at Lehigh (Bethlehem, Pa.). She recorded a career-best 34 points, hitting nine three-pointers, at Lehigh on Nov. 28, 2021.
• After not playing at Rutgers since the 2019-20 season, Michigan is headed to Piscataway, N.J., for the second straight season. U-M recorded the first win at Rutgers in program history last season, recording an 81-58 victory. Michigan and Rutgers are facing off in a home-and-home series for the second straight season, with U-M taking both games against the Scarlet Knights last season.
• Michigan is looking for a bounce back after dropping a road contest at Nebraska last time out (Jan. 17). U-M is 4-1 following a loss this season, most recently getting a 76-52 win over Wisconsin (Jan. 13) after falling to Minnesota (Jan. 9).
• Each team features a current WNBA player on the bench in Ariel Atkins and Kahleah Copper of Rutgers. Atkins, who serves as an assistant coach for player development at Michigan, plays for the Washington Mystics, with Copper (Chicago Sky) serving as the director of athletic culture and professional development for Rutgers. Atkins and Copper also have played together with USA Basketball.
• The Wolverines are first in the Big Ten in scoring defense at 58.3 points per game, while Rutgers comes in at No. 13 (72.2 ppg).Â
• Michigan has been led in scoring nine times by Laila Phelia this season and five times by Hansen, with six other Wolverines taking scoring honors once. Chyra Evans (tied Phelia against EMU), Cameron Williams, Taylor Williams, Alyssa Crockett, Jordan Hobbs and Elissa Brett have all led Michigan in scoring during a game at different points in the season.
• It has been a simple equation for Michigan this season -- scoring leads to winning. U-M is averaging just 54.7 points per game in its six losses, down from its season average of 70.3 points per game. Michigan has also allowed 72.5 points per game in its six defeats, up from its season average of 58.3 points per game. In wins, U-M is up to 78.1 points per game while allowing just 51.2.
