Michigan to Kick Off Homestand With Minnesota

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• Bucket Hat Giveaway (first 500 fans)

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Following a successful rollout at Michigan Stadium this fall, a new Weapons Detection System has been implemented at Crisler Center. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to ensure a smooth entry into Crisler.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team (11-4, 2-1 Big Ten) kicks off a two-game homestand on Tuesday (Jan. 9), welcoming Minnesota (11-3, 1-2 Big Ten) to Crisler Center for the lone game this season between the two teams. The game is set for 8 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

Notes

• There are plenty of connections between these two programs. Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit spent five seasons in Ann Arbor as associate head coach under Kevin Borseth (2007-12) prior to Kim Barnes Arico taking over in 2012. Taylor Woodson and Minnesota's Amaya Battle played together at Hopkins High School, combining for a pair of state titles.

• Michigan has won four straight against Minnesota after capturing a 77-41 win over the Gophers last season in Minneapolis. This is just the fifth meeting between the teams over the last six seasons.

• Michigan is kicking off a two-game homestand against the Gophers. U-M is 7-0 this season at Crisler Center, scoring 80.6 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting while allowing just 49.6 points per game on 34.3 percent shooting to its opponents. The Wolverines have three players in double-figure scoring at Crisler in Laila Phelia (13.7), Lauren Hansen (11.6) and Elissa Brett (11.5) -- the latter two above their season averages. U-M is averaging 9.4 three-pointers per game at home on 42.3 percent shooting.

• Phelia has broken out as Big Ten play has resumed, tallying back-to-back 20-point games. She had her best game of the season against No. 17 Ohio State (Dec. 30), scoring a career-best 26 points. She scored 17 of her points in the second half, including nine in the final period as U-M rallied for the win. Phelia followed that up with 23 points at No. 14 Indiana (Jan. 4), marking her fifth 20-point game of the season. In her junior season with an expanded role, she has scored in double figures in 12 games and leads Michigan in scoring at 15.7 points per game. In conference play, she ranks third in the league at 21 points per game.

• Jordan Hobbs has become a regular starter in her third year in the maize and blue, averaging a career-best nine points and four rebounds per game. She has 135 points on the season, just 13 away from eclipsing last year's total of 147 points (4.9 per game). She is one of three Wolverines to start all 15 games and has even switched positions in the last six games. Hobbs is playing a career-high 25.1 minutes per game, ranking third on the team in that category and rebounding (4.0 rpg).

• It has been a simple equation for Michigan this season -- scoring leads to winning. U-M is averaging just 54.8 points per game in its four losses, down from its season average of 72 points per game. Michigan also has allowed 72.8 points per game in its four defeats, up from its season average of 56.9 points per game. In wins, U-M is up to 78.3 points per game while allowing just 51.1.

• This contest features two of the top three scoring defenses in the Big Ten. U-M comes in at No. 1, yielding just 56.9 points per game. Minnesota is third, allowing just 58.6 points per game. It is the second straight game that U-M will face a defense that allows fewer than 60 points per game, as Indiana is at 57.8 points per game on the defensive end.

• Michigan ranked 11th in the conference last season in three-pointers made, hitting just 5.9 per game on a 33.9 percent clip (fifth). This season, U-M is seventh in the league at 7.5 three-pointers per game on 36.2 percent shooting, good for fourth. U-M has seven games this season with at least eight three-pointers, highlighted by four games in double digits.