SEATTLE, Wash. — The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan women’s basketball team closed within five points in the final 1:08 after trailing by as many as 20, but could not complete the comeback in a 64-52 loss to Washington on Thursday (Jan. 1) at Alaska Airlines Arena.<\/p>\n
U-M scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and held Washington scoreless for nearly five minutes to pull within 11, 51-40, after an Ashley Sofilkanich<\/a> layup before the Huskies finally broke through with a triple at the 5:10 mark.<\/p>\n The Wolverines’ run continued, as Syla Swords<\/a> connected on a triple and Mila Holloway<\/a> turned a Washington shot-clock violation into two points with a layup. After a Husky free throw pushed the lead back to 12, 57-45, with 2:36 remaining, Kendall Dudley<\/a> and Olivia Olson<\/a> cashed in on back-to-back steals to bring Michigan within eight, 57-49, with 1:17 to go.<\/p>\n Olson recorded another steal and turned it into a three-point play, hitting a hanging jumper in the lane and the ensuing free throw to cut the deficit to 57-52 at the 1:08 mark. Michigan got no closer, as Washington answered with a layup on the next possession and went 5-for-6 at the line in the final minute.<\/p>\n Swords led U-M with 15 points and five rebounds, while Olson added 12. Holloway scored seven and Sofilkanich chipped in six. Michigan struggled offensively, shooting 33.3 percent (20-for-60) from the floor and 21.4 percent (3-for-14) from three-point range. The Wolverines forced 23 Washington turnovers that resulted in 27 points, but the Huskies held a 43-27 advantage on the boards.<\/p>\n Michigan weathered a slow start, responding with a 9-0 run after falling behind 8-0 to take a 9-8 lead with 1:53 left in the first quarter. The run featured four free throws from Holloway, one from Dudley, and layups from Olson and Te’Yala Delfosse<\/a>.<\/p>\n Swords beat the buzzer on the final possession of the quarter, bringing U-M within two, 13-11, after the opening 10 minutes.<\/p>\n Washington used a 7-0 run over 52 seconds to push its lead to double figures for the first time, 25-15, forcing a Michigan timeout with 2:35 left in the second quarter. The run continued after the break as Washington extended its lead to 29-15 before a Dudley layup with just over a minute left halted the surge.<\/p>\n UW took a 31-18 lead into the locker room, doubling Michigan up on the glass, 24-12, and holding U-M to just 21.4 percent shooting (6-for-28).<\/p>\n