The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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women's basketball 60‑52 in a first-round matchup. It was a huge step for the Wolverines, marking just the third time in program history that Michigan had advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament (1990 and 2001). In the last two years, the Wolverines have won 20 and 22 games, respectively, tying a program record for wins in a season this year. It's the first time Michigan has ever enjoyed back-to-back 20win seasons. In the first 38 years of the program (19732011), the Wolverines compiled a dismal 430602 overall record (.417 winning percentage). In Big Ten play, the Wolverines went 147-347 (.314). In those 38 years, Michigan went to just four NCAA Tournaments (1990, 1998, 2000 and 2001). But the seeds of change have been planted — started by former head coach Kevin Borseth and continued by first-year head coach Kim Barnes Arico. The Wolverines finished 8‑8 in Big Ten play last year, and 9‑7 this year. Before 2012, Michigan had finished .500 or better in conference play just nine times. Another trip to the NCAA Tournament was expected — the win over Villanova was the culmination of the program's rebirth. "It's really exciting for us," Barnes Arico said. "It's truly an honor and a privilege to make it to the NCAA Tournament, but once we did that, we really wanted to advance. We didn't want to be satisfied with getting here. This is a special group, and they want to do something that hasn't been done at Michigan in a long time. "They did a great job. Every time Villanova made a run, we stopped it. Multiple people stepped up on multiple occasions. It was a great win for our program." Senior forward Rachel Sheffer led the way with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. "Rachel was really effective inside," Barnes Arico said. "She finished strong, and she rebounded like crazy on defense. Late in the game, they started to collapse on her, and we found some open shots outside. It was a great team effort." F o u r Wo l v e r i n e s finished in double figures: senior guard Kate Thompson (17), Sheffer (16), senior guard Jenny Ryan (13) and senior forward Nya Jordan (12). But the win was a long time coming. Elmblad said she started to notice a difference in the team almost immediately, when Barnes Arico first stepped on campus last spring. "I think a big difference is the way we compete," Elmblad said. "We want to win everything, whether it be a drill, a practice or a game. The culture that Coach brought in, it's just about competing. We want to bring our best effort to everything we do." Unfortunately, the Wolverines' season ended two days later,