It’s time for Michigan women’s basketball to open its March Madness run against Holy Cross at Crisler Center.
Michigan listens to Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Unwritten’ during warmup
Michigan basketball listens to Natasha Bedingfield’s hit song “Unwritten” during its warmups for March Madness on Wednesday, March 18, in Buffalo, New York.
March Madness is coming to Ann Arbor.
Michigan basketball is hosting the first two rounds of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Tournament, including the 2-seed Wolverines’ first-round matchup against 15-seed Holy Cross on Friday, March 20, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Michigan is fresh off a third-place finish in the Big Ten, having gone 25-6 in the regular season, including a 15-3 record in league play. The Wolverines lost in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals against Iowa, 59-42. Michigan has appeared in every NCAA women’s tournament since the 2017-18 season.
Watch NCAA Women’s Tournament on Fubo
Holy Cross, meanwhile, is coming off a 23-9 regular season that includes a 14-4 record in Patriot League conference play. The Crusaders defeated Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament final, 77-70, to seal an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament. For Holy Cross, 2026 marks the program’s 15th tournament appearance and third bid in four years.
Here’s what you need to know about the first-round matchup, plus live updates from the game:
Michigan women’s basketball live updates vs Holy Cross in March Madness
Stifling defense gives Michigan big lead after 1
END Q1: Michigan 27, Holy Cross 6.
After one, it was all Michigan at Crisler Center.
Holy Cross struggled to find any semblance of offensive flow in the first quarter. They got occasional flashes, like a slick nine-foot turnaround from junior guard Janie Bachmann to make the score 12-4, but were mostly stifled by Michigan’s pressure. Defensively, Michigan would pick up Holy Cross guards from full court.
The Wolverines also created fast break opportunities, denying entry passes and forcing Holy Cross turnovers to lead to easy buckets. A Mila Holloway triple capped a near-perfect opening 10 minutes for Michigan. Holloway led all scorers through one with seven points.
Quick start for Michigan
Q1, 8:12: Michigan 8, Holy Cross 0.
The Wolverines found offensive success inside early. After opening the scoring through a Mila Holloway jumper, Michigan went to the rim to get their next three buckets, including a pair from junior forward Ashley Sofalkanich.
Holy Cross called a timeout less than two minutes into the game. The 15-seed Crusaders entered the NCAA Women’s Tournament boasting a top-20 scoring defense, but have struggled early on both ends dealing with Michigan’s size.
Michigan starting five
- G Mila Holloway.
- G Syla Swords.
- G Brooke Quarles Daniels,
- G Olivia Olson.
- F Ashley Sofilkanich.
Holy Cross starting five
- G Meg Cahalan.
- G Kaitlyn Flanagan.
- G Simone Foreman.
- G Kendall Eddy.
- G Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly.
Michigan women’s basketball vs Holy Cross game time in March Madness
- Date: Friday, March 20.
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET.
- Location: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor.
Michigan women’s basketball March Madness TV channel
- Tipoff: 5:30 p.m. ET.
- Channel: ESPN2.
- Streaming: Fubo.
Michigan’s first-round matchup against Holy Cross can be watched and streamed on Fubo, which carries ESPN channels.
Watch Michigan-Holy Cross women in March Madness on Fubo
NCAA women’s tournament Final Four location
- Dates: April 3, 5.
- Location: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at [email protected].
