Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Runs Into Brick Walseth at Penn State
1/27/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team had no answer for Penn State forward Maren Walseth in an 85-71 loss to the Lady Lions on Thursday (Jan. 27) at the Bryce Jordan Center. Walseth made 15-of-18 from the field and scored an arena-record 35 points as No. 7-ranked Penn State (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten) won its 11th straight home game and maintained its first-place standing in the Big Ten Conference.
Michigan's balanced attack was led by junior Anne Thorius (Horsholm, Denmark/Rungsted Gymnasium), who had team highs of 14 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Alayne Ingram (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS) also scored 14 points as five Wolverines finished in double figures.
After Penn State scored the game's first five points and led 13-9 at the 16:05 mark, freshman LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) capped a 5-0 Michigan run with a three-point play to give the Wolverines their only lead of the game, 14-13 with 15:25 on the clock.
From there, Walseth scored 10 points during a 21-4 Penn State run that ended with a 10-0 streak and made it 34-18 with just under five minutes left in the half. The Wolverines (13-6, 5-3 Big Ten) were able to get back within 10 at the break as senior Alison Miller (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) scored the last two baskets of the half to make it 41-31 at the intermission.
Ingram almost single-handedly boosted the Wolverines back into the game at the start of the second half as she scored 11 points, including three three-pointers, in the first six minutes. Her last trey, at the 14:23 mark, pulled Michigan to within four points, 51-47, but Penn State scored nine unanswered points to regain control.
Down 62-49 with 11:21 left, Michigan made another run to get back within five, 66-61, with 6:46 on the clock. However, Penn State, which shot a season-high 55.9 percent (33-of-59) from the field, once again answered the challenge with six straight points, and the Wolverines got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
The Wolverines, who have played just three of their last 11 games at home, return to Crisler Arena to face Minnesota on Sunday (Jan. 30) at 1 p.m. The game will be televised live by FOX Sports Chicago.
N O T E S
The Michigan-Penn State game broadcast did not air on UMTV (MediaOne channel 22 in Ann Arbor) on Thursday night as orginially planned because the transponder numbers given to the University of Michigan were incorrect. Despite the problem, U-M will try to air more programs in the future.
Michigan allowed a season-high 85 points to Penn State. The Lady Lions' 41 first-half points were the most the Wolverines have allowed in the first half this season.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game ... "We knew Penn State would be tough after their lost to Michigan State (on Jan. 23). I thought they did a nice job against our zone. We didn't have an answer for Maren Walseth."
Contact: Becky Olsen (734) 763-4423
