Michigan
Northwestern
Wolverine Cagers Romp to 83-41 Win over Northwestern
1/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team earned head coach Sue Guevara her 41st career Big Ten Conference win with a 83-41 decision over Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Guevara's 41 Big Ten victories matches the school record set by Bud VanDeWege (1984-92). Five Wolverines scored in double figures, led by 16 from sophomore center LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) as Michigan jumped out to a huge early lead and never looked back.
Michigan (10-7, 3-4 Big Ten) scored the first six points of the game, aided by a pair of mid-range jumpers from senior Anne Thorius (Horsholm, Denmark/Rungsted Gymnasium), whom Guevara moved to small forward in part due to an injury to Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS) and to give Michigan another scoring threat on the wing. Michigan's next 11 points came from its starting post duo of LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) and Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./DeWitt HS) as the Wolverines pushed their lead into double digits.
Following back-to-back triples from Alayne Ingram (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS), the Wolverines pushed their lead to 17 (25-8) with over 10 minutes remaining in the first stanza. Michigan continued to expand its lead thanks to seven straight points from sophomore Infini Robinson (Detroit, Mich./Oak Park HS), including a trifecta. The Wolverines' lead reached a first-half high of 24 at 40-16 following a turnaround jumper in the paint from Smith.
A runner in the lane by Ingram closed the Wolverines' first-half scoring and sent Michigan to the locker room with a 44-23 advantage. Michigan's 44 first-half points are a season best as the Wolverines were paced by 10 points from Ingram, nine from Smith and eight from Bies. The Maize and Blue also shot .583 (14-24) from the field and a perfect 13-13 from the charity stripe in the first half.
Michigan opened up the second half much like they started the game as the Wolverines scored the first six points of the stanza on a triple from Thorius and a conventional three-point play from Bies. Michigan junior Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS) then got in the act and scored nine straight Michigan points, including one from behind the arc, as Michigan pushed its lead to 33 at 61-28.
The Wolverines maintained a lead of around 30 points the remainder of the contest and were able to stretch their lead to over 40 points. The big margin allowed Michigan to use all of its bench as nine of its 10 active players saw the floor for at least 11 minutes. Michigan enjoyed a 39-18 scoring edge over the Wildcats (4-12, 0-6 Big Ten) in the second half to earn the 83-41 victory.
Michigan's three-game stretch of Big Ten road contests continues Sunday (Jan. 21) at Ohio State with a 4 p.m. tipoff in Columbus, Ohio.
N O T E S
-- Sophomore guard Infini Robinson's 12 points are a career high.
-- Sophomore center LeeAnn Bies has now scored in double figures in a Michigan season-best 11 straight games.
-- Michigan's 42-point margin of victory is its season high. The previous high was a 32-point win over New Hampshire on Dec. 1.
-- Heather Oesterle's 15 points matched her season best, which she set in the win over New Hampshire on Dec. 1.
-- Alayne Ingram's two three-pointers moved her into a tie for second on Michigan's career list with 102. Ingram also matched a career high with seven assists.
-- Michigan's 25 team assists are a season best. The previous best of 23 was accomplished in a win over Western Michigan on Dec. 3.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game overall ... "We played well on both ends of the floor. We went with a lot of different combinations because of the injury situation and I thought our kids adjusted well. It was nice to be able to play all of our healthy kids and see what they could do."
On what impressed her most ... "I was pleased to see us maintain our intensity in the second half. We came out with a 21 point lead to start the second half and we stayed focused and executed pretty well."
On Michigan's play in the post ... "Smith and Bies are big kids down on the block and they have the talent to finish down there. They did a nice job in the paint for us tonight."
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
