Michigan
Ohio State
Late Drought Dooms Wolverines Against Ohio State
1/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team (No. 22 AP, No. 20 USA Today/ESPN) saw its Big Ten struggles continue with a 77-66 loss to Ohio State on Thursday (Jan. 10) at Crisler Arena. After trading leads throughout the game the Buckeyes (9-7, 4-1 Big Ten) closed the game on an 18-4 run to secure their fourth straight win. Michigan (11-5, 1-4 Big Ten) was paced by senior guard Alayne Ingram's (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS) 17 points and 16 points from sophomore forward Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS).
The two teams struggled shooting in the first half, with both squads shooting below 50 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes. The first two minutes of the contest went scoreless and served as a sign of things to come as Michigan and Ohio State had a difficult time establishing offensive continuity in the first half.
Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./Dewitt HS) asserted herself after scoring the first two points of the game at 17:30. She scored Michigan's next four points before being relieved because of foul trouble. When Smith sat the Wolverines fell into a lull, managing only 10 points through the first seven minutes. Tabitha Pool (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) rescued the Maize and Blue with a three-pointer from the corner to take a 13-10 lead at 13:00. Pool's basket helped Michigan find some offensive rhythm as it spurted to a 7-2 run for a 17-12 lead.
The Wolverines seemed poised to take a substantial lead as the Buckeyes struggled, committing two turnovers during the run, but a media timeout allowed OSU coach Beth Burns to regroup her players. Back-to-back baskets by D'Wan Shackleford sandwiched around a Maize and Blue turnover thrust Ohio State back into the game. An off-balance basket by Lauren Shenk gave the Buckeyes an 18-17 lead.
Ingram answered Shenk's basket with a three-pointer from the top of the arc for a 20-18 lead. Over the next nine minutes of the first half the two teams would change leads six times. The Buckeyes relied primarily on baskets from Shackleford and Shenk, who scored 10 points apiece in the first half.
Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS) stole a pass and began a breakaway before dropping a no-look pass off to her left to Susana Jara (Quito, Ecuador/Tustin HS, Calif.), who made the layup for a 33-30 lead. LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS), who was held to a season-low five points in the game, split a pair of free throws to tie the score at 34-34 entering the half.
The Buckeyes, who only shot 33 percent from three-point range in the first half reversed that trend, making six of 10 in the second half. Ashley Allen and Reynolds made back-to-back three pointers for a 46-40 lead at 17:34 of the second half. Another Allen three gave Ohio State a 49-42 lead that could have defeated the Wolverines mentally, but to their credit they battled back. Ingram hit a deep three, then found Gandy for a slashing layup to close the gap to 49-47.
The Wolverines struggled taking care of the ball, turning it over seven times in the second half and 17 overall for the game. Katrina Mason (Detroit, Mich./Murray-Wright HS) grabbed a defensive board but inadvertently passed it to Ohio State's Shackleford, who made the layup and drew a blocking foul on Mason. Shackleford's missed free throw started a break for the Maize and Blue as Ingram again found Gandy for a layup. Two Gandy free throws moved Michigan within one, 55-54, at 8:15 of the second half. After a Buckeye turnover Ingram found her favorite target, Gandy, for a three-pointer that gave Michigan its first lead (57-55) in over 10 minutes.
Ingram hit her fifth three of the game, tying a career high, to give Michigan a 60-57 lead and the momentum but from then on the Scarlet and Gray went on a 20-6 run to close the game, ending any hopes of Michigan earning its second Big Ten victory. Reynolds led all scorers with 21 points.
Michigan goes back on the road to face another Big Ten team when it meets Penn State on Sunday (Jan. 13, 2 p.m.) at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. The game will be shown on WFUM-Flint (channel 24 on Comcast in Ann Arbor).
N O T E S
Experimentation -- Hoping to find a winning combination for her team head coach Sue Guevara started a new lineup for a fifth consecutive Big Ten game. Earning the nod were Alayne Ingram, Susana Jara, LeeAnn Bies, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Gandy.
Hitting on All Cylinders -- Alayne Ingram tied a career high with five three-pointers. She last posted five threes in a game against Syracuse (Nov. 25, 2001).
Records on the Glass -- Jennifer Smith had a season-high 12 rebounds and matching her career high set against Notre Dame (March 19, 2001).
Tying Season Highs -- Michigan's six three-pointers tied the second best mark of the season. Their best was eight against Syracuse.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game overall ... "I am trying very, very hard to find the heart of this basketball team. I can't believe we knew who their shooters were and we let them shoot threes. I'm stunned that of our 17 turnovers 12 were unforced. Right now we're just really out of sync."
On the team's 1-4 Big Ten start ... "We are struggling greatly in between our ears. In crunch time big players make big plays and we're just not having anyone step up and make big plays. We're not playing smart and we're not playing team basketball and that's what we need to do."
On the play of Stephanie Gandy ... "I think Stephanie Gandy tonight stepped up and gave us everything she had, everything she had. And I'm just trying to get someone else to do the same."
On the team being stuck in a losing funk ... "I just told the team I've never had a team do this in the five and half years I've been here. We've just crashed it's like the stock market."
On the upcoming game at Penn State ... "We beat them three times last year. Maybe they have a mental phobia for us but I don't want to rely on that for us. If we can improve passing and catching and guarding the weakside, if we can take baby steps then we can win."
On the heart of her team ... "I look at the returners we have coming back and I can't believe the look in their eyes. I think maybe I should change something with the X's and O's but even if we do you still have to pass and catch. I'm trying very hard to get them back and I will."
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
