Michigan
Iowa
Career Night for Smith Leads Wolverines Past Hawkeyes
1/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team began its push for an NCAA tournament bid with an important 82-74 decision over Iowa tonight (Thursday, Jan. 31) at Crisler Arena. Sophomore forward Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./DeWitt HS) was too much to handle for the Big Ten's third-place Hawkeyes as she matched a career high with 26 points and pulled down a career-best 19 rebounds. The Michigan effort was also paced by 17 points and five assists from Alayne Ingram (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS) and a solid defensive effort as the Wolverines (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten) held Iowa to .373 shooting from the field.
| | Smith |
With 13:37 left in the half, Michigan's LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) left the game after picking up her second foul. The Wolverines responded to Bies' absence by turning to their transition game for points. Ingram broke a two-minute scoring drought for both teams with a jump shot and then back-to-back baskets by Smith and Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS) made it a 6-0 run all in less than one minute. Following an Iowa basket and timeout, Ingram went on a personal 6-0 run with two pull-up jumpers and a layup, rounding out a 12-2 run and giving U-M an 18-9 advantage with 10:30 left in the half.
Out of its timeout, Iowa snapped the run with quick back-to-back buckets to cut the U-M lead to five. Two more baskets in the paint by Smith and Katrina Mason (Detroit, Mich./Murray-Wright HS) sandwiched around a Hawkeye jumper kept the Michigan lead at seven, 22-15, with 7:14 remaining.
The teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, however, the stretch was highlighted by Smith picking up her 10th point of the half with 3:43 left. In the final minutes of the half, Iowa's Jennie Lillis attempted to bring her team back as she scored the last nine points for the Hawkeyes in the half. With a three-pointer from Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS) and a dribble-drive by Smith, though, Michigan reached its largest lead of the half as it led by 11 with 1:12 remaining. A Lillis putback with 28 seconds left capped the scoring in the half with Michigan leading, 33-24.
In the opening 20 minutes, both Michigan and Iowa passed the ball well as U-M had eight assists and the Hawkeyes had seven. But the Hawkeyes failed to hold onto the ball as they turned the ball over 11 times to Michigan's eight and they were unable to control Smith, who recorded a double-double in the first period. She had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes of playing time in the absence of Bies, who played just seven minutes due to her foul problems. Iowa was led by Lillis, who had 11 points and four rebounds.
The Hawkeyes opened the scoring in the second half and attempted to get back into the game with six three-point attempts in the first four minutes but only hit on one of them. Instead, Iowa could only chip away three points from the Wolverine lead as Michigan led 40-34, thanks in part to a crafty layup by Ingram as she took the ball coast to coast following a rebound with 16:35 left.
Iowa would not go away as Leah Magner hit a three-pointer followed by a free throw from Lillis to cut the U-M lead to two, but a long deuce by Smith gave Michigan a 42-38 lead with 14:26 left. With its lead being threatened, U-M answered with a 7-2 run featuring Bies' first field goal of the game to make it 49-40. The Wolverines then put on another run as an Oesterle trey put the Wolverines' up 11, and two baskets later, Mason gave Michigan what would be its greatest advantage of the game as it led by 15 with 8:20 remaining in the contest.
On a fast break, Tabitha Pool (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) livened things up with a little razzle-dazzle as she went behind her back to a streaking Gandy for two with 6:25 left. Michigan and Iowa then traded free throws during the next two minutes before Smith went up and under her defender for a layin to make the score 65-50 with 4:01 to play.
In the final minutes, Iowa's Meder caught fire as she hit three straight treys while Michigan hit only three free throws. With 2:39 remaining the Maize and Blue lead had been cut to nine. Ingram pushed the lead back to 11 with Michigan's final field goal of the game at 2:08 as the scoreboard read 70-59. Iowa made one last effort to stay in the game as it hit three treys in the final two minutes. The difference was that in that same two-minute stretch U-M converted 12 of its 14 free throw attempts to ice the game.
Michigan continues its two-game homestand on Sunday (Feb. 3, 2 p.m.) vs. Northwestern at Crisler Arena.
N O T E S
Jennifer Smith's 19 rebounds are tied for the fifth most in school history. Smith's 26 points matched her previous career high, which she also set against Iowa on Feb. 15, 2001, as a freshman.
Smith's 19-rebound, 26-point performance gives her five double-doubles this season and seven in her career.
Led by Smith's 19 rebounds, Michigan out-rebounded Iowa 49-36. When the Wolverines out-rebound their opponent they are 12-4.
Michigan's 26 free throws made are its second highest total this season. The Maize and Blue hit 30 in a victory at Detroit on Nov. 13, 2001.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game overall ... "It was nice to have a full complement of players. Although they scored 50 points in the second half, we held a good shooting team like Iowa to 37 percent. I thought we did an excellent job on the perimeter, particularly against Lindsey Meder when you talk about holding her to zero points in the first half. Overall, this is a good team win that everybody contributed to."
On Jennifer Smith ... "Jen obviously had a huge game for us tonight and that was key for us when (LeeAnn) Bies got into foul trouble in the first half. I don't think she necessarily felt any pressure to perform when Bies sat down, but she was ready to have a big game and we needed it."
On the rest of season ... "I talked to the team before the game and I said to them we have at least eight games left and each game is two hours so we have roughly 16 hours left together. So I asked them what they wanted their memory of the rest of the season, especially for the seniors. I like how we responded, especially defensively because I thought that was as aggressive as we had been on defense in a long time."
Sophomore Forward Jennifer Smith
On her performance ... "I didn't really feel any pressure when (LeeAnn) Bies went out. I just wanted the ball and my teammates got it to me. One of my focuses this week was to work on my defense and boxing out, so I'm glad I grabbed 19 rebounds."
On she and LeeAnn Bies as a one-two punch ... "We have a nice high-low game going with Bies and me. It was nice in the second half while she was in the game because she was able to kick it out to me and I think I can knock that perimeter shot down. I also felt good when I got the ball down on the block and I just felt comfortable anywhere offensively today."
Senior Guard Alayne Ingram
On Michigan's improved defense ... "We have focused on our defense all year but we were especially focused on it this week in practice because we've been giving up so many points lately. We need to consistently play the type of defense we played tonight."
On Jennifer Smith ... "We knew Jen was having a good night so we definitely tried to get her the ball, but I also think Jen did a good job of creating shots for herself on the offensive end tonight."
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
