Michigan
Massachusetts
Michigan Earns Comeback Victory Over Massachusetts
12/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| | Pool, who led U-M with 17 points, has scored in double digits in the last 10 games. |
Freshman guard Mie Burlin (Challotenlund, Denmark/BMS Herleb) came off the bench to get a steal and breakaway layup, but that was Michigan's only field goal between the 12:12 and 3:45 marks as UMass extended its lead to 11 (27-16) with less than four minutes remaining the first half. Michigan had its chances to cut into the deficit, but a combination of unforced turnovers and missing open looks left the Wolverines staring at the double-digit deficit. Instead of cutting into the deficit over the final four minutes of the frame, Michigan's sloppy play continued and the Wolverines managed only a Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./DeWitt HS) offensive putback during that stretch to trail by their biggest margin of the half (32-18) heading into the intermission.
While UMass continued to sit back in a zone, the Wolverines remained ice cold from the perimeter and began to get impatient, which resulted in turnovers and rushed shots while the Minutewomen extended the largest halftime deficit Michigan has seen this season. It is the third straight game Michigan has trailed at the break after either leading or being tied heading into the locker room in their first seven contests.
Michigan shot just .229 (8-35) from the field, including 0-6 from behind the arc, in the opening half while turning the ball over nine times compared to just two assists. Pool paced the Wolverines with four points and grabbed a team-best five rebounds during the first stanza.
UMass scored the first hoop of the second half for a game-best 16-point lead (34-18), but a different Michigan team came out in the second half and proceeded to rattle off a 12-2 run of its own, helped by triples from Pool and Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS), to cut the lead to six (36-30) with more than 15 minutes remaining. Michigan came out with a lot more energy in the second as well as a three-quarter zone press that seemed to get the Minutewomen out of their rhythm a little and allowed the Wolverines to convert a couple steals into quick hoops.
Though Bies picked up her fourth foul with 13:55 left in the game, Michigan kept the pressure on and trimmed the deficit to one (42-41) following a triple from Reams with 9:15 left. After falling back down by five, Lauren Andrews (Houston, Texas/Klein Forest HS) connected on a reverse layup along the baseline followed by a triple from Pool to tie the game at 48 with 6:35 left.
After another defensive stop, Andrews found a steaking Sierra Hauser-Price (Van Nuys, Calif./Notre Dame Prep HS) on the wing for a layup and Michigan's first lead (50-48) since the 11:56 mark of the first half. UMass reclaimed a 54-52 lead thanks in part to Bies drawing her fifth foul with 4:22 left. However, Andrews made another huge play, stealing a UMass inbounds pass under its own hoop and taking the ball coast to coast herself before drilling a 10-foot, pullup jumper to tie the game at 54 with 3:24 left.
Michigan appeared to be taking control after a backcourt steal and layup by Gandy gave Michigan the lead back at 56-54. However, UMass answered with a triple to spark a 7-0 run that gave it a seemingly commanding five-point lead (61-56) with a little over a minute left. That is when Pool and Reams hit their huge triples on consecutive possessions wrapped around a UMass turnover for a 62-61 Michigan lead. Reams' trifecta came with 0:39 left and gave Michigan a lead it would not relinquish. The Maize and Blue delivered another pair of defensive stops and Reams drilled a pair of free throws for the 64-61 final.
Michigan now prepares to open the Big Ten Conference season at No. 11 Minnesota on Thursday (Jan. 2, 7 p.m. CST) in Minneapolis, Minn.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game overall ... "I was real happy with how our kids came out in the second half and just played the game and had fun. I think our move going to the press to start the second half gave us a boost and helped us play with more energy and intensity. We played our game in the second half and did a very good job of sticking with it and taking it one possession at a time."
On what this win means ... "Coming back like this is a big confidence boost for us. Having Jennifer Smith for limited minutes and having LeeAnn Bies in foul trouble forced us to make this comeback win with a different combination than we are used to using. Winning this game in the fashion that we won it will give us a lot of confidence heading into the Big Ten."
On the shots made by Tabitha Pool and Niki Reams ... "Those are two tough players making big-time shots in a pressure situation. Neither one of those two hesitated, and I had no problem with either one of them stepping up and taking those shots. Those two kids did not knock down those shots in the first half, but I have every confidence in both of them making a big shot in that type of situation."
N O T E S
Tabitha Pool's 17-point, 10-rebound performance is her team-leading fifth double-double of the season, and she has now scored in double figures in a team-best 10 straight games.
Niki Reams' 16-point performance on the heels of her 14-point effort Saturday marks the first time in her career she has scored in double figures in consecutive games.
Michigan has won two of its three games this season in which it trailed at the intermission. The Wolverines beat Colorado State 83-72 (Dec. 21) after trailing at the break.
Pool was named to the all-tournament team.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
