Balanced Attack Produces Home Victory Over Jaguars

Saturday, December 11

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

4-4

IUPUI

1-7

IUPUI

Michigan

12/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team defeated the IUPUI Jaguars 68-48 on Saturday night (Dec. 11) at Crisler Arena to even its season record at 4-4. Senior Tabitha Pool (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) led a balanced Michigan attack with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block.

Flippin's 12-point outing marked her first time scoring in double digits.

Four Wolverine freshmen followed suit, each notching a double-digit point performance. Becky Flippin (Springfield, Mo./Parkview HS) totaled 12 points and was followed by Krista Clement (St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) with 11 points, Ta'Shia Walker (Lansing,Mich./Sexton HS) with 11 points and Katie Dierdorf (St. Louis, Mo./Visitation Academy) with10 points.

Kelly Helvey (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) had an all-around performance, tallying seven rebounds, six points, two assists, one block and one steal, and freshman Sierrah Moore (Long Beach, Calf./Woodrow Wilson HS) made her regular-season debut.

The Maize and Blue stepped on to the hardwood ready to play, tallying an early 7-0 run with baskets from freshmen Flippin and Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS). On the defensive end, Michigan's efforts kept the Jaguars scoreless in the first four minutes of play.

The Wolverines led for the entire first half, with their most effective stretch coming during a 13-0 run after IUPUI had cut the Michigan lead to six (19-13) at the 9:07 mark. Six of Michigan's 13 points came from Dierdorf, who made her first collegiate start for U-M. Michigan's first-half lead was due in part to its free throw shooting. Michigan shot 91.7 percent from the charity stripe by connecting on 11 of 12 tosses.

The Jaguars came into the second half with a vengeance, pouring in 20 points in the first 11 minutes, and cut Michigan's big lead all the way down to 12 points. IUPUI's Anne-Marie Tupper connected on five of seven field goals, four of which were three-pointers, and discouraged the Maize and Blue defense. While Tuppert's barrage got IUPUI back in the game, Flippin countered with one of her own to stop an 8-0 Jaguar run with just over 10 minutes left.

Offensively, Michigan was not nearly as crisp in the second half, turning the ball over 15 times in the last frame after committing just seven miscues in the first half. IUPUI eventually cut the lead to eight (56-48) with 5:35 left.

Michigan's balance was ulimately too much as baskets by four different Wolverines kept the Jaguars at bay. Michigan picked up the defensive intensity and held IUPUI scoreless over the final 5:35 as the Wolverines methodically stepped away with the 20-point victory.

The Wolverines return to the floor with a trip Kalamazoo, Mich., for a contest against Western Michigan on Tuesday (Dec. 14, 7 p.m.) at University Arena.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423