Michigan
5-13 (1-6)
Indiana
8-9 (1-6)
Wolverines Edge Indiana, Pick Up First Big Ten Victory
1/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team snapped a nine-game skid with its first Big Ten Conference win of the season, 63-61 over Indiana, this afternoon (Sunday, Jan. 23) at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines were led by Tabitha Pool (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS), who posted a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, including the go-ahead basket with 46 seconds remaining. It was not all Pool, however, as the Wolverines enjoyed one of their most balanced outings of the season with Jessica Starling (Tallahassee, Fla./Godby HS) providing 14 points, two steals and a block in one of her best all-around games as a Wolverine. Ta'Shia Walker (Lansing, Mich./Sexton HS) added 12 points out of the post.
| | Pool's late-game heroics included scoring six of the team's final eight points. |
After Indiana took its last lead of the game (61-60) on a hoop from Leah Enterline with 1:11 left, Pool attacked the basket as she had all game and connected on a right-handed runner with 46 ticks left. The Wolverine defense then forced a turnover on the next possession and iced the win on an offensive rebound by Pool with less than 0:01 left.
Pool put Michigan's first point on the board, going 1-2 at the charity stripe, after getting fouled in a strong move to the basket. Down 8-3 with 16:20 remaining in the first half, Pool and Starling each hit a three-pointer to begin a 10-0 run which closed with Krista Clement (St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) handing out one of her team-high five assists, to Pool in the open floor. When the run was over the Wolverines led 13-8 and forced Indiana to take a timeout and regroup. The Wolverines traded hoops with Indiana but were able to maintain the lead with strong drives to the basket by Starling and Helvey. A four-minute scoring drought hurt the Wolverines as they relinquished the lead for the first time in over eight minutes when Indiana's Enterline put up a jumper inside the arc to give Indiana a 19-18 lead.
Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) and Walker combined for nine points as Michigan and Indiana exchanged the lead six times to close out the first half. With 0:52 remaining in the half, Walker got fouled as she put back an offensive rebound and hit the free throw for a three-point play, which put the Wolverines ahead 27-26. After a quick jumper by Indiana, Michigan took the ball back down the court and fed it to Walker for a hook shot as time expired, giving Michigan a 29-28 lead into the locker room.
Control of the game continued to see-saw into the second half, as consistent half-court execution by both teams prevented either one from taking a lead larger than three. Indiana began the second half with a triple, but the lead was short-lived as Starling put up a jumper to tie the game (31-31) at the 17:02 mark. Over the next eight-plus minutes the lead changed hands on an amazing 11 occassions before the Hoosiers took a three-point lead (46-43) with 8:52 left.
Starling, however, answered with her second triple of the contest to tie the score back up. There were a total of 14 ties and 23 lead changes for the whole game. Over the next four minutes Michigan never trailed, but each time the Wolverines grabbed a two-point advantage, the Hoosiers had an answer.
While Michigan was limiting Indiana leading scorer Cyndi Valentin on the perimeter, Hoosier post player Angela Hawkins came up big and gave Indiana a little control down the stretch with a 58-55 lead at the 2:36 mark. Hawkins and the other Hoosiers outrebounded Michigan 19-12 in the second half.
That's when Pool took over, scoring six of Michigan's last eight points, including a driving three-point play to tie the game at 58. Helvey also came up with a huge hoop for a 60-59 Wolverine lead late.
The Wolverines look for their second Big Ten win of the season as they go back on the road to face top 25-ranked Iowa on Thursday (Jan. 27) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
