Michigan
3-4
Maine
2-3
Helvey, Walker Power Wolverines to Victory Over Maine
12/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team defeated Maine 68-60 Saturday afternoon (Dec. 3) at Crisler Arena to end a two-game losing streak. The Wolverines (3-4), featuring three new starters, never trailed in the game and forced 18 Maine turnovers while holding the Black Bears to 38 percent shooting from the field.
Junior Kelly Helvey (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) posted her second double-double of the season, tallying 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, including 10 first-half boards. Sophomore Ta'Shia Walker (Lansing, Mich./J.W. Sexton HS) was the game's leading scorer with a career-best 24 points in addition to nine rebounds. Freshman Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) scored a career-high nine points to go along with one steal and one assist, while sophomore Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) also pitched in with nine points.
Cooper and Walker got the Wolverines started, producing all of Michigan's eight points leading into the game's first timeout at 15:32 in the first period. Cooper, starting for the second time this season, put the Maize and Blue on the board first with a put-back off a Walker miss. A minute later, Cooper struck again with a jumper from the elbow, soon followed by two Walker buckets to put the Wolverines ahead 8-4.
Following a Maine basket by center Abby Schrader, U-M jumped out to an 18-6 lead, spearheaded by Walker. During the four-minute stretch, the Lansing, Mich., native produced five points for the Wolverines, including a layup coming off of a steal of a Maine ballhandler under the Michigan basket. Helvey added to the run with a soft finger-roll in the lane, causing a Maine timeout at the 11:30 mark. The 10-0 Michigan run was capped off by Walker connecting on a free throw with 10:07 left to play in the first half.
A basket by forward Bracey Barker ended the Black Bears' five-minute scoreless streak, as Maine traded baskets with the Wolverines for the next minute and a half. Barker struck again, this time with a three-pointer from the wing, closing the Michigan gap to 22-15 with 8:14 remaining in the first period.
Michigan countered with a strong 7-0 run, jump-started by terrific Wolverine ball movement. The first basket by Benson was matched the next trip down court as Helvey found freshman Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS), who swung the ball out to sophomore Krista Clement (St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) beyond the arc for her first basket of the game. After two tremendous passes, Helvey got into the scoring action on a put-back, giving U-M its largest lead of the first half, 29-15, with 5:27 remaining until halftime.
A quick Black Bear run brought Maine to within seven points, 29-22, with 3:40 left before half. The Wolverines stretched the lead back to 11, 35-24, before a 6-0 Maine run closed out the first half with U-M still in the driver's seat at 35-30. Walker guided the Michigan first-half effort with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field.
Two three-point field goals, one by Helvey and another by Benson, stretched the Michigan lead to 43-34 three and a half minutes into the second half. Another three by Clement pushed the Michigan advantage to 50-39 exactly four minutes later.
Following baskets by Helvey and Walker, a field goal by Schrader cut the U-M advantage to 56-48 with just under nine minutes to play in the game. Michigan countered with a feed from Clement down low to Benson for an easy turnaround score. The momentum continued to mount for the Wolverines as a three-pointer by Walker tied Michigan's largest lead of the game, 65-51, with 2:18 remaining in the game.
Michigan head coach Cheryl Burnett used the remaining time to rotate in the rest of her bench, capping off the eight-point victory.
Michigan wraps up its five-game homestand Tuesday (Dec. 6) against Maryland Eastern Shore. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Crisler Arena.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
