Michigan
11-2 (3-0)
Purdue
6-9 (0-3)
Michigan Falls Just Shy in Loss to 14th-Ranked Purdue
1/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team dropped a 51-43 decision to the No. 14 Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday (Jan. 8) at an energized Crisler Arena. The Wolverines (6-10, 0-4 Big Ten) shot just 15-of-45 (.333) in the game, while the Boilermakers (12-2, 4-0 Big Ten) did most of their damage in the first half by shooting 12-of-24 (.500) from the floor. Michigan's strong team defense held Purdue guard Katie Gearlds, the team's leading scorer coming into the contest at 13.5 ppg, to just 4-of-12 from field, in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate.
Sophomore Katie Dierdorf (St. Louis, Mo./Visitation Academy) was the only double-digit scorer for the Wolverines, scoring 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting while hauling in a team-high six rebounds. Freshman Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) also pitched in with eight points while going 2-of-4 beyond the arc. The Wolverines' bench outscored Purdue's 16-8 during the game, with eight of those points coming from sophomore Ta'Shia Walker (Lansing, Mich./J.W. Sexton HS) on 3-of-6 shooting.
The second half started in much of the same fashion as the first, as Purdue stretched its lead to a 14-point advantage, 34-20 at 16:33, behind Aya Traore's five points. Traore scored again minutes later, but three-pointers by Minnfield and sophomore Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) kept Michigan alive and kicking, with Purdue up 38-28 with just over 12 minutes remaining.
Minnfield and Cooper traded shots as they combined for Michigan's next nine points to trim the Boilermaker lead down to six, 43-37, with 7:43 left in the second half. The Purdue advantage continued to dwindle behind a Wolverine defense that clawed back, forcing the Boilermakers to a six-minute scoreless streak. Shots by Dierdorf, Walker, and sophomore Krista Clement (St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) brought U-M to the cusp of victory, down 45-43 with 1:41 left on the clock. Purdue, however, responded with a 6-0 run to secure its eighth straight win.
Freshman Stephany Skrba (Richmond Hill, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) got things started for the Wolverines as her put-back on an Ashley Jones (Southfield, Mich./Martin Luther King HS) miss gave the Wolverines an early 2-0 advantage. Free throws by Walker and Clement kept Michigan close, as the Maize and Blue was unable to produce on the offensive end, enduring an 11-minute lapse that included shooting 0-of-7 from the field.
A Dierdorf bucket at 7:58 ended the Michigan drought from the floor and cut the Boilermaker advantage to 11-7. Dierdorf added another free throw, before a Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau HS) left-handed hook shot brought Michigan to within two, 13-11, with just over five minutes to play in the first half.
Benson struck again later in the half with an old-fashioned three-point play to keep Michigan in a 19-13 ballgame. A Walker layup with 13 seconds remaining before halftime were the only Michigan points the rest of the first half.
Shooting 5-of-23 (.217) from the field in the first half contributed to Michigan's 27-16 deficit, but 6-of-7 shooting from the foul line kept the Wolverines within striking distance.
The Wolverines will switch focus to another ranked opponent, as they travel to Columbus, Ohio, next Sunday (Jan. 15) to take on No. 8 Ohio State. Tipoff is set for noon at the Value City Arena.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
