Michigan
4-2
Duke
5-0
Michigan Unable to Pull Off Upset of No. 5 Duke
11/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Score: #5 Duke 92, Michigan 47
Records: U-M (4-2), Duke (5-0)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Nov. 28 -- at Central Michigan (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), 7:00 p.m.
Michigan Unable to Pull Off Upset of No. 5 Duke
Event Recap| Boxscore| Photos| Notes & Quotes
ANN ARBOR, Mich.-- The University of Michigan women's basketball team was unable to pull off an upset of Duke (No. 5 AP, No. 5 ESPN/USA TODAY) Saturday night (Nov. 25), falling by a score of 92-47 in front of 2,007 fans at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines (4-2) suffered their first loss in four games, as the Blue Devils (5-0) built a double-digit lead in the first3:50 of action and never looked back.
The difference in the game can befoundon the shot chart, as Dukeconnected on52 percent (33-of-64) of its attempts, compared to Michigan's 30 percent (16-of-54). Another factor in the game was the Blue Devil defense, which caused23 turnovers that resulted in 30 points. The Wolverines scored just seven points off of nine Duke turnovers.
Sophomore Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) led the Wolverine effort with eight points, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. Freshman LeQuisha Whitfield (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King HS) recorded seven points and five rebounds, while sophomore Melinda Queen (Oak Forest, Ill./Carl Sandburg HS) chipped in a season-high six points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Sophomore Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) added a team-high seven rebounds to go with four points and two blocks.
Duke finished the game with four players scoring in double figures, led by Lindsey Harding's 19-point effort. The Blue Devils shot 8-of-15 (.533) from behind the arc.
Harding accounted for nine of her team's points during Duke's 12-2 run to open the game. A Cooper layup and foul off a pretty feed from sophomore Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) put Michigan within eight points, and the ensuing free throw cut the Blue Devil lead to 12-5 with 14:43 remaining in the first half.
Cooper's bucket would be U-M's final field goal for over four minutes, as Duke used another 12-2 run to increase its lead to 24-7 with 10:42 left until halftime. Queen scored four of Michigan's next six points, but Duke was still able to sustain a 29-13 advantage with 8:30 on the clock.
Triples from Minnfield and Benson, both of whichsenior Kelly Helvey (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS)assisted on, trimmed the Blue Devil lead to 12 points at 31-19 (7:53). However, the Wolverines were never able to draw nearer, as Duke went into the locker room with a 44-26 lead.
The Blue Devils opened the second half by scoring five unanswered points to increase their cushion to 48-26, but another three-pointer by Benson brought the lead back down to 19 points. Unfortunately that would be asclose as U-M would get, as Duke never allowed its lead to dip below 21 points en route to final 45-point outcome.
The Wolverines will return to action thisTuesday (Nov. 28) when they travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to take on Central Michigan. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Rose Arena, and the game can be heard live on WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
