Michigan
5-2
Central Michigan
2-4
Wolverines Use Late Charge to Slip By Central Michigan
11/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Score: Michigan 52, Central Michigan 47
Records: U-M (5-2), CMU (2-4)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Dec. 1 -- vs. Notre Dame (Crisler Arena), 7:00 p.m.
Wolverines Use Late Charge to Slip By Central Michigan
Event Recap| Boxscore| Postgame Notes| Quotes
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team remained undefeated on the road after earning a gutsy 52-47 victory over Central Michigan Tuesday night (Nov. 28) at Rose Arena. The Wolverines (5-2) battled back from a seven-point deficit midway through the second half behind the spectacular play of sophomore Melinda Queen (Oak Forest, Ill./Carl Sandburg HS) and freshman Krista Phillips (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS), and U-Mfinished the gameby hittinga perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the final 25 seconds to escape with its third straight road win of the season.
Phillips finished the game with a career-high 14 points, including an impressive 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. She also posted career-best totals in rebounds (nine) and blocks (seven). Queen recorded a career-high 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting and added four rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. Junior Ta'Shia Walker (Lansing, Mich./J.W. Sexton HS) also stepped up in a reserve role, shooting 5-of-7 from the field for 10 points in 12 minutes.
The Wolverines clearly displayed their depth in this game, as they were able to pull out a victory despite a scoreless night from junior Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS), who entered the night averaging 10.2 ppg. Queen and Walker anchored a Maize and Blue bench that outscored the Chippewa reserves by a 25-8 margin.
The Wolverines took advantage of their size early on, as Phillips scored four of U-Ms first six points from inside the paint. The Chippewas, however, were able to take an early three-point deficit and turn it into a 15-7 lead thanks to a 12-1 run over a span of 3:34.
A layup by Queen off an inbounds pass broke a 4:56 U-M field goal drought, but Central Michigan responded with four unanswered points to take its largest lead of the game, 29-19, with 9:48 remaining until the break.
Walker gave Michigan a lift off the bench, scoring four of the teams next six points. Freshman LeQuisha Whitfield (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King HS) would later connect on the Wolverines' lone triple of thegame, keeping U-M within five points of the Chippewa lead (23-18) with 5:10 to go until halftime.
The Maize and Blue closed the half with a 5-0 run to draw within two points, 25-23, heading into the locker room. The Michigan defense held CMU without a field goal for the last 7:32 of the first half.
Central Michigan found its rhythm early in the second stanza, and was able to increase its lead to as many as seven points in the first 6:48 of the half. Phillips kept the Wolverines within striking distance thanks to her accuracy from the line, knocking down four straight free throws during a stretch of 34 seconds.
With CMU holding a 38-31 advantage, Phillips and Queen combined for 10 points during a 17-6 Michigan run over a span of 12:40. The surge vaulted the Wolverines into their first lead since early in the first half at 48-44 with 1:47 left in contest.
A Chippewa layup trimmed the U-M lead to 48-46, and the ensuing play saw the Wolverines give up a turnover and foul. Michigan was bailed out by Central Michigan's Dana Westover, who misfired on both of her attempts with 32 seconds left. Fortunately for CMU, the rebound on the second shot was corralled by Latisha Luckett, who was fouled and walked to the free throw line for another attempt at a tie. Luckett split the pair to leave the score 48-47 with 28 ticks left on the clock.
Central Michigan was forced to foul, and sophomore Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) stepped up and sank two clutch free throws to give the Wolverines a 50-47 edge with 25 seconds remaining. A three-point attempt by Angel Chan was off the mark, and junior Katie Dierdorf (St. Louis, Mo./Visitation Academy) came up with the crucial rebound. It was now Dierdorfs turn to shine, as she mirrored the efforts of Minnfield, nailing both of her free throws with 14 seconds left to seal the hard-fought victory.
Michigan returns home to host a pair of non-conference games this weekend at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines will meet Notre Dame on Friday (Dec. 1) at 7 p.m. and Miami (Fla.) on Sunday (Dec. 3) at 2 p.m. The game against the Fighting Irish can be heard live on WLBY (AM 1290), and the match-up with the Hurricanes will be televised by Comcast Local, with radio coverage by WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
