Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan Unable to Sweep Series Against Michigan State
1/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Center)
Score: Michigan State 61, Michigan 58
Records: U-M (12-8, 5-5 Big Ten), Michigan State (13-10, 5-6 Big Ten)
Next Game: Monday, Feb. 4 -- vs. Illinois (Crisler Arena), 7:06 p.m., Big Ten Network
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan womens basketball team fell just shy of sweeping the season series against intra-state rival Michigan State, dropping a tough 61-58 decision to the Spartans Thursday evening (Jan. 31) in front of 8,287 fansat the Breslin Center. The Wolverines (12-8, 5-5 Big Ten) held an eight-point lead with 6:38 left on the clock, but Michigan State clawed its way back with a 10-0 run to regain a 55-53 lead at 2:21. U-M had an opportunity to tie the score on the final play of the game, but senior Janelle Coopers (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) last-second three-point attempt was off the mark allowing the Spartans to escape with the victory.
Junior Stephany Skrba(Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) put together her best game of the year, finishing with a season-high 16 points on a perfect 8-of-8 from the field while pulling down six rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. Junior Carly Benson(Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) recorded her fourth straight double-digit scoring performance, finishing with 13 points in 38 minutes. Sophomore Krista Phillips(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) nearly posted her third double-double in four games, posting nine points and eight boards in 34 minutes.
The Wolverines scored on their first two possessions, with Phillips slipping around Allyssa DeHaan for a lay-up inside before Benson hit a runner off the glass. Phillips' triple at 16:41 put Michigan up 7-6 with 16:41 left in the first half. Mandy Piechowski provided an early spark for Michigan State, scoring eight points in the first 4:32 to help the Spartans gain a 10-7 edge at 15:28.
Michigan continued its aggressive offensive approach, as four U-M players found the bottom of the net during a 10-4 run that allowed the Wolverines to regain a 17-14 advantage with 11:12 remaining until the break.
With the score tied at 17-17, senior Krista Clement(St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) canned a deep triple from the top and Benson collected a steal and took it coast to coast for an easy lay-in to put Michigan ahead 22-17 at 9:36. Skrba scored U-Ms next six points on a jumper and a pair of strong moves inside, helping the team sustain a 28-23 lead with 6:49 to go until halftime.
Michigan State answered with a 9-2 surge to take back a 32-30 lead at 3:12, but junior Jessica Minnfields(Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) wide-open lay-up off the outlet knotted the score at 32-32 heading into the break.
The early minutes of the second half saw Clement convert a three-point play on an acrobatic lay-up as she was fouled, and Skrba scored with the left hand to tie the game at 37-37 with 16:27 left in the contest. Freshman Veronica Hicks(Chicago, Ill./Thornwood HS) got into the scoring mix two minutes later, putting home two points on a strong move to the hoop to keep things knotted at 41-41.
Phillips and Skrba combined for eight of Michigans next 10 points, helping the Wolverines extend their lead to six points, 51-45, at 7:08. U-M built its lead to a game-high eight points, 53-45, on a soft jumper from Minnfield at 6:38.
The Spartans responded with a 10-0 run to reclaim a 55-53 advantage with 2:21 remaining. Clement came up with a huge lay-up in transition to tie the game once again with 1:28 left, but DeHaan put Michigan State back in front with a pair of free throws on the next possession.
Phillips three-point attempt with 29 seconds left did not find the bottom of the net, and Brittney Thomas drained a pair from the line on the ensuing play to put the Spartans ahead 59-55 with 21 seconds to go. Benson kept Michigan alive with a triple from the top to cut the deficit to one point with 11 seconds left. U-M was forced to foul Kalisha Keane, who hit both free throws to give Michigan State a 61-58 edge with eight seconds on the clock. Following a timeout, the Wolverines brought the ball up the floor and found a wide-open Cooper on the right wing. Her three-point attempt to force overtime looked good as it left her hand but failed to fall, giving the Spartans the win.
Michigan will return home to host Illinois on Monday (Feb. 4) at 7:06 p.m.at Crisler Arena. The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network and broadcast by radio station WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
