Michigan
15-10 (8-7)
Purdue
14-13 (10-6)
Michigan Crushes Purdue to Improve to 10-1 at Home
2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Michigan 72, Purdue 36
Records: U-M (15-10, 8-7 Big Ten), Purdue (14-13,10-6 Big Ten)
Next Game: Sunday, Feb. 24 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 5:06 p.m. CST, Big Ten Network
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery | Video Report
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team earned one of its biggest victories of the season in dominating fashion Thursday evening (Feb. 21), as the Wolverines cruised to a 72-36 win over Purdue to improve their season recordat Crisler Arena to 10-1. U-M (15-10, 8-7 Big Ten) put forth a spirited effort right from the opening tip, using a 14-0 run early in the first half to blow the game wide open. With the win, Michigan broke an eight-year, 18-game losing streak to the Boilermakers (14-13, 10-6 Big Ten) dating back to the 2000 season.
Sophomore Krista Phillips(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) led a balanced Wolverine attack with game-high totals of 15 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. Senior Janelle Cooper(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) tallied 13 points, three rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. Junior Carly Benson(Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) finished the game in double figures for the ninth straight time, scoring 11 points while collecting seven boards and three assists in 25 minutes. Junior Ashley Jones(Southfield, Mich./Martin Luther King HS) put forth another solid effort, tallying a season-high eight points and five rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
The Wolverines opened the game with a 6-0 run while holding the Boilermakers without a point for the first 4:38 of action. Purdue responded with a 6-2 run over a span of just 53 seconds to narrow the gap to 8-6 at 14:29.
Purdue's offense hit a standstill following the stretch, and Michigan capitalized, putting up 14 unanswered points in just over seven minutes to gain a commanding 22-6 advantage with 7:11 remaining in the first half. Junior Jessica Minnfield(Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) scored five of the first seven points during the outburst, freshman Veronica Hicks(Chicago, Ill./Thornwood HS) brought the crowd to its feet with her first career triple at 7:52, and Jones capped the run with a strong hoop inside to provide U-M with the 16-point lead.
A Lakisha Freeman bucket snapped a 7:18 scoring drought for Purdue, but the Wolverines continued their relentless attack by scoring eight of the game's next 11 points. Jones added another score on an aggressive move to the rim, and Benson fed Phillips underneath for a wide-open lay-up before scoring two herself on a pretty spin move that gave Michigan a 30-13 cushion with 2:05 to go until the break.
The teams exchanged baskets in the closing minutes of the half, with junior Stephany Skrba's(Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) basket inside with 15 seconds left sending the Maize and Blue into the locker room with a 34-15 lead.
Michigan finished the first 20 minutes shooting an even 50 percent (14-of-28) from the field, with seven different Wolverines recording points. The U-M defense held Purdue to just 24 percent (6-of-25) shooting and forced 12 turnovers.
The Maize and Blue never rested on its laurels despite holding a sizeable advantage, as the Wolverines steadily built their lead throughout the second half. Cooper and Phillips each went 3-of-5 from the field after the break, combining for 15 of Michigans 34 second-half points. U-M shot 47 percent (14-of-30) from the field and won the battle of the boards 25-15 in the final 20 minutes. Senior KatieDierdorfs(St. Louis, Mo./Visitation Academy) lay-up with two seconds left doubled up Purdues total score and sent the Wolverines away with a season split with the Boilermakers.
Michigan closes out its road schedule on Sunday (Feb. 24) against Illinois in Champaign, Ill. The tip is scheduled for a 5:06 p.m. CST at Assembly Hall, and the game will be televised by the Big Ten Network and broadcast by radio station WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
