Michigan
16-10, 9-7
Illinois
15-12, 7-9
Minnfield Explodes to Give U-M Road Win at Illinois
2/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: Champaign, Ill. (Assembly Hall)
Score: Michigan 55, Illinois 52
Records: U-M (16-10, 9-7 Big Ten), Illinois (15-12, 7-9 Big Ten)
Next Game: Thursday, Feb. 28 -- vs. Wisconsin (Crisler Arena), 8:06 p.m., Big Ten Network
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Video Report
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team earned a thrilling 55-52 victory over Illinois Sunday (Feb. 24)at Assembly Hall. The Wolverines (16-10, 9-7 Big Ten) erased an eight-point deficit midway through the second half behind the heroic play of junior Jessica Minnfield(Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS), who scored 18 of the team's final 21 points, including four free throws in the closing 20 seconds, to guide U-M to its first win over the Fighting Illini (15-12, 7-9 Big Ten) in nearly four years.
Minnfield finished the game with a career-high 25 points, including a career-best 5-of-7 from three-point range, in 37 minutes. Senior Janelle Cooper(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) and sophomore Krista Phillips(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) chipped in eight points apiece, while senior Krista Clement(St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) posted team-high totals of seven rebounds and four assists.
Michigan connected on four of its first seven attempts from the field to establish a 9-3 advantage with 13:47 remaining in the first half. Illinois, meanwhile, had trouble finding any kind of flow and missed all but one of its first eight shots. The U-M defense held the Illini to just one basket, a Rebecca Harris three-pointer, in the first 6:13 of play.
Lori Bjork accounted for seven points during a 10-2 run that gave Illinois a 13-11 lead with 11:31 to go until the break. U-M answered the call, with Cooper and Minnfield canning back-to-back triples before Phillips knocked down a tough jumper off the glass to put the Wolverines back in front, 19-13, at 10:13.
Six unanswered points by the Illini tied the score at 19-19 at 7:27, but Michigan responded once again. Junior Stephany Skrba(Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) drilled a baseline jumper and Minnfield put two home on an aggressive post-up move to put U-M up by four points, while a deep three-pointer by Clement gave the Wolverines a 26-21 edge with 1:43 left until halftime. The two teams traded baskets in the final minute, with a Carly Benson(Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) lay-up in transition sending Michigan to the locker room with a 28-24 lead.
U-M finished the first half shooting an even 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field. Minnfield paced a balanced Wolverine attack with seven points and three assists in the first 20 minutes.
The Maize and Blue held Illinois to just one basket in the opening 3:54 of the second half while extending its lead to 31-26. The Illini found their rhythm and put together a 13-0 run to reclaim a 39-31 advantage at the 10-minute mark.
Cooper's huge three-point play on a put-back and foul snapped a 7:46 scoring drought for Michigan and ignited a 20-8 run that put the Wolverines ahead 51-47 with 34 seconds left on the clock. The outburst saw Minnfield drill four straight triples during a span of 6:09, and Benson also stepped up in the clutch and hit a big three-pointer from the top to tie the game at 45-45 at 4:14.
With U-M holding a slim 51-49 lead with 20 seconds to go, Minnfield went to the line and calmly drained a pair to give the Wolverines a four-point cushion. Illinois stayed in contention thanks to Bjork's triple on the ensuing possession, but Minnfield stepped up and sank two more free throws to keep Michigan's lead at three with nine seconds left. Bjork's attempt at a tie with one second remaining was off the mark, and U-M came away with its first victory in Champaign since Dec. 28, 2000.
The Wolverines return to action on Thursday (Feb. 28) when they welcome Wisconsin to Crisler Arena. The game, which is set for a 8:06 p.m. start, will be televised by the Big Ten Network and can be heard live on radio station WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
