Michigan
19-14
Michigan State
22-13
Michigan Drops Heartbreaker to Michigan State in WNIT Quarterfinals
3/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Center)
Event: Postseason WNIT
Score: Michigan State 45, Michigan 40
Records: U-M (19-14),Michigan State(22-13)
Next Game:Season Completed
Boxscore | Photo Gallery
EAST LANSING, Mich. C The University of Michigan womens basketball teams remarkable season came to a close Sunday afternoon (March 30) with a heartbreaking 45-40 overtime loss to intrastate rival Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the Postseason WNIT at the Breslin Center. The Wolverines held a 10-point leadmidwaythrough the second half, but U-M was held scoreless in the final 6:26 of regulation while the Spartans (22-13) battled back to send the game into overtime. Michigans offensive woes continued in the extra period, as the Wolverines missed all seven of their attempts from the field and scored just three points from the free throw line. U-M finished its first year under head coach Kevin Borseth with a 19-14 record, falling just shy of the third 20-win season in the 35-year history of the program.
Junior Jessica Minnfield(Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) reached double figures for the second straight game, finishing with a team-high 12 points to go along with three assists, two rebounds and one steal in 42 minutes. Junior Ashley Jones(Southfield, Mich./Martin Luther King HS) scored eight of her career-high 11 points in the first half to help Michigan take a seven-point lead into the break. Playing in her final game for the Maize and Blue, senior Janelle Cooper(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) pulled down a career-best 11 rebounds, while sophomore Krista Phillips(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) posted eight points and five boards before fouling out with 2:47 to go in overtime.
Michigan State scored the first four points of the game before Phillips knocked down a long turnaround jumper as the shot clock wound down to cut the deficit to 4-2 at 18:27. Jones then came off the bench and provided a much-needed spark, scoring eight of the teams next 12 points to help Michigan take a 14-11 lead. Jones scored her first hoop on a strong move from the baseline and followed with a traditional three-point play at 7:11. Her fourth career triple gave U-M the three-point lead with 4:59 left in the first half.
The Wolverines fed off Jones energy, with Phillips knocking down a triple after finding freshman Veronica Hicks(Chicago, Ill./Thornwood HS) inside for a lay-up. Four free throws from Minnfield in the final 2:14 allowed Michigan to take a 23-16 advantage into halftime.
Both teams struggled to find any sort of rhythm on offense in the first half, with U-M shooting 27 percent (8-of-30) compared to MSUs 26 percent (5-of-19).
The Maize and Blue came out with renewed energy in the second half, as Phillips scored two on a put-back and Minnfield drained her first three-pointer to give the Wolverines their largest lead of the day, 28-18, with 17:33 to play in the game. U-M continued to show its finesse around the hoop, with junior Stephany Skrba(Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) converting on a pretty up-and-under move before Jones scored on an acrobatic drive to the rim to keep the lead at 32-22 with 12:58 to go on the clock.
Unfortunately, a Minnfield three-pointer at 6:26 off an offensive rebound by Jones would be Michigans only field goal in the remaining minutes of regulation. The Wolverines misfired on six straight shots and committed five turnovers after Minnfields triple, while the Spartans clawed their way back and tied the game at 37-37 on a Kalisha Keane triple with 1:35 left. Phillips had a chance to put U-M in the lead with 47 seconds left, but her free throw was off the mark. Cooper corralled the rebound and got the ball to Minnfield, but Keane forced her to cough up the ball with 26 seconds remaining. Courtney Davidsons desperation triple with four seconds left was off the mark, and the two teams prepared for overtime.
Michigan State worked the ball inside to Allyssa DeHaan in the opening minutes of the extra session, which resulted in three free throws and a 40-37 Spartan lead. Michigan had its opportunities to draw even, but senior Krista Clement(St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) could not knock down a three-pointer and Skrbas wide-open lay-up failed to go down. MSU extended its lead thanks to five straight points from the free throw line in the final 45 seconds, and time eventually ran out for the Wolverines.
Michigans 19 wins marks the programs highest win total since a 19-12 record in 2000-01. U-M finished the Big Ten Conference season tied for seventh place at 9-9, which was its highest finish in the league standings since 2001. The Wolverines also won a Big Ten Tournament game for the first time in four years -- a 64-54 triumph over Penn State on March 6. The team returned to postseason play for the first time in six years with its berth in the Postseason WNIT.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
