Michigan
10-15, 3-11Big
Minnesota
18-7, 10-4Big T
Wolverines Done In by Gophers' Last-Second Three
2/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Minnesota 60, Michigan 59
Records: Michigan (10-15, 3-11 Big Ten), Minnesota (18-7, 10-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Feb. 19 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 7 p.m.
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery | Video Report
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Brittany McCoy banked in a last-second three-pointer to help Minnesota steal a 60-59 victory from the University of Michigan women's basketball team on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 15) in Crisler Arena.
The Wolverines held a 59-57 lead after senior guard Jessica Minnfield's(Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) free throw with 15 seconds remaining before McCoy hit the game-winner. Freshman guard Carmen Reynolds(Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) led Michigan with 14 points off the bench, while Minnfield finished with 10 points and a career-high nine rebounds.
Minnesota opened the second half with a 4-1 run, but Michigan scored the next five points, including a three-pointer from Reynolds to tie the game at 30-30 before Minnesota regained the lead on a bucket inside from Jackie Voight. Reynolds continued her stellar offensive game and with a trifecta from the right side to cut the Minnesota lead to one point before hitting a basket underneath to give the Wolverines a 35-34 lead.
Senior forward Carly Benson(Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) hit a huge three-pointer to tie the game at 38-38, and Reynolds hit two free throws to give the Maize and Blue a 40-38 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the half. Michigan was able to pull ahead, 46-38, as sophomore guard Veronica Hicks' (Chicago, Ill./Thornwood) basket capped an 11-0 spurt. The Golden Gophers cut the Michigan lead to 51-47 at the 4:00 minute mark, but the teams traded buckets with neither taking more than a three-point advantage over the final four minutes.
Michigan jumped out to a 6-0 lead to open the game behind two buckets from senior forward Melinda Queen(Oak Forest, Ill./Carl Sandburg) and held Minnesota scoreless though the first five minutes of the game, but a basket from Ashley Ellis Milan ended the Minnesota drought. The Wolverines had an answer and another bucket from Queen -- her third in the first six minutes -- kept the lead with Michigan.
Minnesota's Kay Sylva hit the game's first three-pointer to cut the U-M lead to 8-5, but back-to-back three-pointers from Benson put the Wolverines up by seven points at the 11:24 mark of the first half. Benson's three-pointers sparked a 14-4 U-M run that saw the Wolverines take a 22-9 lead, their largest lead of the half.
The Gophers began to heat up late in the half and claimed the lead with 17 straight points over a six-minute stretch before Reynolds hit two free throws to draw the Wolverines within 26-24 heading into the break. Sylva led all scorers with 12 points at the break.
The Wolverines next hit the hardwood on Thursday (Feb. 19) when they make the trek to East Lansing, Mich., to take on rival Michigan State. The game is set for a 7 p.m. start in Michigan State's Breslin Center. Fans can catch the action with a free webcast at BigTenNetwork.com and can hear all the action on WLBY AM 1290 with Matt Park and Nick Brandon on the call.
Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423
