Michigan
Detroit
Second-Half Spurt Sends Wolverines Past Detroit
11/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
• Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
• Postgame: Coach Barnes Arico, Players 
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 76, Detroit 57
Records: U-M (1-0), UDM (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 16 -- vs. Bucknell (Crisler Center), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team used a 21-2 run to open the second half to erase an 11-point halftime deficit en route to a 76-57 season-opening win over Detroit on Friday night (Nov. 14) at Crisler Center.
The Wolverines had six players score in double figures, led by senior Shannon Smith's 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor. In her first game in a Michigan uniform, freshman Katelynn Flaherty scored 14 points, which included three three-pointers. Seniors Cyesha Goree (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Nicole Elmblad (10 points, 11 rebounds) each had double-doubles while sophomore Siera Thompson and freshman Jillian Dunston, who also played their first game in the Maize and Blue, added 10 points apiece. Flaherty and Smith had six and five assists, respectively, and Elmblad tallied four blocked shots on the night.
Michigan scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second half -- eight from Flaherty and two from Goree -- to cut the Detroit lead to three (39-36) and force a UDM timeout at the 16:41 mark. Michigan took a 40-39 lead, its first advantage since 13:07 in the first half, off a Smith layup in transition with 15:35 remaining. Thompson followed with a triple at the top of the key, Elmblad scored a layup and Smith canned a jumper to complete the 21-2, increasing the Wolverine lead to 47-39 with 12:59 remaining.
Michigan held Detroit to just six points through the first 12:50 of the second half, taking a 12-point lead (55-43) off junior Madison Ristovski's steal and layup.
Michigan pushed its lead to as many as 22 in the final moments, taking the 19-point win. The Wolverines shot 60.6 percent (20-of-33) from the floor in the second stanza.
Michigan took its first lead of the contest, 12-10, on a Smith jumper in transition at the 13:05 mark, forcing Detroit to call timeout. Detroit pushed its lead to six several times before U-M cut it to four points, 30-26, off a Dunston elbow jumper at the 6:10 mark of the first half.
Detroit took a 37-26 lead into halftime after scoring the final seven points of the frame and holding Michigan without a point for the final 6:10. Dunston led Michigan with eight points and three rebounds off the bench, with Smith scoring seven, Goree going for six and Flaherty chipping in five. U-M shot just 32.4 percent (11-for-34) from the floor in the half compared to 46.2 percent (12-for-26) for the visitors.
The Maize and Blue will be back on the floor in less than 48 hours, facing Bucknell at Crisler Center Sunday afternoon (Nov. 16). Tipoff is at 2 p.m. [ Tickets ]
