Michigan
17-11, 8-7
Iowa
21-7, 9-5
Michigan's Rally Comes Up Just Short against Iowa
2/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2014
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Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Iowa 74, Michigan 70
Records: U-M (17-11, 8-7 B1G), Iowa (21-7, 9-5 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 1 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 3:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team erased a 16-point second-half deficit and took a three-point lead with 4:09 left, but Iowa scored 11 of the final 15 points in the game for a 74-70 win on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 22) at Crisler Center.
Senior forward Val Driscoll (Stoughton, Mass./Archbishop William) scored a career-best 18 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the floor and grabbed six rebounds. Junior guard Shannon Smith (Gastonia, N.C./Forestview [Trinity Valley CC]) went for 15 points and three steals, with junior guard Nicole Elmblad (St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle) recorded 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Michigan shot 50.8 percent (31-for-61) from the floor and outrebounded the Hawkeyes, 32-20.
Michigan started the game with a flurry, using six points from Smith and a free throw jumper from Driscoll for an 8-0 lead just 1:54 into the game, resulting in an Iowa timeout.
The Wolverines pushed their early lead to 13-0, before Iowa scored at the 16:54 mark. The Hawkeyes chipped away at the Michigan lead, eventually taking a seven-point lead (32-25) with 4:56 showing on the clock. Driscoll scored on a putback, and junior forward Cyesha Goree (Grand Rapids, Mich./Wyoming Park) made her first shot of the day to get the Wolverines back within three, 32-29, with 3:24 left in the half; but the Hawkeyes closed the frame on an 8-2 run for a 40-31 halftime advantage.
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Driscoll led Michigan with 10 points and five rebounds at the break, with Smith going for eight and Elmblad chipping in six. Iowa shot 58.3 percent (14-for-24) from the floor, compared to 43.8 percent (14-for-32) for Michigan. U-M won the battle on the glass, 18-10. The Hawkeyes hit six triples in the first half on 50 percent shooting, with the Wolverines hitting just 1-for-5 from behind the line.
Iowa scored the first seven points out of the halftime break for a 47-31 lead, before Goree scored with 17:00 left to stop the Iowa run. A Smith layup cut the Iowa lead to 52-46, but the Hawkeyes hit a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to push the lead back to nine, 55-46, with 13:19 on the clock.
An Elmblad three-point play with 11:41 on the clock ignited an 11-0 run for the Wolverines, who tied the game at 58 off a Smith layup in transition with 8:58 remaining. Sandwiching the three-point play and Smith's layup were back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore guard Madison Ristovski (Sterling Heights, Mich./Liggett) to complete the run.
Following an Iowa timeout, Michigan scored four straight points on layups from Driscoll and Goree for a 62-58 advantage with 6:49 left.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch, but a free throw from Iowa to break a 68-68 tie gave the Hawkeyes the lead for good with 1:51 left. Michigan got several looks on its next few possessions but only scored again on a Smith layup with 10 seconds remaining. Michigan was forced to foul on the change of possession, and Iowa hit one of two free throws for the four-point win.
The Wolverines wrap up the regular season next Saturday (March 1) at Penn State. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
Contact: Sarah VanMetre (vanmetre@umich.edu)
