Kornacki: Ristovski Sparks Wolverines in WNIT Opener
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 18, 2015
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- It wasn't easy for Madison Ristovski to find her niche on this season's Michigan women's basketball team.
She established herself as a long-range scorer off the bench as a sophomore, setting the school record with 47-percent accuracy on three-point shots and averaging 8.9 points.
But as a junior, she was averaging only 4.3 points per game on Feb. 21. There was a new instant offense bomber in freshman Katelynn Flaherty, recently named the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year and the Michigan leader with 74 three-pointers.
Ristovski, though, has found her role down the stretch and into the postseason. She got the Wolverines off to a quick start in Wednesday night's 72-50 win over Cleveland State in the WNIT opener at Crisler Center, finishing with 15 points and two assists.
"My role has changed every year," said Ristovski. "Last year, I was more of a three-point shooter. And now my role has changed to what's needed in a given game. The last couple of games, I just realized I needed to be more of a scorer."
And she set the tone in this game by doing a lot of early scoring, getting eight points in the first three minutes of play.
The versatile, 5-10 guard from Sterling Heights, Michigan, drove to the hoop for her first basket before draining a pair of treys to give her team a 10-0 lead. And it was never really a ballgame as the lead got as high as 27 points.
"We came out of the gates really focused on both ends," said Wolverine head coach Kim Barnes Arico, who shook up her starting lineup based on a points system that rewarded success in various areas during the last week of practice.
Ristovski earned just her second start since December with her practice performance, while freshman forward Emoni Jackson got her first start, and guard Danielle Williams was rewarded with her first start in more than one month.
"Madison and Emoni were both sensational," said Barnes Arico, who got eight points from Jackson after she'd scored only four all season. "Danielle Williams was outstanding. She doesn't score for us (two points Wednesday) but does so many other great things."
They started along with seniors Cyesha Goree (18 points, eight rebounds) and Nicole Elmblad (11 rebounds, 3 points), who switched from forward to guard to accommodate the starting lineup determined by practice. The move worked against Cleveland State, which had a small lineup.
"Whoever won the week was going to get the opportunity to start," said Barnes Arico. "And the practices this week were so competitive and so challenging. And it showed tonight in the way that we played."
Ristovski was as responsible for that as anybody.
"Madison's been practicing really well, and she's played well down the stretch," said Barnes Arico. "She's back to playing like she was last year, and she's playing with a lot of confidence. She's very comfortable and playing really hard. And she's making shots for us that our other guards are really struggling with a little bit right now.
"She's playing at a high level. She understands the game and is one of our best passers. She's one of the best in terms of knowing what's going on and helping the younger kids. I was proud of the way she played tonight but knew coming in because she had a good week of practice."
While her three-point shooting percentage is down to .344 (32 of 93), Ristovski is making an impact with an all-around game. She found Goree cutting to the basket for an easy score and drove and dished to Jackson for another bucket. Ristovski often started plays out top with smart, well-timed passes.
"To be honest," she said, "I would rather pass the ball and get the assist than score. To see someone else score is most rewarding to me, and that's the strength of my game."
But she was 3-for-6 from beyond the arc against Cleveland State, looking like she did last season while making 54 of 116 attempts to set the shooting-percentage mark.
"Teams understood that I am a three-point shooter and may have changed their defense up on me," said Ristovski. "And this year's team is very different, too. We were more of a transition team last year, and this year we have more people who can score."
The roll that she started by scoring 15 points in each of the last two regular season games against Purdue and Illinois continued. Ristovski is averaging 12.5 points over her last four games and made a sharp 54 percent of her shots in those contests.
Goree admires how Ristovski worked through her challenges.
"You have to keep grinding and pushing until you come through," said Goree. "And it's tough. The fact that Madison is always in the gym taking extra shots, watching more film and doing the little things she can do to get better. And now she's out of that hole, and it's good to see her moving and confident. She's really confident, and it's nice to see that person on the court again."
How did Ristovski get through the "tough" stretch, when playing time dwindled and she went 20 consecutive games without double-figure scoring?
"Every player wants to be in the game and play," said Ristovski. "That's why we're here. But always, I am going be there for my teammates. And if I'm on the bench, I'm going to be cheering for them to score. At the end of the game, it's about the team and not me."
It sounds like Barnes Arico might have her captain for next year in Ristovski, whatever her playing role might be.
"The starting group really earned those starts this week in practice," said Barnes Arico, who wouldn't commit to her starting lineup for the next game.
The Wolverines will play the winner of Friday's game between Wright State and Toledo hosted by the Rockets. Cleveland State beat Toledo, 81-71, in its home opener. Wright State beat Cleveland State, 99-87, in the Horizon League semifinals. Though, the Vikings did split a regular-season series with Wright State.
Barnes Arico was handed a microphone after the game and told fans that she's hoping for a Sunday home game in the next round, but that has yet to be determined.
"We still have a chance to do something that hasn't been done here at Michigan by winning the WNIT," said Goree. "Everybody is committed and focused on doing that right now."
Ristovski added, "Five games left. That's what we're saying."
• Michigan Jumps On Cleveland State Early in WNIT First-Round Win
