Kornacki: Wolverines Put on Shooting Clinic to Beat Wisconsin
2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2016
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- What goes into being one of the top shooting teams in the country?
Michigan's women's basketball team put on a clinic in that regard during Thursday night's (Feb. 11) 82-65 win over Wisconsin. The Wolverines used a hot second half to make 30 of 55 shots (.545) for their second-highest accuracy in a Big Ten game this season.
They came into the night ranked fifth in field goal percentage among Division I teams and improved to .490 for the season.
Freshman center Hallie Thome, who ranked fourth in the nation at .653, made seven of 11 shots. She's a definite threat to break Michigan's single-season record of .622 set by Pollyanna Johns in 1997-98.
Sophomore guard Katelynn Flaherty scored 20 of her 23 points in the second half and shot 8-for-17 overall to keep her scoring average at 22.7, good for eighth nationally. That she's knocked down 42 percent of her three-pointers and 52 percent of shots inside the arc for .477 overall is remarkable for a long-range shooter.
That inside-outside combo ranks one-two in shot attempts on the team. But there is so much more to the offense than that duo.
Much of high-percentage shooting occurs before the ball is released, and the Wolverines exemplified that premise against the Badgers.
They had good ball movement thanks to players working to get open and smart passing. They set good screens. Michigan also created fast breaks with tight defense -- especially by junior guard Siera Thompson -- and effective rebounding.
The high-percentage shots often times were the easiest part of the play.
"One of the things we talked about at halftime was to share the basketball a little better," said Wolverine head coach. "They started to double-team us and double-team Hallie and force some turnovers and extend (their defense) on Kate.
"So, it was making extra passes and making extra passes. Down the stretch, we were able to do that. So, when it wasn't Kate and Hallie that were scoring, Kate found Siera for an extra pass, somebody else found Boogie (Brozoski). Somebody found Jillian (Dunston) on a flash when they were double-teaming Hallie down low.
"With those extra passes, your percentage increases the easier the shot gets. So, try to take uncontested shots instead of contested shots. But the amount of time our kids spend on that stuff is incredible. You don't wake up one day being a great shooter. You have to put in the time."
Barnes Arico said the team "got stagnant" by focusing on getting the ball to Flaherty and Thome in the first half, and Thompson really stepped up in the ball-sharing mode to finish with 15 points by making six of 11 shots. Forwards Kelsey Mitchell and Jillian Dunston combined to make four of five shots.
"I feel we share the ball really well," said Thome. "We want to get each other the best shots possible."
Thompson said, "We get a lot of inside touches from our bigs -- Hallie and Kelsey -- and our guards work a lot on shooting and finding each other. That shooting percentage has a lot to do with our work ethic."
She credited assistant coach Megan Duffy, who works with the guards, for getting results.
Thompson said, "Every guard gets extra work off ball screens, off down screens, stationary shots, movement. Everything you could think of, she goes through it so we're ready to play."
Flaherty said she and others take hundreds of shots after the team practices conclude to find that needed edge.
Thompson said the transition game, fueled by 22 defensive rebounds among 28 total rebounds, was most responsible for the high shooting percentage against Wisconsin.
It also was about playing smart.
"We're looking at gaps that are open and how to penetrate," said Thome. "Players can draw two defenders and kick out to an open shooter. And it's attacking and knowing when to attack."
Flaherty played that to perfection late in the game with the shot clock winding down. She drove from the left to the top of the key and lulled the defender into thinking she would take it to the hoop. Instead, Flaherty fired a pass to her left to a wide-open Thompson, who swished a three-pointer.
The Wolverines had it all going in the second half, when they made 62 percent of their shots.
Flaherty drove for a basket midway through the third quarter that was a highlight-reel special. She came in on a straight line to the left of the hoop, picked up her dribble and shot underhanded from the hip. The ball went very high, off the glass, off the front of the rim and in. The crowd at the Crisler Center went wild.
"I have confidence when Katelynn takes those because she's one of the best scorers in the country," said Barnes Arico. "That one helped her get going in the second half. In the first half, they really extended and took away her shot. In the second half, she started to go to the basket a little more."
Flaherty scored on that exciting three-point play and a three-point shot during a 10-0 run late in the third quarter. Thome scored four points on two layups in that stretch that finally put Michigan (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten) in control with a 55-45 lead.
After making 1-of-7 in the first half, Flaherty made 7-of-10 in the second half to score 20 points.
"Katelynn was Katelynn as always," said Thome. "You think she's shut down, but she always finds a way to bounce back. We all have the utmost faith in her because we trust her to hit shots when she needs to."
Flaherty shrugged her shoulders, smiled and said, "If I have to score 20 points in the second half, I'll score 20 points in the second half."
It was a feel-good night for the Wolverines, who shared the ball, the points and the glory.
