Michigan
18-13
Wright State
24-11
Third-Quarter Blitz Pushes Michigan Past Wright State
3/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 16, 2016
» Katelynn Flaherty scored 22 points for her 20th 20-point game of the season, and Siera Thompson scored a season-best 19 points.
» Danielle Williams scored a career-best 12 points to go with four rebounds and four steals in 19 minutes.
• Box Score | Photo Gallery 
| WNIT Bracket
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Event: WNIT (First Round)
Score: Michigan 81, Wright State 53
Records: U-M (18-13), WSU (24-11)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 19 -- vs. Akron or Bucknell (Crisler Center), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team outscored Wright State, 23-7, in the third quarter en route to an 81-53 win over the Raiders in the first round of the WNIT on Wednesday evening (March 16) inside Crisler Center.
Sophomore Katelynn Flaherty scored 22 points to lead a trio of double-figure scorers. Junior Siera Thompson scored a season-best 19 points to go with six assists and five rebounds, with classmate Danielle Williams scoring a career-high 12 points with four rebounds and four steals. Michigan shot 49.3 percent (34-for-69) from the field on the strength of a 54.3-percent (19-for-35) clip in the second half. Freshman Hallie Thome grabbed 11 rebounds as U-M held a slight 41-40 lead on the glass.
Michigan opened the third quarter by scoring six of the first eight points, highlighted by a Flaherty steal and score in transition as Wright State called timeout with 7:51 left as U-M led 43-34. Out of the timeout, Michigan hit back-to-back jumpers from Flaherty and senior Madison Ristovski for a 48-35 lead at the 6:41 mark.
The Wolverines continued to push, with Flaherty scoring another five straight points as Michigan took an 18-point lead, 53-35, with 3:24 left. Wright State finally put through its first field goal of the quarter with 2:32 on the third-quarter clock as Michigan led 53-37.
U-M ended the frame on a 7-2 spurt, capped by a triple from Thompson at the top of the key as time expired to send the Wolverines to the fourth with a 60-39 lead.
Michigan led by as many as 28 in the final quarter en route to the win.
Michigan trailed 19-17 after the first quarter but opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run, capped by a Thompson jumper to beat the shot clock with 4:51 left to force a Wright State timeout. Williams followed with an elbow jumper as Michigan pushed the lead to six points. U-M kept the Raiders off the board for 5:54 in the period until WSU hit a triple to end the drought.
The Wolverines hit the break with a 37-32 lead, led by 13 points from Thompson, 10 from Williams and seven from Flaherty. Michigan shot 44.1 percent (15-for-34) from the floor in the first half compared to 32.4 percent (12-for-37) from the Raiders. Thome grabbed nine rebounds.
Michigan will host either Akron or Bucknell on Saturday (March 19) at 2 p.m. at Crisler Center.
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Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre
