Michigan
2-0
Liberty
1-1
Wolverines Run Past Liberty in Preseason WNIT
11/12/2017 5:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» Senior Katelynn Flaherty led a quartet of double-figure scorers for Michigan, finishing with a game-high 20 points, including a 10-for-10 showing from the free throw line. She is nine points away from becoming Michigan's all-time leading scorer.
» Hallie Thome chipped in 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting, Nicole Munger had 13 points and Hailey Brown went for 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.
» With the win, U-M advances to the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT and will face the winner of Louisville and Toledo later this week.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Event: Preseason WNIT (Second Round)
Score: No. 24 Michigan 74, Liberty 50
Records: U-M (2-0), LU (1-1)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Nov. 16 -- vs. Louisville/Toledo (site TBA)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Katelynn Flaherty led a quartet of double-figure scorers as the No. 24-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team ran past Liberty, 74-50, in the second round of the Preseason WNIT on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 12) inside Crisler Center.
Flaherty went for 20 points and five assists, taking advantage of five trips to the free throw line and finishing 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. Junior Hallie Thome battled foul trouble all game but was still effective, turning in 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting along with three rebounds and a pair of blocks. Junior Nicole Munger turned in 13 points, and freshman Hailey Brown had her first double-figure scoring game, recording 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Michigan shot 49 percent (24-for-49) from the floor and hit 21-of-26 free throw attempts in a game it led by as many as 30 points.
Michigan trailed just once in the contest in the opening minute of the game before Flaherty's first triple of the game at the 8:34 mark gave Michigan a lead it never relinquished.
Michigan's lead hit double digits for the first time off a pair of Thome free throws for a 21-11 edge in the first 20 seconds of the second quarter. A steal-and-score by freshman Deja Church at the 9:03 mark pushed Michigan's lead to 13 just moments later.
After their lead was trimmed to 12 points, the Wolverines ended the second quarter on an 8-0 run over the final 1:16, capped by a Munger steal and layup from sophomore Akienreh Johnson with 17 seconds on the clock. U-M hit the break with a 46-26 halftime lead, courtesy of 15 first-half points from Flaherty and 10 from Thome. Michigan took advantage of hot shooting in the first 20 minutes, hitting 52.2 percent (12-for-23) of its shots, and got 19 points from the free throw line.
Michigan outscored Liberty, 17-10, in the third quarter as six Wolverines scored in the frame. Making the most of her time spelling Thome, who picked up her fourth foul, sophomore Kayla Robbins scored four points with two boards, an assist and a steal in eight minutes.
U-M led by as many as 30 points in the final quarter, as all 10 Wolverines who were dressed saw action for the second straight game.
The Maize and Blue will play again Thursday (Nov. 16) when they face the winner of Tuesday's (Nov. 14) Toledo-Louisville game in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT. The location and time of Michigan's semifinal will be announced after the Toledo-Louisville game.
