Michigan
1-0,0-0Big Ten
Delaware State
0-2,0-0MEAC
Fast Start, Defense Propel Michigan Past Delaware State
11/9/2022 8:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team scored the first 14 points of the game and never looked back in an 83-30 season-opening win over Delaware State on Wednesday (Nov. 9) at Crisler Center.
U-M had three players in double figures, led by Laila Phelia's 20 points, three rebounds and three assists. Emily Kiser had an all-around game, going for 15 points, six boards, five assists, two steals and two blocks in 26 minutes of action. Cameron Williams turned in a career-high 13 points to go with six boards. Michigan shot 46.4 percent (32-for-69) from the floor and hit 11 three-pointers, the 16th time in program history the Wolverines have made at least 11 from distance.
Michigan's opening 14-0 run came courtesy of Williams and Phelia, as Williams scored the first four and last two points of the spurt. Phelia hit a pair of triples and hit a pull-up jumper in the lane sandwiched between Williams' points.
Delaware State got on the board with a free throw at the 4:04 mark and did not score from the floor until 2:37 remaining in the first period. Michigan led 19-4 after 10 minutes, with Phelia and Williams accounting for 15 points.
U-M's lead grew to as many as 26 points in the second quarter but Delaware State hit three three-pointers in the period as Michigan hit the halftime break with a 40-18 lead. Phelia paced the Wolverines with 10 first-half points as eight Wolverines found the scoring column in the first 20 minutes.
Delaware State scored the first bucket of the third, hitting a three-pointer on its opening possession before Michigan closed with a 21-0 run. U-M held the visitors scoreless over the final 9:36 of the third quarter, getting eight more points from Phelia and six from Kiser in the stanza.
Michigan's defense carried over into the fourth quarter, as Delaware State did not score for the first 3:04 of the period, resulting in a 12:40 scoring drought for the Hornets. The Wolverines held Delaware State to single-digit scoring in the final frame, while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor (9-for-17) over the final 10 minutes to record their ninth straight season-opening win.
U-M is back in action on Friday (Nov. 11), hosting St. Francis (Pa.) at 7 p.m. The Wolverines will raise their 2022 Elite Eight banner prior to the contest, with the ceremony slated to start at approximately 6:35 p.m.
