Michigan
12-1,2-0Big Ten
Nebraska
10-4,2-1Big Ten
Fast Start Sends Wolverines Past Huskers for KBA's 500th Win
12/28/2022 9:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never looked back, getting a 76-59 road win at Nebraska on Wednesday evening (Dec. 28) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The win marked the 500th career victory for J. Ira and Nicki Harris Head Women's Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico, making her the fifth active coach in the Big Ten to reach 500.
Michigan never trailed in the contest and had four double-figure scorers, led by Leigha Brown's 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Emily Kiser went for 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, with Maddie Nolan scoring a season-best 16 points on the strength of four triples. Laila Phelia rounded out Michigan's double-figure scorers with 12 points, including four points in the final minute of the second quarter to stop a Nebraska run.
Michigan (12-1, 2-0 B1G) opened the game on a 9-0 run, getting seven points from Kiser and a layup from Nolan. U-M held Nebraska off the board for nearly three minutes before the Huskers scored, and Michigan continued its stellar defense over the rest of the first quarter, allowing just five points en route to a 19-5 lead after 10 minutes of action as five Wolverines found the scoring column.
Phelia nailed a corner triple on Michigan's opening possession of the second quarter, extending Michigan's lead to 22-5. After a Huskers score, Greta Kampschroeder answered with a three-point play for a 25-7 lead at the 8:36 mark of the second quarter.
The Huskers (10-4, 2-1 B1G) countered with seven straight points, cutting Michigan's lead to 25-14 before Nolan hit her second triple of the opening frame to double up the Huskers with 6:37 to go before the half.
The home team embarked on a 9-1 run to get within eight, 31-23, with 58 seconds left in the second quarter as Michigan called timeout. U-M got back-to-back buckets from Phelia, including a pullup jumper as time expired that send U-M to the locker room with a 35-26 lead.
The teams went back and forth to start the third quarter before Michigan grabbed a 39-30 lead on a Brown pullup and Nolan hit a triple off the offensive rebound for a 42-32 lead with 7:01 remaining in the the period.
Nebraska cut it to six several times but Michigan had an answer each time as its lead never dipped below two possessions. Michigan headed to the fourth with a 51-41 lead after Kiser split a pair of free throws with 6.3 second remaining in the third.
The teams started cold in the fourth before Cameron Williams scored nearly two minutes in. Nebraska countered with a deep triple, but Michigan scored five straight for a 58-44 lead off a Kiser corner triple to force a Huskers timeout at the 6:22 mark.
Nolan banged another triple and Brown scored for a 63-44 lead with 5:05 to go, as the Huskers did not have another run in them.
Michigan completes its road swing next time out, traveling to Columbus to face No. 3-ranked Ohio State on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 31). The game, set for 1 p.m. at the Covelli Center, can be seen live on the Big Ten Network.
