Michigan
1-0,0-0Big Ten
Purdue Fort Wayne
0-1,0-0Horizon
Wolverines Knock Off Purdue Fort Wayne in Season Opener
11/6/2023 10:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team had four players in double figures as the Wolverines knocked off Purdue Fort Wayne, 80-61, in the season opener on Monday night (Nov. 6) at Crisler Center.
Laila Phelia tied her career high with 25 points while going for seven boards and two steals. Jordan Hobbs turned in 13 points, a career-best eight rebounds and four assists, with Cameron Williams (14) and Lauren Hansen (11) also turning in double-figure scoring performances. Michigan held a 44-28 advantage on the glass, turning 19 offensive rebounds into 29 second-chance points.
Hobbs scored the first Michigan points of the year, banking in a three-pointer on U-M's second possession. After the Mastodons took a 5-3 lead, Michigan embarked on a 15-3 run for an 18-8 lead off a Phelia jumper in the lane to force a Purdue Fort Wayne timeout with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter. There were just two more points scored the rest of the way as U-M held an 18-10 lead after 10 minutes.
Michigan ended the second quarter on a 9-0 run over the final 3:24, capped by a Hansen three-point play with just 0.3 seconds left. After a Purdue Fort Wayne turnover in the backcourt, U-M regained possession with just over three seconds remaining. After a failed attempt to get the ball in, Michigan called timeout. Hansen got the ball from Phelia and made good on a shifty layup off the glass and converted the ensuing free throw to send Michigan to the locker room with a 34-20 lead. Hobbs scored four points and Woodson beat the shot clock on a left-handed layup to account for the other six points.
Purdue Fort Wayne opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run, trimming Michigan's lead to seven points, 36-29, with 7:13 remaining in the period. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes but the Mastodons could get no closer than seven points. U-M dialed up the pressure and used a 9-0 run that spanned 1:55 for a 52-34 lead with 3:27 on the third-quarter clock. Taylor Williams had four points, Macy Brown converted a three-point play and Hobbs scored during the spurt.
Michigan held a 56-40 lead after three quarters of action and pushed its lead to 18 in the early stages of the fourth. The Mastodons cut the Michigan lead to 13, 63-50, after a three-pointer with 6:28 remaining, but a Phelia triple off the out-of-bounds play with 4:40 on the clock nudged the lead back to 16. Cameron Williams turned in 10 fourth-quarter points on 5-for-6 shooting as Michigan led by as many as 19 in the final stanza.
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Michigan returns to action on Nov. 14, hosting Oakland at Crisler Center. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
