Michigan
Minnesota
Wolverines Bury Minnesota, Go To 2-0 in Big Ten
1/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- A record shooting performance from the three-point arc and balanced scoring helped the University of Michigan women's basketball team to a 77-53 road victory over Minnesota on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 2) at the Sports Pavilion. With the win, the Wolverines (10-3, 2-0 Big Ten) are off to a 2-0 start in the Big Ten Conference for the first time in school history.
Senior forward Stacey Thomas (Flint, Mich./Southwestern Academy) and sophomore forward Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS) scored 14 points apiece to lead the Wolverines. Thomas grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, while senior center Alison Miller (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) and sophomore forward Raina Goodlow (Detroit, Mich./Dominican HS) each added 12 points.
Michigan shot 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from three-point range to set a school record, breaking the mark of .667 (10-of-15) against Northwestern on March 1, 1996, in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan made 8-of-11 (.727) triple tries in the first half. Overall, the Wolverines shot 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the field while holding Minnesota to an opponent-low .270 mark (17-of-63).
After trading baskets early, Michigan used an 14-5 run -- including two treys each from Thomas and junior point guard Anne Thorius (Horsholm, Denmark/Runsted Gymnasium) -- to open up a 22-10 lead with 11:59 left in the first half. The Golden Gophers (7-5, 1-1) cut the lead back down to six (22-16) but a conventional three-point play by Miller started a 15-4 run that helped the Wolverines to a comfortable 40-24 halftime advantage.
Michigan maintained its double-digit lead throughout the second half and pulled away for its third straight win over Minnesota and its eighth victory in the last nine meetings. Oesterle came off the bench for nine points and five rebounds during the second half.
All 11 Wolverines who played got into the scoring column, including junior forward Katie Dykhouse (Grand Rapids, Mich./Christian HS), who scored her first two points of the season, and sophomore guard Susana Jara (Quito, Ecuador/Tustin [Calif.] HS), who collected her first career points on a 14-foot jumper.
Next up for the Wolverines is a Thursday (Jan. 6) contest at Indiana. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at the Hoosiers' Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
N O T E S
With four steals against the Golden Gophers, Stacey Thomas raised her career total to 324, just three short of the Big Ten Conference record of 327 held by Wisconsin's Keisha Anderson (1994-97).
Michigan is in the middle of a nine-game stretch in which it plays seven road games. The Wolverines are 3-2 so far in the stretch and face upcoming games at Indiana (Jan. 6), at home against defending national champion Purdue (Jan. 9), at Illinois (Jan. 17) and at Wisconsin (Jan. 20).
Contact: Becky Olsen (734) 763-4423
