Michigan
Purdue
Wolverines Drop Conference Home Opener to Purdue
12/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team dropped its first conference home game of the season with a 65-54 loss at the hands of No. 8 Purdue Saturday (Dec. 30) at Crisler Arena. Sophomore LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) led Michigan with 15 points, five rebounds and a career-high six steals.
Purdue (12-3, 2-0 Big Ten) controlled the opening tip and marched right down the floor, connecting on its opening possession with a lay-in from Camille Cooper. Michigan (8-4, 1-1 Big Ten) responded with a turnaround jumper from Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS). The pace of the game picked up as the two teams raced up and down the floor. But the Boilermakers went down and struck again and again, building a seven-point lead off a triple from Kelly Komara and an inside bucket from Cooper, then capitalizing off a Katie Douglas steal and lay-in to put the Boilermakers up 9-2.
The Wolverines snapped their scoring drought by responding on their next possession with a long-range triple from Anne Thorius (Horsholm, Denmark/Rungsted Gymnasium). However, Purdue came right back with quick strikes inside as the Boilermakers maintained their seven-point lead, 16-9 with 14:30 to go.
The game then slowed over the next three minutes as the Boilermakers held their seven-point lead with both teams exchanging turnovers and missed scoring opportunities. After a media timeout, Michigan finally broke the near five-minute scoring drought as Alayne Ingram (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS) hit a running jumper to cut the Purdue lead to 16-11. Ingram continued her offensive presence as she hit another running jumper, followed with a Smith inside basket and Bies turnaround jumper to trim the Boilermaker lead to just two, 21-19, with 7:35 remaining.
After a media timeout, Purdue went back to the post as Shalicia Hurns picked up a conventional three-point play. The two teams then went back and forth exchanging baskets, as Purdue still had a five-point margin, 28-23, with 3:39 to go. After both teams exchanged layup baskets, Bies was fouled and connected on both free throws to cut the lead to five, 32-27, with less than a minute remaining. After another foul underneath by Purdue, Bies hit another pair of free throws give the Boilermakers just a three-point advantage. But a Komara lay-in with time expiring pushed the lead back to five, giving the Boilermakers a 34-29 halftime lead.
The second half began as the first did with the Boilermakers going inside to Cooper for an inside lay-in. Michigan tried to slow the game down, but a Valek steal and subsequent lay-in forced a Michigan timeout as the Wolverines trailed 39-29 with 18:34 remaining. After the timeout, Michigan missed its jumper, but a Bies steal and three-point play got Michigan on the board in the second half.
After the two teams exchanged misses, Thorius went coast to coast and was fouled to cut the lead to four. She missed the free throw, but on the following possession, Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS) stripped the Purdue guard of the ball and broke in for an uncontested lay-in to cut the deficit to just two (40-38), forcing a Purdue timeout.
Purdue then scored on its next three possessions to push its lead back to nine (47-38), forcing a Michigan timeout with 13:14 to go. Douglas gave Purdue its first double-digit lead on an inside lay-in, putting the Boilermakers up 49-38. A pair of Ingram free throws snapped the Wolverine cold streak and cut the lead back to nine. The Boilermaker lead was pushed to 14, 54-40, as the Wolverines continued their cold shooting.
U-M's Raina Goodlow (Detroit, Mich./Dominican HS) hit a turnaround jumper and combined with a Bies steal and Gandy layup to cut the Purdue lead to 10 with 8:05 to go. Michigan cut the lead to seven, 54-47, after a Goodlow hit her first free throw then missed the second, only to have Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS) rebound the ball and swing a pass to Bies for a lay-in. After a Purdue timeout, the Boilermakers got back on track and pushed their lead back to 10, 59-49, with 5:39 remaining.
Purdue continued to capitalize on Michigan mistakes as the Boilermakers pushed their lead to 13, 62-49, with 3:51 remaining. The Boilermakers then slowed the pace down as they continued to hold their double-digit lead and finished the game with a 65-54 win.
The Wolverines stay in Ann Arbor for their next contest as they take on Wisconsin at 7 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 4).
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game ... "Purdue is a very, very good basketball team. I think they are deep, they have leadership, they have a good inside-outside game. We didn't have anyone who took over the game. As much as they like to penetrate, they didn't defend as well today and we needed someone to penetrate for us. The good thing is that it is a new year ... and that is a good thing. We just have to be able to find the right lineup. We will watch the tape and go over it tomorrow and learn from this."
On the missed opportunities ... "The fact is we had layups and that is a pretty high-percentage shot, but we just didn't get the ones we needed."
On taking away some positives from this game ... "There is no consolation in a loss, playing the way that we did. I still think we can play and win the Big Ten. I think that we need to just learn to hit the open shots and defend and that is something we will continue to work on. There will be some changes made and hopefully those will work."
Senior Guard Anne Thorius
On the game ... "First of all we weren't consistent. We have a lot of talented players on this team, but we have to come out and show that talent."
On the offense ... "We love to get the ball into the post and they like to kick it out, so we just have to learn to play against the zone and work at the offense. If we can't run the offense the way we want to, we definitely need to learn to penetrate, kick it out or even shoot it when we get an open look."
Sophomore Center LeeAnn Bies
On the game ... "It's always difficult to come out and play hard and not come away with a win. But you have to work hard, learn from it and move on. We have a lot of work to do against the zone."
N O T E S
-- LeeAnn Bies set a career best with six steals.
-- Michigan's 65-54 loss to Purdue was its first Big Ten home loss in 10 games. Michigan last lost a home Big Ten game on Feb. 19, 1999, dropping a 78-75 decision to Iowa.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
