Michigan
Stanford
U-M Drops NCAA Overtime Heartbreaker to Stanford
3/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ATHENS, Ga. -- The 1999-2000 season came to a close for the 25th-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team as the Wolverines dropped a heartbreaking 81-74 overtime decision to Stanford Saturday (March 18) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Stegeman Coliseum. Michigan, seeded No. 8 in the West Regional, finishes 22-8 overall record (13-3 Big Ten ), while No. 9 seed Stanford (21-8) advances to the second round to face subregional host Georgia in the second round.
After trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half, the Wolverines battled their way back and tied the game at 62-62 with 2:16 remaining in regulation. Stanford took a two-point lead with 16 seconds remaining but junior Anne Thorius (Horsholm, Denmark/Rungsted Gymnasium) went coast-to-coast and hit a runner in the lane with 3.6 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
The Cardinal scored quickly in the overtime period and pulled away slowly for the seven-point victory, shooting 4-for-4 from the field and 9-of-10 on free throws in the extra period. Michigan made just 3-of-10 shots in OT.
Thorius played in all but one minute of the game and finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in 44 minutes of action. Senior Stacey Thomas (Flint, Mich./Southwestern Academy) followed with 12 points, her 26th double-digit performance of the season, and added five rebounds. Senior Alison Miller (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) helped in the Wolverines' second-half comeback as she finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
Sophomore Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS) and freshman LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) also played significant minutes for the Wolverines down the stretch as their defense helped send the game into overtime. Oesterle finished with seven points, three assists and two rebounds in 25 minutes, while Bies had nine points, five rebounds, two blocks, two steals and an assist in 29 minutes.
The game began with the Wolverines winning the opening tip, and after the teams exchanged turnovers, Raina Goodlow (Detroit, Mich./Dominican HS) put U-M up 2-0 with a layup. However, Stanford took advantage of Michigan's nerves as the Cardinal controlled the first eight minutes of the half with defensive pressure and rebounding, plus strong perimeter shooting. With the game tied at 2-2, Stanford exploded from long range, going 6-of-10 from long range en route to a 22-4 run as the Cardinal built a 22-6 lead with 11:39 remaining.
Miller came out after the subsequent media timeout on fire, hitting for six points and grabbing six rebounds to start a Michigan run of its own. Thomas helped add to the run with seven points as the Wolverines closed in on the Cardinal. Michigan continued to cut into the lead after a Thorius three-pointer and Goodlow rebound putback as Stanford led by seven (36-29) with 2:26 left. Michigan scored the last four points of the half to get withing five (38-33) at halftime.
In the second half, Stanford again built its lead back up to nine, but after back-to-back three-point plays by Thorius and Bies at the 9:00 mark the lead would be just one as Michigan trailed 49-48. The Wolverines took the lead on the next possession on a Bies post layin and went up by four after a Thorius trey.
But Stanford would not give as it went to the inside game. Sarah Dimson and Bethany Donaphin combined for the next 13 Cardinal points and Stanford held a five-point lead with 3:02 to go. An Alanye Ingram (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS) three-pointer drew the Wolverines within two with 2:48 to go. Stanford used 2-of-4 free throws to hold a 64-62 lead before Thorius' runner sent the game into overtime.
N O T E S
Michigan drops to 1-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, with the lone win at Oklahoma State in the 1990 NCAA first round (77-68). The Wolverines lost at North Carolina State 81-64 in the 1990 second round and fell 65-58 to UCLA in the 1998 NCAA first round.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Sue Guevara
On Michigan's pregame preparations ... "I told the team before we went out that this was going to be a big middleweight fight and that when the game was over that they needed to come back in the locker room with nothing left."
On falling behind early ... "I think that [our players] gave it everything they had but we came up short. We dug ourselves too big a hole and though we came back I think it cost us a little bit down the stretch."
On the season ... "This team accomplished a lot this year. We're disappointed with this loss but it's been a good year."
Stanford Head Coach Tara VanDerveer
On Michigan ... "Michigan has an excellent team and credit their coach Sue (Guevara) for the toughness their team exhibited tonight. We got them down early in the game and they did not give up. They made some big plays to keep themselves in the game."
Contact: Becky Olsen (734) 763-4423
