Michigan
Detroit
Win at Detroit Makes Guevara U-M's Winningest Coach
11/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DETROIT, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team (No. 17 AP, No. 20 ESPN/USA Today) earned its first win of the season and gave head coach Sue Guevara her school-record 94th victory this afternoon (Sunday, Nov. 18) with a 67-52 victory over Detroit at Calihan Hall. The Wolverines matched a school record with 30 free throws made and shot .811 (30-37) from the stripe in the victory.
Junior center LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) gave a second straight excellent performance, registering game highs in points (24) and rebounds (11) as the Wolverines evened their season mark at 1-1. Bies kept the Wolverines in it throughout and freshman Tabitha Pool (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) helped put the Titans away with 15 points, all in the second half.
The Wolverines fell behind 8-0 early before a layup by Raina Goodlow (Detroit, Mich./Dominican HS) put Michigan on the board. Detroit stretched its lead to as much as 10 (12-2) before Bies started a 10-0 Michigan run that tied the contest at 12 near the 10-minute mark of the first half. Both teams struggled offensively over the next couple of minutes before an offensive rebound and conventional three-point play by Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./DeWitt HS) gave Michigan its first lead (15-14) at the 7:36 mark.
Detroit regained the lead at 18-15, but the Wolverines scored the next eight points to lead 23-18 with less than two minutes left in the half. Bies scored six of the eight points during the run for the Wolverines. Michigan closed the half with a 25-22 lead despite 14 turnovers and a shooting percentage of .286 (8-28).
The Michigan lead could be attributed to a 26-20 edge on the glass and a 9-10 mark from the charity stripe while holding the Titans to a field-goal percentage of 278 (10-36). Detroit only attempted one free throw in the first half. Michigan was led by Bies, who poured in 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in the first half. She was helped on the glass by Heather Oesterle (Mason, Mich./Mason HS), who corralled six in the first stanza.
Michigan maintained a three-point edge for the first seven minutes of the second frame, but back-to-back triples by Detroit gave the Titans a 35-34 lead with 12:25 remaining. Michigan made just two hoops from the field, both courtesy of Bies in the paint, during Detroit's run.
However, Michigan answered right back with its best run of the game and it was started by Pool, who drilled a jumper and triple on consecutive Wolverine possessions. Pool's hoops started a 10-2 Michigan run that gave Michigan a seven-point lead (44-37). Pool continued to take over the contest, scoring eight of Michigan's next nine points to push the Wolverines' lead to double digits (53-43).
Detroit eventually cut the deficit to six (56-50) with 2:27 to play, but Alayne Ingram (Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS) scored a layup on a set play and a nice pass from Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS) and the Wolverines never looked back. Michigan drilled 9-12 from the stripe in the final 1:30 to ice the contest.
The Wolverines continue their four-game, season-opening road swing Friday (Nov. 23) with a 7 p.m. contest at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.
N O T E S
Michigan's 67-52 win makes head coach Sue Guevara the winningest coach in Michigan women's basketball history with 94 wins (94-54). Guevara had been tied with Bud VanDeWege, who won 93 games from 1984-92.
Michigan's 30 free throws made matched a school record which was set against Minnesota on March 3, 1988.
LeeAnn Bies' 24-point, 11-rebound performance is her first double-double of the season and 12th of her career.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game overall ... "Well, we struggled in the first helf mightily and we were not consistent at all. I thought we straightened out a couple of things in the second half and (LeeAnn) Bies and (Tabitha) Pool really stepped up for us in a big way. That is the second straight very good performance we have received from Bies and she deserves a lot of credit. She banged with a lot of very good post players on Friday night, so for her to come right back and play this well is a good sign. However, championship teams are consistent throughout their lineup and that is where we are short right now."
On the play of Tabitha Pool ... "She turned the ball over four times in five minutes in the first half, but I am impressed with the way she was able to put that behind her and get it done in the second half. She made some big plays from the perimeter in the second half that we needed very badly."
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
