Wolverines Fall to Hot-Shooting Cavaliers in Florida

Saturday, December 28

Gainesville, Fla.

5:00 PM

Michigan

Virginia

12/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team could not match the best 10-game start in school history this afternoon (Saturday, Dec. 28), dropping a 78-64 decision to Virginia at the State Farm Classic. Virginia entered the game shooting .402 from the field this season but shot .567 (34-60) today and outscored the Wolverines 52-32 in the paint. Tabitha Pool (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) paced the Michigan attack for the second straight game with 18 points, but Michigan's other four starters combined for just 12 points.

Eight of Reams' 14 points came at the free throw line.

Michigan opened up strong on the offensive end, scoring the first six points of the contest thanks to a pair of hoops from Pool, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week. Pool and LeeAnn Bies (Lakeview, Mich./Lakeview HS) scored Michigan's first 11 points as the Wolverines maintained an early advantage (11-9) with 15 minutes left in the first half. Virginia, however, answered with a quick 5-0 run to take the lead 14-11 on a triple at the 14:15 mark.

Freshman guard Niki Reams (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) came off the bench to convert a conventional three-point play on a tough drive to the hoop and tied the contest at 14 with 13:55 left. Reams scored the next Michigan hoop on an 18-foot jumper to keep the Wolverines in the contest. Virginia, which had scored early and often in the post, then got its outside game going to keep a three-point advantage (21-18) with eight minutes left.

Michigan answered with its own quick run, however, after Michigan coach Sue Guevara went to the bench and found 6-4 junior center Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./DeWitt HS), who like Reams made an immediate impact. Smith scored four straight points, which preceded two free throws from Reams to regain the lead for the Maize and Blue (22-21) at the 6:39 mark. The lead was short-lived as Anna Prillaman drilled a triple for her seventh straight point and started an 11-2 Cavalier run for the biggest lead (32-24) of the half by either squad.

The Wolverines eventually went into the locker room down 36-30 due in large part to a .370 (10-27) shooting eye from the field. Pool paced the Wolverines with 10 points at the intermission while Reams chipped in with nine.

Michigan scored the first bucket of the second frame when freshman guard Lauren Andrews (Houston, Texas/Klein Forest HS) knifed through the lane for a little jumper, but Virginia came right back and actually extended its lead to 12 (48-36) with just under 16 minutes left. The news was even worse for the Wolverines after Bies drew her third foul of the game at the 17:02 mark. With Bies on the bench Michigan went nearly five minutes between field goals and Virginia pushed its lead to 16 (56-40) with 12:40 left in the game. Bies connected on a lefthanded hook to break the Michigan drought but picked up her fourth foul at the 12:12 mark.

The Wolverines responded to the adversity with their best run of the game, which was started by Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS), who nailed a triple for her first points of the contest. The trifecta sparked a 10-0 Michigan rally and brought the Wolverines within six (56-50) with plenty of ballgame left (9:12). The Wolverine then had a couple good looks to trim the lead to four but could not convert, and the Cavaliers kept the lead between six and 12 over the next five minutes, holding a 70-58 edge with 3:47 remaining.

Unfortunately, that was Michigan's last run and Virginia eventually led by as many as 18 (76-58) before closing out the 78-64 victory. Michigan will play in the consolation contest at 5 p.m. Sunday against Massachusetts, which dropped a 78-70 double-overtime decision to host Florida in the second semifinal despite 30 points and 30 rebounds from Jennifer Butler. The Wolverines topped the Minutewomen 91-65 earlier this season (Nov. 29) in Ann Arbor.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Sue Guevara
On the game overall ... "I was really disappointed in our defense because that has been something we have done a nice job with for most of the season, but it let us down today. Offensively we did not get much out of our starting five with the exception of (Tabitha) Pool. We have been a very balanced team this season, but we need more people stepping up than we had today."

N O T E S

Michigan was outrebounded (38-30) for the first time this season.

Tabitha Pool extended her team-best streak of scoring in double figures to nine with her 18-point performance today.

Michigan trailed at the half (36-30) for the second straight game -- and for just the second time this season.

Michigan's record against 2002 NCAA Tournament teams falls to 4-1 with the loss to Virginia.

Jennifer Smith returned to action and scored eight points while grabbing five rebounds in her first action since suffering a knee injury following the Detroit game on Dec. 1.

Niki Reams returned to action after missing one game (vs. Colorado State, Dec. 21) to rest a leg injury.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423