Weekly Release #5
12/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 10 -- at Oakland (Rochester, Mich.), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 -- vs. Seton Hall (Crisler Arena), 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 21 -- vs. Colorado State (Crisler Arena), 11:30 a.m.
Complete Release in PDF (22 pages, 114 KB)
| Michigan (5-1) vs. Oakland (2-3) | |
| When | Tuesday, Dec. 10 (7 p.m.) |
| Site | Rochester, Mich. (Athletics Center O'rena/4,005) |
| Television/Internet | none |
| Radio/Internet | none |
| Series Record | Series Tied, 4-4 |
| Last Meeting | Michigan, 71-42 (12/21/01 in Ann Arbor, Mich.) |
| Coaches | Michigan -- Sue Guevara (Saginaw Valley, 1982) Overall: 115-67 (7th season); at U-M: same Oakland -- Eileen Shea-Hilliard (Michigan State, 1991) Overall -- 2-3 (1st season); at OU: same |
| Michigan (5-1) vs. Seton Hall (4-2) | |
| When | Saturday, Dec. 14 (3 p.m.) |
| Site | Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena/13,751) |
| Television/Internet | UMTV/MGoBlue.com |
| Radio/Internet | none/MGoBlue.com |
| Series Record | First meeting |
| Coaches | Michigan -- Sue Guevara (Saginaw Valley, 1982) Overall: 115-67 (7th year); at U-M: same Seton Hall -- Phyllis Mangina (Seton Hall, 1981) Overall -- 249-243 (18th season); at SHU: same |
QUICK DRIBBLES
Michigan lost for the first time this season, dropping a 75-64 decision at Xavier on Sunday (Dec. 8) after becoming just the third Michigan team to start a season 5-0. The 1999-2000 team started 7-0, while the 1989-90 squad opened up 6-0.
Freshman guard Niki Reams leads the Wolverines with 20 assists and is one of three freshman guards for the Wolverines, along with Lauren Andrews and Mie Burlin, to have a positive assist-turnover ratio.
Junior forward Jennifer Smith, who led Michigan in scoring (20.0) and rebounding (7.3) through the first four games, is out with a knee injury. Head coach Sue Guevara expects Smith to remain out of action for only a short period of time.
After scoring just three points in the season opener, sophomore forward Tabitha Pool has scored in double digits in a team-best five straight games, including back-to-back double-doubles in wins over Detroit (Dec. 1) and Saint Louis (Dec. 7).
After hitting for a Michigan season-best 31 points against Xavier, LeeAnn Bies is just 18 points shy of becoming the ninth player in Michigan history to reach 1,250 career points. Bies is also 12 rebounds shy of 700 for her career.
After entering the season with nine career three-point field goals, junior Stephanie Gandy already has eight triples in the first six games of this season.
Opening Tip
The University of Michigan women's basketball team closes out a three-game road trip by facing Oakland on Tuesday (Dec. 10, 7 p.m.) at the Athletics Center O'rena in Rochester, Mich., before returning home on Saturday (Dec. 14, 3 p.m.) to take on Seton Hall at Crisler Arena. The Michigan-Oakland matchup pits teacher vs. pupil when Sue Guevara and the Wolverines (5-1) face the Golden Grizzlies (2-3), who are coached by longtime Michigan assistant Eileen Shea-Hilliard. Michigan's contest vs. Seton Hall (4-2) on Saturday will be its first ever against the Big East school.
Promotions
Fans attending Michigan's game against Seton Hall can receive half-price admission ($2 for adults; $1 for children and senior citizens) with the donation of a non-perishable food item. All food will be donated to Food Gatherers of Ann Arbor.
Over the Air
The Michigan-Seton Hall contest will be televised live locally in the Ann Arbor area on UMTV, with the audio and video feeds of the television broadcast also available live on MGoBlue.com, the official website of Michigan Athletics. Doug Karsch provides the play-by-play.
The Opponents
Oakland (2-3) -- After winning two of their first three, the defending Mid-Continent tournament champions have dropped consecutive games, at home vs. Michigan State (88-77, Dec. 5) and at Georgia (99-56, Dec. 8). Senior guard Katie Wolfe paces Oakland, averaging 23.0 points, including 15-33 (.455) from behind the arc. Sophomore forward Amanda Batcha averages 12.4 boards for the Golden Grizzlies. Oakland is shooting almost as well from the three-point line (.427, 41-96) as it is from the field (.434, 125-288). Oakland on the Internet: www.ougrizzlies.com
Seton Hall (4-2) -- The Pirates come to Ann Arbor riding a two-game win streak, having defeated Fairfield (85-50, Dec. 7) and California (66-56, Dec. 1). Seton Hall's losses have come against Temple (61-57, Nov. 26) and San Francisco (62-44, Nov. 29). Junior forward Charlene Thomas leads the Pirates in scoring (16.7) and is one of three players averaging at least eight rebounds (8.0). Opponents are shooting just .360 against Seton Hall and averaging 55.7 points. Seton Hall on the Internet: www.ougrizzlies.com
Tourney Teams
Oakland represents the third team Michigan has played this season that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Michigan defeated Creighton 75-66 on Nov. 22 in its season opener at Crisler Arena and then knocked off No. 24 UC Santa Barbara 70-64 at home on Nov. 25.
Familiar with the Wolverines
The Michigan-Oakland matchup will not have many secrets with the Wolverines going up against their former assistant coach of six seasons, Eileen Shea-Hilliard, who took the Oakland post on Nov. 4, 2002, exactly 12 days before Michigan's first exhibition game. Shea-Hilliard spent six seasons as an assistant under Sue Guevara at Michigan -- the longest of any assistant under Guevara -- and helped lead the Wolverine program from perennial cellar dwellers to a program that has made five straight postseason appearances, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Shea-Hilliard also played at Michigan State (1988-91) while Guevara held an assistant coaching position.
Michigan-Oakland Last Year
The Wolverines and Oakland are meeting for the second straight season after the Wolverines earned a 71-42 win at Crisler Arena on Dec. 21, 2001. The Wolverines held Oakland to .237 (14-59) shooting while Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./DeWitt HS) tallied a game-high 22 points. Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS) came off the bench to score 15, while LeeAnn Bies grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. The win was the last of a Michigan-record 10-game win streak.
Big East Foe
Michigan and Seton Hall's meeting is the first ever between the schools in women's basketball and is Michigan's only matchup this year against the Big East. The Wolverines went 2-0 last season against the Big East with wins over Syracuse (87-76, Nov. 25, 2001) and Notre Dame (78-63, Dec. 2, 2001). Sue Guevara is 5-1 all-time against the Big East:
Guevara Against the Big East
| School | Record |
| Notre Dame | 1-1 |
| Providence | 1-0 |
| St. John's | 1-0 |
| Syracuse | 2-0 |
| Total | 5-1 |
Feeling the Loss
One of the aspects of replacing the injured Jennifer Smith in the starting lineup with fellow junior Stephanie Gandy is that it shortens a Michigan bench that was a huge strength for the Wolverines through the first four games. With Gandy providing instant offense off the bench, the Wolverines' bench was outscoring the opposition by an average of more than 10 points during the first four wins, winning the bench scoring each contest. However, without Smith at the Provident Bank Xavier Invitational this past weekend, Michigan's bench was outscored by both Saint Louis (21-15) and Xavier (16-8).
Michigan Splits Pair in Season's First Road Trip
With an all-freshman backcourt and without leading scorer and rebounder Jennifer Smith, the Wolverines undertook their first road trip of the season this past weekend at the Provident Bank Xavier Invitational at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Stephanie Gandy poured in a season-best 22 points to help the Wolverines narrowly escape Saint Louis 61-56 on Saturday (Dec. 7) to advance to the championship game against host Xavier on Sunday (Dec. 8). Despite a Michigan season-best 31 points from LeeAnn Bies, Michigan could not overcome being outscored 24-6 from behind the arc in a 75-64 loss.
Respect
While Michigan's 4-0 start left the Wolverines knocking on the door of both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls, they were placed No. 24 by the website womenscollegehoops.com in its weekly top 50 on Dec. 2. Following its first loss of the season, 5-1 Michigan dropped one spot to No. 25 in the Dec. 9 ranking.
Bies Showcases All-Around Game
Although LeeAnn Bies' 31-point performance garnered much of the headlines this past weekend, it is her defensive effort that continues to make her a viable All-Big Ten or All-American candidate. In addition to being Michigan's No. 2 scorer (14.3) and co-rebounding leader (7.3), the senior is leading the Wolverines in blocks (2.3) and steals (1.7). Bies entered last weekend's Xavier Invitational leading the Big Ten with an average of 2.5 blocks. Bies' previous career-best total for blocks in a single season is 39. Bies' one block against Xavier moved her into second place on the Michigan career list with 119, surpassing the 118 accumulated by Patrice Donovan (1980-82). Trish Andrew (1989-93) holds the career block mark with 367.
RECORD WATCH
Assault on the Record Books
LeeAnn Bies will continue a climb to the top or near the top of the Michigan record books in several categories throughout her senior season. The 6-3 center, who was an All-Big Ten second-team selection by both the media and the coaches last season, is ninth on the Michigan career points scored list with 1,232 and is 415 points from tying Trish Andrew (1,647, 1989-93) for second on the list. Bies is 834 points shy of the Michigan record set by Diane Dietz (2,066, 1978-82). Already the Michigan career leader in free throws made (395), Bies stands sixth on the career list for rebounding with 688 career caroms and is 163 behind Stacey Thomas (851, 1996-2000) for second on that list. Andrew also holds that career mark with 928. Already second on the blocks list, Bies (119) is 248 behind Andrew's school record of 367. Bies also entered the career steals list at Michigan late last season and stands No. 18 on that list with 113 career thefts.
1,000-Point Chase
While LeeAnn Bies became the 15th Michigan player to reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career last season, Raina Goodlow needs just 128 more points to become the 16th player to join that club. Goodlow averaged 264 points a season in her first three full seasons in the Maize and Blue.
Milestones Approaching
LeeAnn Bies is just three shy of 100 career games played. Bies has also started 24 straight games since not starting against Illinois on Dec. 28, 2001. Bies entered the game at the first dead ball after a clerical error between the Michigan coaches and the official scorer would not allow her in the starting lineup.
Raina Goodlow is just three shy of 100 career games played
Stephanie Gandy needs eight rebounds for 300 in her career
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Another Ranked Foe Goes Down
The Wolverines' win over No. 24 UCSB on Nov. 25 was their 17th all-time against a ranked opponent and 15th since Sue Guevara took over the reigns at Michigan for the 1996-97 season. Guevara led the Wolverines to a school-record five wins over ranked teams during Michigan's 2000-01 season and its run to the NCAA Tournament. The following are Guevara's wins over ranked teams:
Date Ranked Opponent Score 1/9/98 No. 23 Purdue 67-59 2/8/98 No. 23 Purdue 62-60 2/28/98 No. 24 Wisconsin 79-70 1/29/99 No. 19 Ohio State 85-71 OT 1/8/00 No. 12 Purdue 74-67 1/17/00 No. 12 Illinois 86-69 2/3/00 No. 23 Illinois 70-59 11/17/00 No. 8 Louisiana Tech 69-66 1/11/01 No. 13 Penn State 71-62 2/15/01 No. 25 Iowa 80-78 2/25/01 No. 19 Penn State 75-74 3/2/01 No. 19 Penn State 66-60 12/2/01 No. 23 Notre Dame 78-63 12/16/01 No. 21 LSU 86-81 2OT 11/25/02 No. 24 UC Santa Barbara 70-64
Tough Non-Conference Slate
Wins over 2002 NCAA Tournament teams Creighton and UCSB provided an important opening week to a Michigan non-conference slate which has the potential for six games against 2002 NCAA Tournament teams -- Creighton, UC Santa Barbara, Colorado State, Florida, Oakland and Virginia. Michigan and Florida have a potential matchup in the championship game of the State Farm Classic on Dec. 29 in Gainesville, Fla.
Big Ten Slate
Instate rival Michigan State is back on the slate twice a year for the Wolverines after two straight seasons in which the schools faced each other just once. Also back on Michigan's schedule twice this season are Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin, while the Wolverines face Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State and Purdue just once. Illinois and Iowa come to Crisler Arena while Michigan travels to Purdue and Ohio State for its only meetings of the season against those schools.
Wolverine Probable Starters
Pos. No. Player Yr. Ht. PPG RPG F 1 Tabitha Pool So. 6-1 11.7 6.8 F 33 Stephanie Gandy Jr. 5-11 10.3 5.0 C 44 LeeAnn Bies Sr. 6-3 14.3 7.3 G 42 Mie Burlin Fr. 5-11 3.0 3.0* G 24 Niki Reams Fr. 6-0 6.2 3.3* * assists per game
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
