Michigan
Michigan State
Smith's Double-Double Not Enough Against Michigan State
2/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team fell to Michigan State 82-55 on Sunday (Feb.16) at home in Crisler Arena. In the first 10 minutes of the game, MSU pulled out to a 32-6 advantage and never looked back. Jennifer Smith (Lansing, Mich./DeWitt HS) was the lone bright spot for the Wolverines, scoring 27 points to go along with her season-high 12 rebounds for her 11th career double-double. Unfortunately, no other U-M player scored in double figures. For MSU four players scored at least 10 points with Kristen Haynie leading the Spartans with 22 points.
| | Smith made 9-of-10 from the line on the way to 27 points. |
Michigan State then went on a 4-0 run to push their lead to 21-4. The Wolverines cut the gap to 21-6 on a pair of free throws by Stephanie Gandy (Detroit, Mich./Northern HS). The Spartan lead was extend to 32-6 with a 11-0 run before Niki Reams (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) hit one of two free throws to make the score 32-7. Smith then scored four consecutive points to cut the Spartan lead down to 32-11. Smith's basket was the first Wolverine field goal in nearly seven minutes.
Pool hit a deep three from the corner with 7:10 left in the first to shave the lead to 36-14. The Spartans extended their lead over Michigan to 42-16 with a 6-0 run. Reams ended another Wolverine drought by sinking a three from the corner to make the score 42-19 with 1:39 to play in the half. The Wolverines then tossed the ball to Smith down low in the post, where she converted for the basket and picked up a foul. Smith converted the free throw, which brought the Spartan lead down to 20 with under a minute to play. Gandy added a basket to cut the lead to 42-24 going into halftime.
The Wolverines went into halftime with some momentum, having cut the Spartan lead to under 20 points. The Wolverines shot a dismal 28 percent (7-25) from the field in the first half while the Spartans hit .500 (18-36). The Spartan lead could be attributed to their .600 (3-5) three-point shooting and 1.000 (3-3) from the free throw line in the first half. The Wolverines were led by Smith, who had nine points in the first half to go along with her team-leading six rebounds.
After the Spartans came out in the second half and added to their lead by hitting consecutive three-point baskets, the Wolverines added a basket from Gandy to make the score 48-26. The teams exchanged baskets for the next three and a half minutes, making the score 52-32 with 16:39 to play in the game. Smith scored six straight points for U-M in the second half and six of the Wolverines' first 10 points in the half. The score stood at 60-36 with 14:12 to play after the Spartans went on a 4-0 run.
Goodlow hit a wide-open layup under the basket with 13:28 to cut the Spartan lead to 62-38. The Wolverines and Spartans then exchanged foul shots with the Wolverines getting the better of the deal by making both of their free throws as the Spartans only made one of two. The score stood at 65-42 after Goodlow hit a pair of free throws with under 10 minutes to play in the game.
Smith had a three-point play with 7:16 to play in the game to put the score at 65-45. Reams intercepted a pass a center court and passed down the court, where the ball wound up in the hands of Sierra Hauser-Price (Van Nuys, Calif./Notre Dame Prep), who threw it down for two and cut the lead to 67-50 with 5:46 to play. MSU added a layup by Kristen Haynie to make the score 69-50 with under five minutes to play. Smith continued her offensive force by snagging an offensive board and then dropped it in for a basket to make the score 69-52 with 3:43 left.
With 2:00 less then two minutes to play the Spartans went on a 7-0 run to make the score 78-54. The Spartans added four more points in the last two minutes to make the final score 82-55.
N O T E S
Today's crowd of 4,474 is the second-largest crowd ever for a U-M women's basketball home game. The record is 4,558, which was set against Michigan State last season on Jan. 2, 2002.
Jennifer Smith's 27-point, 12-rebound effort marked her third double-double of the season and 11th of her career. Her 12 rebounds are a season high, while her 27 points are her second-highest total of the season and of her career.
The Wolverines' .850 (17-20) free throw percentage is their fourth best of the season.
An alumnae game between Michigan and Michigan State was held after today's regular contest, and the former Wolverines prevailed 79-58.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
