Michigan
2-1
UNLV
0-2
Rookies Help Wolverines Secure Road Victory at UNLV
11/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Score: Michigan 68, Nevada-Las Vegas 58
Records: U-M (2-1), UNLV (0-2)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Nov. 20 -- vs. Detroit (Crisler Arena), 7:00 p.m.
Rookies Help Wolverines Secure Road Victory at UNLV
Event Recap| Boxscore| Notes & Quotes
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team earned a thrilling 68-58 victory over UNLV Saturday afternoon (Nov. 18) at Cox Pavilion. The Wolverines (2-1) gave a spirited effort in their road opener, storming back from a eight-point deficit midway through the second half thanks to a furious 20-10 run in the final 7:23 of action.
Michigan was paced by the outstanding play of its freshman class, as LeQuisha Whitfield (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King HS) finished with a career-high 19 points, including 17 in the second half. Classmate Krista Phillips (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) scored seven of her nine points in the second frame, while fellow Canadian Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School), a sophomore, also played a huge factor in the victory, scoring 12 points and collecting three crucial steals and a pair of blocks.
Sequoia Holmes was responsible for UNLV's first three baskets of the game, as the Lady Rebels jumped out to a 7-2 advantage in the first 1:55 minutes of action. The Wolverines heated up and scored 12 of the game's next 14 points to grab a 14-9 lead with 13:05 remaining in the first half. U-M's run was punctuated by back-to-back triples courtesy of junior Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) and freshman Sireece Bass (Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS).
UNLV recorded seven unanswered points to regain a 16-14 edge, but a pull-up jumper by Skrba knotted the score for the first time in the game. Sophomore Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) then gave the Wolverines a huge lift off the bench, nailing a three-pointer before taking her own offensive rebound and taking it to the hole for another bucket. The result was a 21-16 Michigan lead with 9:55 left until the break.
The Wolverines sustained a four-point lead over the next 3:45 of play, but the Lady Rebels reeled off a quick 7-1 run to regain a 30-28 lead. A pair of Kalyn McPherson (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) free throws followed by a steal and lay-in by Skrba put U-M back in front by a score of 32-30, but UNLV end the half with four unanswered points to take a 34-32 advantage into halftime.
Holmes accounted for 19 of the Lady Rebels' 34 first-half points on 8-of-11 shooting. Michigan's first-half effort was led by Benson and Skrba, who scored six points apiece.
UNLV opened the second half with a 6-0 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 42-34. Meanwhile, the Wolverines were unable to knock down their first field goal of the second half until the 14-minute mark, when Whitfield converted on a pretty up-and-under move.
With the Lady Rebels holding a 44-36 lead, Michigan went on an 8-0 run to tie the score with just under 10 minutes left in the game. The run was spearheaded by the play of Phillips, who scored five unanswered points and contributed to a steal that resulted in a Cooper triple from the corner.
With the score 53-50 in favor of UNLV, Whitfield put the Wolverines on her back and scored six straight points to put U-M back on top, 56-53, with 4:03 left on the clock. Whitfield converted on an old-fashioned three-point play before knocking down a triple from the top of the key on the next possession.
It was then Skrba's time to shine, as she came up with a huge steal and took it coast to coast to put Michigan ahead 60-56 with 1:52 to go. Skrba then came up big on the defensive end, stripping a ball that eventually led to another Whitfield triple from the top and a 63-56 Maize and Blue lead.
Skrba later hit a pair of free throws to keep Michigan in front by a 65-58 margin with 37.3 seconds to play. A steal and layup by Whitfield sealed the win, as the Wolverines ran away with the 10-point triumph.
Michigan returns home to entertain Detroitthis Monday (Nov. 20). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.at Crisler Arena. The game will be aired live on WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
