| December 6, 2006 Site: Oxford, Ohio (Millett Hall)
Score: Miami (Ohio) 84, Michigan 74
Records: U-M (6-4), Miami (5-4)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 9 -- at Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.), 7:00 p.m. CST
Michigan Falls to RedHawks Despite Phillips' 21 Points
Event Recap| Boxscore| Postgame Notes| Quotes
OXFORD, Ohio -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team had its three-game road winning streak come to an end Wednesday night (Dec. 6), as the Wolverines dropped an 84-74 decision to Miami (Ohio) at Millett Hall. With the game tied at 72-72 with3:10 to play, the RedHawks (5-4) put together a 12-2 run to clinch the victory and send the Wolverines (6-4) home with their first road loss in four games this season.
Michigan finished the game with three players scoring in double figures, led by freshman Krista Phillips' (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) career-best 21-point effort with eight rebounds. Junior Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) contributed 17 points, while classmate Katie Dierdorf (St. Louis, Mo./Visitation Academy) came off the bench to score a season-high 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field and match a career-best with seven rebounds.
Miami connected on seven of its first 13 attempts from the field, including three baskets by Jaclyn Leininger and a pair of triples from Sarah Hull, which allowed the RedHawks to jump out to a 16-8 lead 7:44 into the game.
A three-point play by sophomore Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) on a long jumper and foul gave the Wolverines a bit of momentum, and Phillips scored the team's next four points to draw U-M within three points, 18-15, with 10:15 to play in the first half. Dierdorf was responsible four Michigan's next eight points, as she went a perfect 4-of-4 over a span of 2:27 to keep the Maize and Blue within one point, 24-23.
The RedHawks continued to find the bottom the net in the latter stages of the first half, building their lead to as many as seven points. Sophomore Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) allowed Michigan to stay within striking distance, as she stepped up and scored eight of the Wolverines' final 10 first-half points, six of which came from three-point land. Miami took a 40-35 lead into the locker room by hitting six of its final eight shots of the half.
Benson, Dierdorf and Phillips finished the first half with eight points apiece to lead Michigan. Hull finished the first 20 minutes with 13 points, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc, while Leininger netted 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Miami shot an impressive 16-of-25 (.640) as a team in the first half, including 4-of-8 from three-point range.
Miami began the second half just hot as it ended the first, hitting its first three field goals, two of which were triples, to take game-high 11-point lead (48-37) at the 18:31 mark. A 12-2 Michigan run, featuring a Minnfield triple and six straight points from Phillips, cut the RedHawk advantage to just one point, 50-49, with 14:49 to go in the game.
After Miami answered with a 12-2 run of its own over the next 2:15 to increase its lead to 62-51 with 12:34 on the clock, Michigan battled back once again. The Wolverines responded with a 12-2 run over the next 4:25 to climb within three points of the RedHawk lead at 64-63. A Miami triple pushed the lead to four points, but Cooper answered right back with a triple from the corner to trim the lead to 67-66.
The Maize and Blue was finally able to break through and take the lead, 68-67, on a Phillips layup at 6:52. The RedHawks scored five unanswered points to regain a four-point edge, but baskets by Phillips and Cooper knotted the game at 72-72 with 3:10 remaining in the game.
With the Wolverines trailing 75-72 at 2:16, Phillips collected a Cooper free-throw miss and put it home to bring U-M within point. However, the RedHawks closed the game by scoring nine unanswered points to take the 10-point triumph.
The Wolverines close out their non-conference road schedule against Nebraska (No. 25 AP)on Saturday (Dec. 9). The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CST start at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb., with live coverage by WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423 |
