Michigan
2-0
Cincinnati
0-1
Wolverines Open Road Swing With Win at Cincinnati
11/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: Cincinnati, Ohio (Fifth Third Arena)
Score: Michigan 55, Cincinnati 46
Records: U-M (2-0), Cincinnati (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Nov. 19 -- at Miami (Fla.) (Coral Gables, Fla.), 7 p.m.
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team opened its six-game road stretch with a hard-fought 55-46 victory over Cincinnati Tuesday evening (Nov. 13)at Fifth Third Arena. The Wolverines (2-0) used spectacular shooting from behind the arc to turn a one-point halftime lead into a double-digit cushion with less than seven minutes to play. U-M knocked down seven of its 17 second-half three point attempts to spur on a 24-5 run that put the game out of reach for the Bearcats in their season opener.
Sophomore Krista Phillips(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) finished the game with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting in addition to six rebounds, four blocks and a career-best three steals. Senior Janelle Cooper(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) scored all 12 of her points from three-point range, and senior Krista Clement(St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) dished out a game-high seven assists to go along with six points.
The Bearcats jumped out to an early 11-5 lead behind the play of Kahla Roudebush and Angel Morgan, who combined to shoot 5-of-8 for all of Cincinnati's points in the first 9:57. Meanwhile, Michigan got off to a sluggish start by shooting just 5-of-13 while committing six turnovers.
Phillips gave the Wolverines a lift off the bench, putting home back-to-back buckets in the post during a modest 9-4 run that cut the Bearcat lead to 15-14. Cooper capped off the run with her second triple of the game at 9:40.
Cincinnati responded with six unanswered points to push its advantage to 21-14 with 5:54 to play until the break, but the Maize and Blue closed out the half with 10-2 surge to take a 24-23 edge into halftime. Junior Stephany Skrba(Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) opened the run with her first career triple at 5:43, while junior Jessica Minnfield(Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) drained a three-pointer of her own with six seconds to go to send the Wolverines into the locker room with their first lead of the night.
The Bearcats got off to a torrid start in the second half, recording eight unanswered points in the first 2:14 to regain a 31-24 advantage. U-M bounced back once again, as Phillips followed her own miss before junior Carly Benson(Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) drilled her first triple of the contest at 17:06 to cut the deficit back down to two points, 31-29.
With Cincinnati holding a 34-31 edge, Michigan received its next 12 points of the game courtesy of the three-point shot. Clement bookended the 12-5 run with a pair of triples, while Cooper and Benson found the bottom once again to help the Wolverines grab a 43-39 lead with 9:58 to play. On the next U-M possession, Clement delivered a pass inside to Phillips who got the hoop and the foul. The ensuing free throw put Michigan in front 46-39 with 8:44 left on the clock.
Michigan continued to capitalize on its long-range opportunities, with Cooper and Minnfield knocking down two more triples to help the Wolverines extend the lead to 54-39 with 4:54 to go. The lead proved to be insurmountable for the Bearcats in the remaining minutes, as U-M ran away with a victory in its road opener for the second straight year.
The Wolverines continue their month-long road swing Monday (Nov. 19) against Miami (Fla.) in the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla., and can be heard live on radio station WTKA (AM 1050).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
