Michigan
12-9 (5-6)
Illinois
13-9 (5-6)
Illinois Ends Michigan's Home Winning Streak
2/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Illinois 66, Michigan 61
Records: U-M (12-9, 5-6 Big Ten), Illinois (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten)
Next Game: Thursday, Feb. 7 -- vs. Penn State (Crisler Arena), 7 p.m.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team saw its eight game home winning streak come to an end with a tough 66-61 loss to Illinois Monday evening (Feb. 4)at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines (12-9, 5-6 Big Ten) held a 57-52 advantage with 7:07 to play, but the Fighting Illini (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten) responded with a 9-2 run over a span of 2:31 and never trailed the rest of the way in the first meeting of the season between the two teams. It was U-Ms first loss in nine games played in Ann Arbor this year.
Junior Stephany Skrba(Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) led Michigan in scoring for the second straight game, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 19 minutes off the bench. Sophomore Krista Phillips(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate HS) poured in 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes. Senior Janelle Cooper(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) and junior Carly Benson(Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) chipped in 10 points apiece.
A pair of triples from Lori Bjork in the first 2:53 helped the Illini establish an early 6-2 lead, but Michigan responded with a 9-0 run over the next 4:17 of play to gain an 11-6 advantage. The run featured a strong three-point play inside by Cooper, two baskets in the lane from Benson, and a Kalyn McPherson(Traverse City, Mich./West HS) jumper that gave the Wolverines the five-point lead with 13:50 remaining in the first half.
Skrba came off the bench and provided a spark for U-M, scoring four points over a span of 3:50 to help Michigan sustain an 18-17 edge at 7:22. Jenna Smith recorded four points of her own during a 7-0 run that put the Illini back into the lead, 24-18, with 4:46 to go until the break.
Senior Krista Clement(St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle HS) came back into the game and drained a much-needed triple that cut the deficit to three points, and the Wolverines went ahead once again (28-27) on a Jessica Minnfield(Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) three-pointer at 1:23. Skrba closed out the first-half scoring with a lay-up in transition to help U-M take a 30-29 lead into halftime.
Michigan finished the first half shooting 54 percent (13-of-24) from the field.
Illinois came out and scored 15 of its first 21 points from beyond the arc en route to building a 50-48 lead with 12 minutes remaining in the contest. U-M received six points from Phillips, and triples from Cooper and Clement kept the Wolverines within striking distance during the Illinis hot start to the half.
Phillips stepped up and hit a big three-pointer and Skrba followed with four straight points to push Michigan back into the lead, 57-52, with 7:07 left on the clock. Smith and Lacey Simpson combined for all of Illinois' points during a 9-2 surge that gave the Illini a 61-59 edge at 3:30.
Benson went to the line and hit two big free throws to tie the game at 61-61 with 2:45 left, but Illinois answered with a pair of free throws from Simpson and another bucket from Smith to pull ahead 64-61 with 33 seconds to go. On the next possession, Phillips went strong to the rim but could not get the ball to drop, and the Illini collected the rebound and iced the game with two free throws from Bjork with 11 seconds left.
The Wolverines return to Crisler Arena on Thursday (Feb. 7) to host Penn State. The game is set for a 7 p.m. tip and can be heard live on radio station WLBY (AM 1290).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
