Michigan
10-5,2-2Big Ten
Rutgers
11-4,2-2Big Ten
Michigan's Comeback Falls Short at No. 24 Rutgers
1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2015
Site: Piscataway, N.J. (The RAC)
Score: #24 Rutgers 81, Michigan 68
Records: U-M (10-5, 2-2 B1G), RU (11-4, 2-2 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Jan. 11 -- vs. Ohio State (Crisler Center), 2 p.m.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- After trailing by as many as 19 in the second half, the University of Michigan women's basketball stormed back to tie the game at 51 with 10:45 remaining but dropped an 81-68 contest to No. 24-ranked Rutgers on Wednesday night (Jan. 7) at the RAC.
Senior Cyesha Goree led the way for the Wolverines, scoring 23 points on 11-for-17 shooting. Classmate Shannon Smith went for 16 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals, with sophomore Siera Thompson scoring 16 points. Michigan shot 45.2 percent (28-for-62) from the floor, compared to 53.1 percent (34-for-64) for Rutgers. Michigan outrebounded the Scarlet Knights, 34-33.
Michigan opened the second half on 10-3 run to force a Rutgers timeout at the 17:14 mark, trailing by 10 (45-35). The spurt continued after the timeout as Michigan scored seven of the next nine points, culminated by a Thompson triple with 15:11 left to cut Rutgers lead to five points, 47-42. During the media timeout, a flagrant foul was assessed to Rutgers after an official review. Smith nailed two free throws to trim the lead to three points, 47-44.
Michigan tied the game at 51 on a Thompson triple with 10:45 on the clock. Rutgers scored the next seven points to retake a 58-51 lead with 8:32 left. A Smith score in transition and a Goree three-point play brought the Wolverines back within four, 60-56 with 8:02 remaining.
The Scarlet Knights upped their lead back to double digits, 73-62, on a pair of free throws with 3:08 left. The lead stayed in double figures the rest of the way as Rutgers took the 13-point win.
The teams were tied at 6-6 with 16:55 to go in the first, before Rutgers went on a 19-2 run for a 25-8 lead. Thompson knocked down back-to-back triples on Michigan's next two possessions to force a Rutgers timeout at the 11:18 mark with the Wolverines down 11, 25-14.
Michigan held Rutgers without a point for nearly four minutes, cutting the deficit back to 13 points (31-18) on a Smith floater with 4:37 left before the half. The teams went back and forth the rest of the half, and Rutgers scored on its final possession to take a 42-25 lead into the locker room.
Thompson led U-M with eight points in the first, with junior Madison Ristovski chipping in five off the bench. Goree and Smith each scored four points as U-M shot 42.3 percent (11-for-26) from the floor compared to 57.6 percent (19-for-33) for Rutgers. The Wolverines had 15 turnovers in the half, which led to 17 RU points. Michigan held a 17-12 advantage on the boards in the first frame.
Michigan returns to home action on Sunday (Jan. 11), hosting Ohio State at 2 p.m. [ Tickets ]
Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre (734) 763-4423
