Michigan
13-8, 5-5
Nebraska
17-4, 7-3
U-M Overcome by No. 15 Huskers' Big Second Half
2/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2015
Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
Score: #15 Nebraska 75, Michigan 60
Records: U-M (13-8, 5-5 B1G), NEB (17-4, 7-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Feb. 5 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 7 p.m.
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team led by as many as 14 points in the first half, and senior Shannon Smith led all scorers with 22 points, but a 26-5 second-half run by No. 15 Nebraska turned U-M's six-point lead into a 15-point deficit in a 75-60 Wolverine defeat on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 1) inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Smith was 7-of-13 from the field and 7-of-10 from the charity stripe. Smith also had eight rebounds and four assists. Classmate Nicole Elmblad added 10 points and six rebounds. Freshman Katelynn Flaherty had nine points, while senior Cyesha Goree registered nine rebounds, six points and five assists. Sophomore Siera Thompson had eight points and pulled down five rebounds.
The Wolverines came out on fire to open the contest, making their first five and nine of their first 10 shots in taking an early double-digit lead. Thompson's triple gave U-M a 7-2 lead with 18:16 left in the first. Elmblad scored four straight points for the Maize and Blue, and Goree's layup put Michigan on top, 13-9, at 15:06. Five straight points from junior Madison Ristovski, including a three with 13:51 on the clock, gave Michigan a 20-9 advantage.
Flaherty capped a 14-2 U-M run with a jumper at 8:02 as the Wolverines led, 25-11. The Huskers answered with a 10-2 run over a 4:18 span, cutting the Michigan lead to six (27-21). Flaherty's two free throws and a jumper in the corner made it 31-23 with 2:27 left. A Cornhusker layup with 51 seconds remaining closed out the scoring for the half, as Michigan went to the locker room with a six-point lead.
The Maize and Blue shot 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from the floor in the first half and assisted on nine of its 12 made field goals. Flaherty led U-M with nine first-half points, while Elmblad added six. Goree pulled down four rebounds and dished out three assists in the opening 20 minutes.
Nebraska opened the second half on a 12-4 run, taking its first lead of the game, 37-35, with 16:01 remaining. The Huskers led by as many as four, but four points from Smith and a bucket by Goree put the Wolverines back on top, 45-43, at the 11:35 mark. Back-to-back triples from Smith and Thompson extended the lead to six (51-45) as Nebraska called timeout with 10:11 left. NU responded with the 26-5 run, taking a 15-point lead after a Hailie Sample layup with 2:05 remaining. Smith scored four straight points, but the Huskers salted away the clock for the 15-point win.
U-M was 23-of-54 (42.6 percent) from the field and had 31 total rebounds. The Wolverines ended the contest with 14 assists and 22 points in the paint.
Michigan completes its two-game road swing on Thursday (Feb. 5), taking on Michigan State in East Lansing. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre (734) 763-4423
