Michigan
3-1
Oakland
2-3
Wolverines Use Big Fourth Quarter to Down Oakland
11/22/2017 10:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» Michigan had four players score in double figures in Hallie Thome (29), Katelynn Flaherty (26), Deja Church (11) and Hailey Brown (10). Brown also grabbed 11 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double.
» Michigan opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run, getting a triple from Flaherty and a long two from Nicole Munger in the first 59 seconds of the frame to take a 56-49 lead. U-M's lead never dipped below three the rest of the way.
» U-M outscored Oakland, 27-20, in the final 10 minutes, getting 12 points from Flaherty and seven points from Church down the stretch.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: No. 25 Michigan 78, Oakland 69
Records: U-M (3-1), OU (2-2)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 25 -- at Ohio (Athens, Ohio), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team had four players score in double figures and scored 27 points in the final quarter to outlast Oakland, 78-69, on Wednesday night (Nov. 22) inside Crisler Center.
Junior Hallie Thome led the offensive charge, going for 29 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the floor and a 9-for-12 showing from the free throw line. Senior Katelynn Flaherty notched her fourth straight 20-point game, putting in 26 points with three assists and four rebounds. Freshman Deja Church reached double figures for the first time in her career, going for 11 points off the bench. Classmate Hailey Brown had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the first double-double of her collegiate career.
Flaherty appeared to beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter but it was waved off, sending Michigan to the fourth quarter with a 51-49 lead. There were three ties and two lead changes in the third period alone, as Michigan could never push its lead past five points.
Senior Jillian Dunston found Flaherty for a corner triple on U-M's first possession in the final period, with junior Nicole Munger cashing in on a long two on the next trip down the floor to give U-M a 56-49 lead and force an OU timeout just 59 seconds in. Oakland got within three points, 63-60, with 5:58 remaining, but Flaherty found Thome on the next possession for a layup to push Michigan's lead back to five.
U-M's lead grew to as many as 10 points in the final minutes, with Church and Flaherty combining to go 4-for-6 from the line in the final minute to seal the win.
Oakland led by two points after one period of action, but Thome scored on a high-low pass from sophomore Kayla Robbins to tie the game at 20 at the 7:36 mark of the second quarter, igniting a 6-0 run for Michigan. Flaherty followed with a pair of free throws at 5:50 and then scored again after a Dunston block that led to a fast-break layup, giving Michigan a 24-20 lead.
U-M extended its lead to six points, 30-24, following a long Flaherty jumper with 2:04 remaining in the second period. Oakland scored five of the final six points of the frame, trimming Michigan's lead to 31-29 at the break. Michigan relied on Thome (12) and Flaherty (11) offensively in the first 20 minutes, with Brown turning in six points and grabbing four boards.
The Wolverines are back on the road on Saturday (Nov. 25), traveling to Ohio to take on the Bobcats. Thome will face her twin sister, Hannah, in the contest that will tip off at 2 p.m.
