Michigan
Southern
Michigan Blows by Southern in Non-Conference Finale
12/21/2018 2:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» After trailing in the opening minutes, U-M rattled off a 13-2 run in the first quarter to take a lead it did not relinquish.
» Michigan outscored Southern, 18-5, in in the second quarter and led by 21 points at halftime.
» Deja Church scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds -- both career highs -- in recording the first double-double of her career.
» U-M outrebounded Southern by a 40-26 margin and forced the Jaguars into 32 turnovers.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 76, Southern 35
Records: U-M (9-3), SU (3-8)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Dec. 28 – at Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.), 6 p.m. CST -- BTN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Sophomore Deja Church recorded her first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the University of Michigan women's basketball team to a resounding 76-35 victory over Southern in the Wolverines' non-conference finale on Friday afternoon (Dec. 21) at Crisler Center.
The Wolverines bullied the undersized Jaguars in the post, holding a 40-26 rebounding edge. U-M also took advantage of an aggressive Southern defense, drawing 26 fouls and going 27-for-36 (75 percent) at the free-throw line. Defensively, U-M got nearly half of their points -- 35 -- off 32 Southern turnovers.
Senior Hallie Thome added 16 points, while sophomore Hailey Brown and freshman Naz Hillmon each scored eight.
The Wolverines established their inside game early, going to Thome for a quick layup on their opening possession. Southern led, 6-3, with 7:09 left in the first quarter, until Michigan went on an 8-0 run behind another Thome layup, a put-back off a long miss by Church, a jumper from Brown and two free throws from Church. U-M led, 18-10, at the end of the first quarter.
Michigan ratcheted up the defense in the second quarter and blew the game open, keeping the Jaguars off the scoreboard for the first seven minutes. Church started the period with a three-pointer and ended it with a layup at the buzzer, sending U-M into the halftime locker room with a 36-15 lead.
The Wolverines doubled up Southern in the third quarter and continued to pour it on, led by Thome. The senior was unguardable in the low post, scoring eight points -- six of them from the foul line -- and corralling four rebounds. Even with a big lead, U-M continued to put in the hustle points. Off a loose-ball scramble, junior Akienreh Johnson found Church, who quickly tipped it ahead to freshman Amy Dilk for a layup. U-M went to the free-throw line 19 times in the third quarter and entered the fourth with a 61-27 lead.
The defense comes up with the steal and some passes up the court for an @amydilk layup! #goblue pic.twitter.com/LyHwGYNNpk
— Michigan Women's Basketball (@umichwbball) December 21, 2018
Church and freshman Ariel Young combined for 11 of the team's 15 points in the fourth quarter, closing out the win. Every player on the roster saw action in Friday's win.
Michigan begins Big Ten action next Friday (Dec. 28), when they travel to Nebraska to take on the Huskers. Game time is set for 6 p.m. CST and can will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
