After losing to No. 3 Maryland on Thursday, the Wolverines moved to 16-5 (5-2 Big Ten) on Sunday with a win over Nebraska.
1/19/17 vs. No. 3 Maryland
The Wolverines were able to keep it close against Maryland for three quarters and even had a one point lead late in the 3rd quarter, but were unable to pull off the upset and lost 83-70. Unable to stop center Brionna Jones (25 points, 10 rebounds), Michigan was hurt by a lack of communication on the defensive end and struggled to prevent points in the paint when Hallie Thome was on the bench. Junior Maria Backman, who hasn’t received many minutes this season, had a career high eight rebounds, bringing an important spark off the bench in the 2nd quarter for the Wolverines. Leading Michigan in scoring was junior guard Katelynn Flaherty with 30 points.
1/22/17 vs. Nebraska
Entering Sunday’s game against Nebraska, the Wolverines had lost the previous five meetings against the Cornhuskers. Led by Flaherty (27 pts), Nicole Munger (18 pts), and Thome (15 pts) the Wolverines defeated Nebraska 84-51. Michigan was able to shut down Nebraska’s leading scorer Jessica Shepard (18 pts/gm), allowing her to score only four points. The Wolverines continued their dominance from downtown, shooting 45% from three. On the defensive end Michigan was led by junior Jillian Dunston, as the Wolverines forced 22 Nebraska turnovers leading to 27 points off turnovers.
Looking Forward to Northwestern
Michigan is now third in the Big Ten behind Maryland and Ohio State and will play fourth place Northwestern (15-4, 4-2) on Wednesday night at 7 pm at Crisler. As the Wolverines look to continue their strong play in the Big Ten, they must continue to grow as a team on the defensive end of the floor. Increased communication and defensive rotation will be key against dangerous offenses like the upcoming Wildcats. Coach Kim Barnes Arico will look for seniors Siera Thompson and Danielle Williams to guide the freshmen in practice and in games to improve defensive awareness.
Tune in to WCBN’s broadcast of Michigan Women’s Basketball Wednesday night at 7 pm vs. Northwestern.
Source: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/archive/bkw-statistics.html