Big Ten roundup
With just over a week of college
basketball in the books, the season
is already shaping up to be a good
one.
Granted,
the
level
of
competition across the board has
not been even, but so far, the Big
Ten is still an impressive 42-9.
No. 25 Michigan is probably
in the top half of that spectrum
after beating Marquette and
Southern Methodist last week
in New York City to win the 2K
Classic.
While it’s still early, things are
shaping up to be very interesting
when conference play starts, and
with that, the Daily breaks down
the Wolverines’ upper echelon of
competition when Big Ten play
rolls around.
No. 3 Indiana (3-0)
Tom Crean’s squad is off to
a fast start after topping then-
third-ranked
Kansas,
103-99,
in Honolulu during the Armed
Forces Classic. The Hoosiers
trailed at halftime before surging
back to tie the game and force an
extra period. In overtime, Indiana
pulled away for its first signature
win of the season.
Guard James Blackmon Jr.,
who missed all of Big Ten play
last season with a knee injury,
has played like he has something
to prove. He has averaged a
whopping 23 points per game as
well as 7.3 rebounds per game in
Indiana’s first three games of the
season.
Three other players in the
Hoosiers’
starting
lineup
—
center Thomas Bryant, guard
Robert Johnson and forward OG
Anunoby — are all also averaging
10-plus points per game.
Indiana will have one more
massive test — a home game
against No. 4 North Carolina in
the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on
Nov. 30 — before starting Big Ten
play.
No. 16 Wisconsin (2-1)
After
losing
at
No.
12
Creighton, 79-67, the Big Ten
media’s preseason pick to win
the conference rebounded two
nights later with an 18-point win
over Chicago State and a 74-62
win over Tennessee in Hawaii
in the first round of the Maui
Invitational.
The
Badgers
will
play
Georgetown next with a potential
matchup against the Tar Heels in
the championship game.
Guard Bronson Koening has led
the way, averaging 17 points per
game, while Big Ten Preseason
Player of the Year forward Nigel
Hayes has averaged 12.5 points
per game.
Forward Ethan Happ has
averaged eight rebounds a game
to lead the Badgers on the glass.
No. 17 Purdue (2-1):
The Boilermakers head into
the week preparing for a trip to
Mexico to play in the Cancun
Challenge. But a week ago, Matt
Painter’s team had a chance to
snag its first signature win of the
season against No. 3 Villanova.
But Purdue couldn’t pull off the
victory, falling just short, 79-76.
While the Boilermakers were
projected to lean heavily on their
big men inside — Caleb Swanigan
and center Isaac Haas lead the
team averaging 20.7 and 18.3
points, respectively — guard Vince
Edwards has also impressed early
on.
Purdue is slated to play at No.
10 Louisville in the Big Ten/ACC
Challenge before it starts Big Ten
play.
No. 24 Michigan State (2-2)
Michigan State started off its
season with a heartbreaking loss
in the Armed Forces Classic to
Arizona, in which it gave up the
winning bucket with just two
seconds left in the game to seal the
65-63 loss.
A week later, the Spartans
traveled to New York City,
where they faced off against No.
1 Kentucky in the Champions
Classic. Michigan State struggled
to generate offense, shooting just
38 percent to lose to the Wildcats,
69-48.
The Spartans, led by a highly
touted recruiting class which
includes three five-star recruits
in guards Miles Bridges, Cassius
Winston and Joshua Langford
and a four-star recruit in forward
Nick Ward, were expected to
contend from the get-go, but
recent results have caused some
doubt.
Sunday night, Michigan State
eked out a one-point victory
over Florida Gulf Coast that was
marred by a clock error at the end
of the game.
The Spartans travel to the
Bahamas this week to play in the
Battle 4 Atlantis, where a potential
matchup against Louisville is in
the books. Michigan State will
also play at No. 6 Duke in the Big
Ten/ACC Challenge.
Maryland (4-0)
The Terrapins’ non-conference
schedule was highlighted by
a matchup at Georgetown in
their second game of the season.
Maryland overcame a seven-
point deficit in the final minute of
the game to narrowly win, 76-75,
to open its season.
Mark Turgeon’s team followed
the win with another victory
Sunday night against Towson.
The Terrapins’ biggest question
going into the season was where
production would come from
after a high attrition rate last
season, but Preseason All-Big
Ten guard Melo Trimble is still
around, and he leads the team,
averaging 19.9 points per game
so far.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MINH DOAN
Daily Sports Editor
Wolverines top Western Michigan, 66-40
The
Michigan
women’s
basketball team started off its
game against Western Michigan
the same way it did the previous
game against Howard.
The Wolverines (4-0 overall)
found themselves in an early
6-0 hole Monday against the
Broncos, but the ensuing play
was not nearly as impressive as
the 109-41 drubbing of the Bison.
Michigan pulled out a 66-40
victory, snapping its three-game
streak of reaching the 100-point
mark and giving them a tougher
test heading into the Paradise
Jam in the Virgin Islands.
While Michigan responded
to the early deficit with seven
straight
points,
Western
Michigan (1-3) proved to be its
toughest
defensive
matchup
through its first four games,
limiting the Wolverines to just
12 first-quarter points — the first
time they have trailed after a
quarter this season. The Broncos
consistently
double-teamed
sophomore center Hallie Thome
down low, and Michigan was
able to get off just eight shots the
entire quarter.
“We knew we were playing
better
competition,
so
we
expected Western (Michigan) to
come out very hard, very tough,”
said senior point guard Siera
Thompson. “We came out slow,
but we picked it up in the second
half. As a team we need to come
out more prepared.”
The teams traded baskets for
much of the second quarter, but a
Kayla Robbins layup as the clock
expired gave Michigan a 26-24
advantage at the half. Despite
the lead, it was still a half that
Michigan would surely like to
have back.
After recording a season high
of 16 turnovers in its previous
game, Michigan totaled 17 in
the first half alone, and 24 total.
“(Western Michigan) is a tough
team,” said Michigan coach Kim
Barnes Arico. “They forced us
into a lot of turnovers. They had
a great game plan. Western did
a great job of forcing their low
point guard to go and double our
kids, tip balls, get deflections or
take the ball out of our hands. We
need to get better at that and show
toughness.”
Thompson — who played the
game’s first 27 minutes — kept
Michigan afloat in the first
half, scoring 11 of her team’s 26
points. Thompson also kicked
off the second half with her
third 3-pointer of the game to
spark an 8-0 run.
Michigan’s
third
quarter
looked much like its previous
three
games,
outscoring
the Broncos, 23-9, and only
coughing up the ball twice to
pull ahead, 46-33. Robbins, who
has usually only played during
garbage time, stepped up when
the game was close in the third
quarter, recording four points
and five boards.
“(Robbins) played a lot in
other games but to have a
tight game and see a freshman
come in and make the positive
impact that she did tonight
was definitely something we’re
excited to see,” Thome said.
“Having her be able to get those
rebounds and get those extra
points is definitely a big deal for
us.”
With
a
comfortable
lead
heading into the final quarter,
the Wolverines were able to pull
away even further and hold a
worn out Western Michigan to
under 10 points for the second
straight quarter.
Amid
free
throw
and
turnover
difficulties,
the
Wolverines’
defense
was
a
bright spot in the 26-point win.
The Broncos were limited to
just a 31.4 shooting percentage,
and Michigan forced them to
turn the ball over 22 times.
While Western Michigan was
the most difficult opponent for
the Wolverines through their
first four games, Michigan will
have to mitigate its ball handling
miscues if it wants any chance to
compete against top-25 teams
Gonzaga and Florida State in the
Virgin Islands this weekend.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
The Michigan women’s basketball team did not break the century mark, but it still handled Western Michigan, 66-40.
ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Writer
Thompson’s leadership key in win
The
Michigan
women’s
basketball team would not have
beaten Western Michigan by
26 points without senior guard
Sierra
Thompson.
In
fact,
without her 16 points, six assists,
and four defensive rebounds, it
probably wouldn’t have won the
game at all.
As a co-captain and one of two
seniors on the team, Thompson
has been an important leader for
the Wolverines (4-0), but before
Monday, they hadn’t needed
her to dominate in games. With
three wins in three games —
racking up over 100 points in
each — Michigan was content
with spreading out playing time,
not requiring Thompson to be
anything more than consistent.
But against a more competitive
Western Michigan team, things
changed. The Wolverines looked
shaky during the first quarter
after the Broncos were leading
13-12 and needed Thompson to
come through on their behalf.
She delivered, leading the team
in points.
“She’s
definitely
increased
her leadership role this year,”
said sophomore forward Hallie
Thome. “So having her come out
and have these nights is definitely
exciting to see, because it’s well
deserved. All of her hard work
over these four years is paying
off.”
Added Michigan coach Kim
Barnes-Arico: “Sierra Thompson
was solid throughout … She has
to always play the other team’s
best player and she has to handle
the ball for us. She did a great job.
She made some plays, she kept us
in the game in the first half and
then we were able to rest her for
a couple minutes in the second
half.”
In addition to starting every
quarter, Thompson stayed on
the court for the entire first
half of the game, playing two
full ten-minute quarters. She
drained three 3-pointers during
the evening, closing the gap to
becoming the Wolverines’ all
time 3-point leader. She is now
trailing the record by just two.
Thompson had opportunities
to try and beat that record
tonight, but she chose to take the
safer route. On several occasions,
despite having plenty of time,
she took a step or two inside
the three-point arc in order to
make things easier, instead of
attempting to pad her personal
statistics.
“She’s
so
experienced,”
Barnes-Arico said. “She knows
best shot compared to first shot.
I think some of our younger kids,
especially the freshmen, feel like
the first shot they get is the one
that has got to go up. (Thompson)
is experienced enough to know
that my percentage is going to
drastically increase the closer I
get to the basket. So if I can step
in and make a shot, it’s better
than me staying where I am and
missing a shot.”
When she did decide to shoot
for three, she chose wisely. Her
3-point field goal percentage was
50 percent, Michigan’s highest.
The Wolverine’s leading scorer,
junior guard Katelynn Flaherty,
had 18 percent in comparison.
“I think my role on the team
is to impact the game in any way
I can,” Thompson said. “I know
if other people are struggling, I
can step up and score. I just try to
do whatever it takes to have our
team win, and that’s what I had
to do tonight.”
It may be the first time this
season that Thompson has filled
up the box score, but according to
her coach, she is always making a
difference.
“I never think we’ll win any
game without Sierra Thompson,”
Barnes-Arico said. “I said that
in my pregame chalk talk to
our season ticket holders. I said
‘I know it’s kind of early to be
thinking about this, but when I
lay awake sometimes at night, I
think about her graduating, and
how much of a void that’s going to
leave in our program, because of
what she’s meant to our program
in the last four years.’ ”
MAGGIE KOLCON
Daily Sports Writer
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Senior guard Sierra Thompson had a breakout game for the Michigan women’s basketball team Monday night.
8 — Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com