2B — February 20, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
A Sunday at a crossroads
I
t’s impossible to encapsulate
a season in one game, and
there’s been plenty of good
news for the Michigan women’s
basketball
team this
year. The
20th-ranked
Wolverines
are 21-7, one
win shy of
tying their
all-time best
mark. They’re
a near-lock to
secure their
seventh NCAA Tournament
bid. And on Sunday, against
Michigan State at Crisler Center,
they shattered their previous
attendance record of 5,991 with
an announced crowd of 12,707
(though that figure measures
tickets sold).
Then came an image that
might linger for a while: By
the end of the afternoon, three
sections of Michigan State fans
were the only ones cheering in
the Spartans’ 86-68 win.
In front of those fans, the
Wolverines reached a crossroads:
They saw how far they have
come, and also how far they
have to go. They played in front
of a record-breaking crowd, yet
they failed to match it with a
result. They were undefeated
both at home and when playing
after a loss this season, yet they
tarnished both of those marks.
They played while ranked
against an unranked Michigan
State team for the first time this
century, yet they couldn’t take
advantage.
The crowd factor has always
been a focal point for the
Wolverines. The problem has
been establishing that fan base.
When she was hired in 2003,
former coach Cheryl Burnett
made the atmosphere at Crisler
an immediate priority. Early
in her first season, she told the
Daily, “I believe that our support
system — which is the crowd, the
fans — can help us win games.
I’ve seen it, I’ve experienced
it and I believe it.” But the
Wolverines couldn’t establish
momentum, finishing 35-83 in
Burnett’s four years.
Then, in 2010, after Kevin
Borseth’s Michigan team routed
Syracuse to win its 21st game
and advance to the WNIT
semifinals, Borseth said: “I’m
hoping Wednesday we can really
lure a lot of people out here.
It’s going to be a great night
obviously, because there’ll be not
a lot on TV, not a lot going on. It’s
a Wednesday, should be a great
day for basketball to fill Crisler. I
think our record is 5,500, I think
we can get 13 grand. I would
love to see that.” Michigan drew
2,456 and lost by 17.
Kim Barnes Arico was next
at the helm, and she arguably
has the program in better shape
than it has ever been. Two years
ago, after the Wolverines’ season
ended in the WNIT semifinals
before an announced crowd of
2,209, Barnes Arico thanked the
fans for what she called the “best
atmosphere I’ve been a part of
since I came here.”
She said that again Sunday —
calling it the best atmosphere of
her career except for her trips
to powerhouse Connecticut
while at St. John’s — and it was
legitimate. The best team in
program history drew the best
crowd in program history.
Everything after that went
south.
For a day, Michigan eased
its problem of low attendance.
But there was another hex the
Wolverines couldn’t break —
their struggles against Michigan
State.
They are now 18-66 against
their rivals from East Lansing,
4-27 in the last 31 meetings and
4-18 against Spartans coach Suzy
Merchant.
“I always talk about, from
the first time we played them,
they’ve been the team in the
state,” Barnes Arico said.
“They’ve been the benchmark.
They’ve been the program. They
have had tradition. We’ve tried to
learn from them, and we’ve tried
to grow from where our program
was.”
The Wolverines have always
struggled to match their
rivals in building a program.
Michigan State boasts 13
NCAA Tournament berths to
Michigan’s six and three Sweet
Sixteens to Michigan’s zero.
Over the past eight years
entering this season, Michigan’s
highest attendance average was
2,593. Michigan State’s lowest
was 5,844, and the Spartans
ranked in the top 10 in the
country in six of those years.
It’s a difficult gap to bridge,
and it’s hard to build a program
in women’s basketball because
of the margin between the top
tier and everyone else. No. 1
Connecticut has both of the
two longest winning streaks in
college sports history.
But the Wolverines have
made progress. Their record this
season speaks for itself, they are
generating more buzz and Barnes
Arico pointed out that Michigan
beat out Michigan State for top
recruit Kysre Gondrezick out of
Benton Harbor, Mich.
Sunday was a reminder that
these transformations don’t
happen overnight.
“What happens is, once
you start winning a little bit,
everybody expects you to win
every one,” Barnes Arico said.
“It was funny, we lost at Indiana
(on Thursday) and we came
home and it was like the world
had come to an end, around Ann
Arbor, around the office. It was
like, ‘What happened? What
happened?’
“I was like, ‘Golly, we’re not
Connecticut. We’re probably
not going to win every one, and
coming into the year, those
weren’t the expectations. But
once you start winning, those
expectations significantly
change.”
Sunday’s loss may sting for
a while, in part because of
those new expectations. It was
Michigan’s second-most lopsided
loss of the year, its first in 14
games at home and its first back-
to-back defeat as well.
Now Barnes Arico must
manage those expectations. She
said after the game it’s important
for her team to stay confident.
She told star guard Katelynn
Flaherty — who shot 2-for-12 and
scored four points, her lowest
total since Feb. 28, 2015 — to keep
her head up. Barnes Arico knows
that, at third place in the Big
Ten, her team is still in a good
position, if a new one as well.
“Uncharted territory,” she
said, “for sure.”
Lourim can be reached
at jlourim@umich.edu and
on Twitter @jakelourim.
CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily
Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico has moved the program forward since taking over in 2012, but Sunday was an indication of progress that still needs to be made.
SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN
JAKE
LOURIM
The good, the bad and the ugly
Amid a crowd of 12,707 – a sold-
out crowd at Crisler Center – be-
speckled with maize, blue, green
and white, the No. 20 Michigan
women’s basketball team fell to
Michigan State (8-6, 19-9) in the
second-to-last home game of the
regular season.
Despite a two-game losing
streak — to Indiana and now the
Spartans — Michigan coach Kim
Barnes Arico isn’t bending under
the pressure.
“Once you start winning, every-
body expects you to win every
one,” Barnes Arico said. “We’re
not going to win every one, and
coming into the year those weren’t
the expectations. But once you
start winning, those expectations
significantly change.”
Added sophomore guard Nicole
Munger: “We’re not afraid of hard
work, and that’s what this week is
going to be about. Get ready for a
big bounce-back.”
The Wolverines battled through
seven-lead changes throughout
the game and managed a 43-42
Michigan lead going into half-
time. They used scoring-runs by
sophomore center Hallie Thome
(21 total points), freshman guard
Kysre Gondrezick (19), freshman
forward Kayla Robbins (8) and
Munger (12) to try to power past
Michigan State.
But, ultimately, a poor defensive
showing and a dominant Spartan
guard, Tori Jankoska, led to the
Wolverines’ downfall.
The Daily breaks down where
Michigan stands after this week-
end’s performance.
The good
The Wolverines (10-4 Big Ten,
21-7 overall) reached the 20-win
mark faster than any other season
in program history. And, if the team
wins its upcoming games against
both Nebraska and Penn State,
Michigan could still tie for most-
ever wins in a season, reached only
in 1999-2000 and 2012-2013.
The fan base is noticing the
upward trend of the Wolverines,
and proved it by breaking the pre-
vious record for tickets sold by
more than 200 percent.
“That was probably the best
atmosphere I’ve ever been a part
of,” Barnes Arico said. “If I could
just thank the Michigan fans and
the crowd today, it was incredible
…That was a really unbelievable,
incredible atmosphere.
“My first year here it was a great
crowd, and it was mostly green,
which was horrible. But today, it
was mostly maize and blue, and it
was unbelievable.”
Other good looks included
“spark plugs” like Munger, who
was used in the last half of every
period to push past deficits.
Munger sunk 12 points, grabbed
five rebounds and contributed an
assist in 21 minutes of play-time.
“I love coming in and playing
’12,’ that’s our defense that I’m at
the top at,” Munger said. “Even if
it is just for a couple minutes, (I’m)
bringing that spurt of energy.”
The bad
Even with this weekend’s loss,
the Wolverines are still two games
ahead of both the Spartans and the
Hoosiers, who trail them in the
Big Ten rankings. Michigan is still
poised to notch a spot in the NCAA
Tournament, something Michigan
State is vying for with intensity.
“Everybody might be, ‘What’s
going on? You just lost two games
back-to-back,’ ” Barnes Arico said.
“But we lost two games against
two really good teams, and I think
it’s important for our program at
this state to remain positive and
to keep our confidence and to con-
tinue to try to practice to improve
everyday.”
But, Michigan is facing pres-
sure to perform in these next two
games to keep its spot open. Any
major dip and its chances at a spot
in the tournament for the first
time since Barnes Arico’s first year
here could be in jeopardy.
The ugly
Defensively, the Wolverines
had trouble staying strong. In
two instances, Michigan State
trumped Michigan’s efforts to
keep afloat. The first was a 14-4
run in the first half of the third
quarter – typically, a strong por-
tion of the Wolverines’ game – and
the second was a 19-10 success in
the final period.
Added to that was junior guard
Katelynn
Flaherty’s
inability
to reach the rim. With just four
points, Flaherty’s typical presence
on the court was missed.
“I think teams have scouted us,”
Barnes Arico said. “I think the last
couple games we played against
teams that are pretty good teams.
So they are in Katelynn Flaherty’s
– she didn’t, I don’t think, she got
an easy look at all tonight. I thought
she had to work for everything. So
we got to, as a program, as coaches,
try to get her some easier looks.”
Jankoska
befuddled
the
defense using a “right-to-left,
behind-the-back
crossover,
step-back for a ‘3,’ ” according to
Munger. Despite the Wolverines’
best efforts, the Spartan was
impenetrable in her approach to
the basket.
“I keep using the term ‘get bet-
ter,’ because there’s a lot of differ-
ent things we got to get better on.”
Munger said. “I think our one-on-
one defense has been pretty poor
the past couple of days. In practice,
the past few days, we really focused
on that and I think we got better at
it. Michigan State just did a great
job of hitting shots today. Really
hard shots. We were contesting
them, but that’s no excuse because
we need to get right up next to them
and make it a harder shot for them.”
‘M’ drops first home game
The
Michigan
women’s
basketball team was well aware
that
its
matchup
against
Michigan
State would have an intensity
unlike anything it has seen this
season.
On top of the storied in-state
rivalry, the Wolverines sought
to
break
their
attendance
record
at
Crisler
Center.
Michigan fulfilled that goal
and then some, more than
doubling its previous record
of 5,991 fans set in 2011, with
12,707 attendees on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the energy
from the crowd wasn’t enough
for the Wolverines (10-4 Big
Ten, 21-7 overall), as they
ultimately couldn’t keep up
with
the
Spartans’
potent
offense, falling 86-68. The
loss to Michigan State (8-6,
18-9) ended Michigan’s perfect
home record — the team had
won its previous 13 contests
in Ann Arbor this season. It
was also the Wolverines’ worst
3-point shooting performance
of the season, going a paltry
3-for-17
behind
the
arc,
with usual 3-point specialist
Katelynn Flaherty scoring just
four points.
“We’re trying not to live
and die by the three because
we have an inside presence
with Hallie (Thome),” said
sophomore
guard
Nicole
Munger. “Today we weren’t
making them and they were,
but we can’t let that control
our effort on defense and other
facets of the game.”
In
the
first
quarter,
Michigan’s
defense
was
attacked
early
and
often.
Despite
Thome
scoring
the Wolverines’ first eight
points,
the
Spartans
were
nearly
indefensible,
hitting
six of their first seven shots.
Michigan State forward Tori
Jankoska, in particular, shot a
perfect 5-for-5 from the floor
to tally 13 points — 28 for the
game — and put her team up,
26-18, at the end of the quarter.
“To be able to set the tone
for defense and offense, I think
that starts with me,” Jankoska
said. “I like to be able to do that
for the team in the first quarter
especially.”
Added Michigan State coach
Suzy Merchant: “To come out
with that intensity with Tori
- she’s our energy guy. When
she’s making shots good things
are going to happen.”
Freshman
forward
Kayla
Robbins,
who
has
played
sparingly in Big Ten play, was
a welcome sight in the first
frame for Michigan, as she
scored eight straight points
after Thome’s run for the
Wolverines. The two were the
only Michigan players to score
in the opening quarter.
Eager to right the ship in
front of the team’s largest home
crowd ever, the Wolverines
began the second quarter with
a 3-pointer and a breakaway
layup courtesy of sophomore
guard
Nicole
Munger
and
freshman
guard
Kysre
Gondrezick, respectively.
The
Spartans
continued
their torrid scoring pace, but
were unable to generate any
offense in the paint. Low post
pressure forced a number of
turnovers and off-balance shots
inside, and the Wolverines
capitalized. Gondrezick went
off for 13 points and two steals
to spark Michigan’s comeback
effort. The Wolverines hit six
of their final eight field goals
to retake the lead, 43-42, going
into halftime.
But the real story at the
half was Michigan’s defense.
The Wolverines were winning
the turnover battle, 11-4, and
held Jankoska scoreless in the
second quarter to make up for
her outburst in the first.
The game of runs wasn’t
over, though. After trading
baskets to begin the second
half, the Spartans used a 10-0
swing to take a nine-point lead
that would quickly balloon to a
13-point deficit for Michigan.
Baskets by Munger and Thome
ate
into
Michigan
State’s
advantage, but seven third-
quarter turnovers ultimately
plagued the Wolverines, as
they were down by nine going
into the final frame.
“Once they went back to
full strength at the start of the
third, we didn’t adjust well
and they got the lead,” said
Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico. “At this stage of the
game, people are (going to)
know what you’re gonna do
and we’ve gotta execute.”
From there, the Spartans’
offensive onslaught continued,
and Michigan shot just 3-for-
14 to compensate. Despite the
record number of Wolverine
fans
in
attendance,
the
Michigan
State
contigent
overpowered Crisler Center
with chants of “Go Green! Go
White!” early in the quarter
with the Spartans up by a
decisive margin.
The
loss
exposed
the
Wolverines’ vulnerability to
talented Big Ten foes, and
they now have just two games
remaining
in
the
regular
season to get back on track
after dropping back-to-back
games for the first time this
season.
CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily
Freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick and Michigan lost to the Spartans on Sunday.
ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Writer
OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN
86
68
SYLVANNA GROSS
Daily Sports Editor