The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, February 24, 2017 — 7

Michigan routs Nebraska on Senior Night

Back on Jan. 22, the No. 25 

Michigan women’s basketball 
team traveled to Lincoln and 
defeated 
Nebraska, 
84-51. 
It 
was 

the Wolverines’ most lopsided 
victory in Big Ten play. 

Michigan was just five points 

away from tying that margin 
Thursday night at Crisler Center, 
as the Wolverines routed the 
Cornhuskers, 88-60. The win 
snapped a two-game skid for 
Michigan.

Though it was Senior Night, 

it was the younger players who 
took charge for the Wolverines 
(11-5 Big Ten, 22-7 overall). While 
junior guard Katelynn Flaherty 
led with 25 points, freshman 
guard Kysre Gondrezick was 
only one rebound away from a 
double-double, nabbing 21 points 
and nine boards. Sophomore 
center Hallie Thome notched 21 
points and seven rebounds of her 
own.

“It was definitely a bounce-

back game,” said Michigan coach 
Kim Barnes Arico. “I thought 
we shared the ball really well. 
I thought we were able to make 
shots. Also to honor (senior 
guards Siera Thompson and 
Danielle Williams) in their last 
home contest.”

Michigan wasted little time 

gaining a lead in the first quarter, 
hitting 10 of its first 12 shots to 
take a 28-11 lead at the end of the 
frame. Flaherty led the charge 
by sinking three 3-point shots, 
which was three more than 
she made in the last two games 
combined. Gondrezick made two 
long-range baskets of her own 
in the frame, matching her total 
from the previous two contests.

“Katelynn is such an incredible 

scorer,” Barnes Arico said. “I 
think the other day Michigan 
State really keyed in on her and 
limited her touches. And that 
made it difficult for her. Anytime 

she gets a good look, you feel like 
she can score the basketball.”

But it was the Wolverines’ 

defense that really stood out in 
the first quarter. Michigan held 
Nebraska (2-13, 6-21) to just 26.7 
percent shooting and allowed 
only one basket from behind the 
arc.

The Wolverines’ momentum 

continued in the second quarter 
as Gondrezick and Flaherty 
opened the frame with back-to-
back 3-pointers. That allowed 
Michigan 
to 
take 
a 
44-26 

advantage into halftime despite 
a 9-0 Cornhusker run to end 
the frame. Nebraska helped 
Michigan’s cause by turning the 
ball over five times.

The third quarter belonged 

to Thome, though, who drew 
four fouls in the first seven 
minutes, including one after a 
made basket. Her ability to get 
to the free-throw line added 
nine points to the Wolverines, 
allowing them to take a 62-41 
edge into the final quarter. 
Thome’s production made up for 

the fact that Michigan sank just 
five of its 14 shots in the frame.

“I was so happy with how 

many times she was able to get 
to the free-throw line,” Barnes 
Arico said. “That was incredible 
for us. I hope she can continue to 
do that moving forward.”

Thome, 
Flaherty 
and 

Gondrezick continued to carry 
the team in the fourth quarter, 
as Flaherty grabbed six more 
points, Gondrezick nabbed five 
and Thome scored two. The trio’s 
contributions, as has been the 
case for much of the year, carried 
the Wolverines to victory.

But the seniors weren’t about 

to let the underclassmen soak 
up all of the glory. With three 
minutes 
remaining, 
Williams 

sank a 3-point shot, instantly 
quadrupling her point total for 
the game. Thompson added a 
3-pointer of her own a little over 
a minute later, bringing her point 
total to eight.

“I don’t really think about 

scoring and stuff like that,” 
Thompson said. “I’m just trying 

to get a win. And yeah, it’s about 
me because it’s Senior Night, but 
you want to get a win first.”

With Thursday’s victory, the 

Wolverines accomplished two 
notable feats. Michigan earned 
its 22nd win of the season, which 
is tied for the most in program 
history, and clinched third place 
in the Big Ten for just the fourth 
time in school history. A lot of 
attention will now be paid to the 
Big Ten Tournament and a likely 
berth in the NCAA Tournament.

With all of that in mind, it’s 

easy to forget that the Wolverines 
still have another regular-season 
contest. Michigan will travel to 
State College on Sunday to take 
on Penn State (8-7, 18-9), who 
led Michigan State by 18 points 
on Wednesday before ultimately 
falling, 73-64.

“They’re a good team, and 

they’re a really good team 
at home,” Barnes Arico said. 
“They’re led by one of the best 
guards in the country in Teniya 
Paige. They’ll be ready to go, it’s 
the last home game for them.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Seniors shine in finale

Up 25 points with five minutes 

to go against Nebraska, the 
Michigan 
women’s 
basketball 

team had all but won the game. 
On any other day, the Wolverines 
would be content. But tonight was 
Senior Night, and senior guards 
Siera Thompson and Danielle 
Williams weren’t finished with 
their last regular-season home 
game yet — so they put on a show. 

Williams, who only had one 

point in the first three quarters, 
sunk a 3-pointer with three 
minutes left. Thompson followed 
suit at the 1:38 mark, and both 
earned appreciative applause from 
the crowd. Tonight, that crowd 
included their families who made 
the trip to be in the stands. But the 
co-captains focused on staying 
humble.

“I didn’t really think about 

that (shot) during the game,” said 
Williams. “But it was cool.”

When Michigan coach Kim 

Barnes Arico took Thompson and 
Williams out with only one tick 
left on the clock, the fans erupted, 
showing their gratitude for the 
Wolverine seniors.

Thompson and Williams are 

the first Michigan players to spend 
their entire careers under Barnes 
Arico, as the duo were part of her 
first recruiting class. They stepped 
out of their comfort zones to 
come to Michigan, with Williams 
committing from Phoenix and 
Thompson hailing from Gardena, 
Calif. 
Thompson 
had 
never 

even visited the campus before 
committing.

“They packed their bags and 

flew across the country because 
they believed in a vision that 
Michigan 
women’s 
basketball 

could have,” Barnes Arico said. 
“For them to leave as seniors, 
potentially being the winningest 
players in program history as well 
as a top 20 ranking, doing things 
that have never been done before 
— they are so deserving.”

Neither senior leads the team in 

points, but they have found other 
ways to guide the team. Thompson 
had 140 assists going into the 
game — the most of any current 
Michigan player. She stayed true 
to form against the Cornhuskers, 
tallying five more and adding eight 
points and three rebounds.

And Williams, who has started 

in 16 of 29 games this season, 
shines particularly on defense. She 
earned four defensive boards — the 
second-most of all the Wolverines 
— despite playing just 19 minutes.

“Siera is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest 

Of All Time),” Williams said. “She’s 
so consistent, so calm, and I almost 
don’t have any words to describe 
her impact on the program. Every 
day she is someone to look to who 
is always cool, calm and collected, 
but just gets it done.”

Added Thompson: “(Williams) 

will do anything for you. She puts 
others before herself, and I think 
that’s one of the best qualities 
about her. And that’s why our 
team is so great. Without Danielle, 
we wouldn’t be the team we are 
today.”

The two seniors are part of an 

undoubtedly 
successful 
team. 

They earned their 22nd win of the 
season against the Cornhuskers, 
tying the program record for most 
wins in a season.

“It’s great to come in and 

make history and do something 
that’s never been done before,” 
Thompson said. “Because that’s 
what Coach told us. She told us 
if you follow my vision, you will 
make history.”

With one game left in the 

regular 
season 
on 
Saturday 

against Penn State, Michigan has a 
chance to become the first team in 
program history to win 23 games. 
So, despite the praise, the seniors 
are not letting themselves get 
swept up in celebrations just yet.

“I feel like there is a lot of the 

season left to be played,” Williams 
said.

Even though their careers are 

coming to an end, with program 
history right around the corner, 
there’s a lot to look forward to. 

ICE HOCKEY
‘M’ hits road to take 
on No. 11 Ohio State

A week ago, the Michigan 

hockey team was swept in 
Madison by No. 19 Wisconsin, 
losing 5-2 and 6-4. And after a 
week of practice, the Wolverines 
will be back on the road when 
they travel to Columbus for their 
final regular-season road trip.

Michigan (2-10-2 Big Ten, 

9-16-3 overall) will face No. 
12 Ohio State on Friday and 
Saturday for the second time 
this season. After the two-game 
series, the Wolverines will return 
to Yost the following week to 
close the regular season with 
a home series 
against No. 11 
Penn State.

Michigan 

split 
its 
first 

series matchup 
with 
Ohio 

State 
(7-6-1, 

16-8-6) 
the 

first 
weekend 

of 
February, 

winning 
the 

first game, 5-4, 
and falling in the second, 6-5. 
While the first game proved 
that the Wolverines could top a 
ranked opponent, they struggled 
with the Buckeyes’ offense and 
were unable to record what 
would have been their first sweep 
of the season.

“They’re 
a 
really 
good 

offensive team, we know that,” 
said sophomore forward Cooper 
Marody. “They have a ton of 
guys with great skill. They have 
an unbelievable power play, so 
definitely a key for the weekend 
is staying out of the box and 
really competing. If it’s in front 
of the net to box out a guy or just 
battling in the corner, it’s going to 
be really important.”

In each game of the first 

series, four different players 
from the Buckeyes’ roster scored, 
highlighting the depth in their 
lineup. 

But possibly the biggest factor 

in Ohio State’s success stemmed 

from its power play, which proved 
to be instrumental in both games. 
The Buckeyes capitalized on 
man-up advantages throughout 
the series, scoring seven power-
play goals on the weekend.

“It is a concern, and I think we 

learned from it,” said Michigan 
coach Red Berenson. “I thought 
we were a lot better last week, we 
worked on it last week and we’ll 
work on it a little bit tomorrow. 
But an important thing is to stay 
out of the penalty box.

“We ended up taking 14 

penalties that weekend. This 
past weekend, we gave up one 
power-play goal on Friday and 
then a shorthanded goal, but we 

only had to kill 
six penalties the 
whole weekend. 
We’ve got to stay 
out of the box.”

This 
past 

weekend against 
the 
Badgers, 

Michigan 
showed signs of 
improvement 
despite the losses. 
The penalty kill 

limited Wisconsin to a single 
power-play goal, and time in 
the 
penalty 
box 
drastically 

decreased.

In addition to the penalty kill, 

other improvements were made 
throughout the game to give the 
Wolverines an edge. 

“I thought we had a lot of 

improvement 
in 
our 
game,” 

Berenson said. “Whether it was 
our forecheck, coming out on the 
ice, managing the puck better, 
getting shots on the net, creating 
scoring chances, giving up fewer 
chances. We were a better team 
than the score gave us credit for 
at the end of the game. We didn’t 
finish the game as strong as we 
needed to, and that’s going to be 
another challenge for us.”

In one of its last few chances 

this season to notch a Big Ten 
win, Michigan will have to 
display all of these improvements 
together — and it’ll be necessary 
facing a team like Ohio State.

Wolverines set for tough contest
with No. 14 Purdue in home finale

Since upsetting then-No. 11 

Wisconsin at Crisler Center last 
Thursday 
night, 
the 

Michigan 
men’s 
basketball 
team (8-7 Big 
Ten, 
18-10 

overall) has hit 
a bit of a rocky 
road.

In 
two 

away contests 
against 
Minnesota and 
Rutgers 
over 

the past week, 
the Wolverines 
were pushed to their limit, facing 
deficits late and needing swift 
responses.

On Sunday in Minneapolis, the 

Golden Gophers took their largest 
lead of the game at 68-60 with 
just 2:54 remaining in regulation. 
Though Michigan battled back 
and sent the game to overtime off 
an NBA-range three from redshirt 
sophomore forward DJ Wilson 
with two ticks left on the clock, 
Minnesota regained the lead with 
2:03 left in the extra period and 
held on for an 83-78 win.

Three days later in Piscataway, 

the 
Scarlet 
Knights 
took 
a 

56-52 lead with 6:46 remaining 
following a five-minute, 15-4 
run. This time, the Wolverines 
responded with a 10-0 run of their 
own — bookended by baskets 
from sophomore forward Moritz 
Wagner — to regain the lead and 
escape with a 68-64 victory. 

The Golden Gophers were 

projected to be a tough matchup 
for Michigan — both teams sat at 

6-6 in the Big Ten — while last-
place Rutgers proved to be a more 
challenging foe than expected. 
But in both cases, the Wolverines 
had only themselves to blame for 
allowing the outcome of the game 
to be decided in the final stretch.

Though the outcome ended up 

in their favor in Piscataway, it went 
the other way in Minneapolis. 
It seems likely that the outcome 
should be decided much earlier on 
Saturday in Michigan’s upcoming 
matchup against No. 14 Purdue 
(12-3, 23-5).

The Wolverines will return 

to Ann Arbor to take on the 
conference-leading Boilermakers, 
who are in the midst of a six-
game win streak, in their final 
home game of the season. A 
contest in Crisler Center should 
be a welcome sight, as Michigan 
has dropped just three games on 
its home court this year. But the 

Wolverines will be up against the 
toughest task they have faced in 
their own arena.

Purdue boasts the best offense 

in the Big Ten, averaging 81 
points per game, and ranks as 
the fourth-best defense as well, 
allowing 66.2 per game. Those 
lofty numbers give them a plus-
14.9 scoring margin — also tops in 
the conference.

Contributing to their top-

ranked offense, the Boilermakers 
lead the Big Ten in both field-goal 
percentage and 3-point field-goal 
percentage, averaging clips of 48.1 
and 41.3, respectively. That could 
spell major trouble for Michigan, 
which ranks last and second-
to-last on defense in those same 
categories, allowing its opponents 
to shoot 46.4 percent from the 
floor and 38.9 percent from 
beyond the arc, respectively.

The Wolverines will go up 

against standout forward Caleb 
Swanigan, who leads his team 
with a double-double average of 
18.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per 
game on the season. He is flanked 
in the middle by forward Vincent 
Edwards and assisted off the 
bench by center Isaac Haas, both 
of whom also average double-
digit points with 11.8 and 13.4 
points, respectively.

In order to make up for their 

deficiencies on the defensive end, 
the Wolverines will need to exploit 
one of Purdue’s key weaknesses: 
turnovers. And fortunately for 
them, that happens to be one of 
their biggest strengths.

While the Boilermakers sit at 

the bottom of the conference with 
a minus-1.2 turnover margin — 
committing an average of 13.4 
per game — Michigan occupies 
the top spot, forcing an average of 
12.8 while committing just 9.5 by 
comparison.

Even so, the Wolverines will 

have their work cut out for 
them Saturday against the stiff 
challenge that is Purdue. In this 
case, if the outcome of the game 
isn’t decided until late, it may 
prove to be a victory in and of 
itself.

MAGGIE KOLCON

Daily Sports Writer

JEREMY MITNICK/Daily

Michigan coach John Beilein and the Wolverines will have their work cut out for them against Purdue on Saturday.

LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor

“They’re a 
really good 

offensive team, 
we know that”

BETELHEM ASHAME

Managing Sports Editor

Purdue at 
Michigan

Matchup: 
Purdue 12-3 
Big Ten, 
23-5 overall; 
Michigan 
8-7, 18-10

When: 
Saturday 
4 P.M.

Where: Crisler 
Center

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

Senior guard Siera Thompson played at Crisler Center for the final time in her career Thursday against Nebraska.

NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

NEBRASKA
MICHIGAN 

60
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