4B — April 3, 2017
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wolverines finally get to cut down net

DETROIT — The Michigan 

women’s basketball team has been 
in existence for 44 seasons. Prior 
to Saturday, the Wolverines — 
despite several NCAA Tournament 
and Women’s National Invitation 
Tournament appearances — did 
not have a banner in Crisler Center 
to show for those 44 years. Nor had 
they ever been able to cut down the 
net at an arena before.

That all changed with Michigan’s 

89-79, triple-overtime victory in 
the WNIT championship game 
against Georgia Tech. Starting next 
season, the Wolverines can look up 
in Crisler Center and see a banner 
of their very own, a tangible reward 
for over four decades of hard work.

“I think we had a refuse to lose 

mentality,” said Michigan coach 
Kim Barnes Arico. “They refused 
to go away and it was just awesome 
to watch.”

Though the Michigan players 

received trophies and exchanged 
hugs and autographs immediately 
after the game, the most exciting 
event for the Wolverines was 
cutting down the net at Calihan 
Hall. The Wolverines took turns in 
the first-ever net-cutting ceremony.

First up with the scissors was 

sophomore center Hallie Thome, 
whose heroics played a huge role 
in putting Michigan in the WNIT 
championship 
game. 
Coming 

into Saturday’s game, Thome had 
netted at least 20 points in three of 
Michigan’s five WNIT games.

Despite missing her first three 

shots, Thome once again proved 
indispensable for the Wolverines. 
She finished the game with 25 
points, including eight in the third 
quarter, which allowed Michigan 
to take a 43-42 lead into the fourth 
frame.

“I’m really proud of everyone, 

definitely 
going 
into 
all 
the 

overtimes and not giving up, and 
still giving the same amount of 
effort each time,” Thome said. 
“Coach Arico had talked about it, 
we ran so much during preseason 
and just how we can outrun them 

and keep pushing. If it’s a battle on 
the run, we’ll be able to make it, so 
I think it definitely helped in our 
favor at the end of the game.”

Yet if junior guard Katelynn 

Flaherty wasn’t mobbed by fans 
and reporters, perhaps she would 
have gotten first dibs at trimming 
the net. Flaherty was named the 
WNIT’s Most Valuable Player after 
scoring 21.3 points per game in the 
tournament and netting 27 against 
the Yellow Jackets.

While Flaherty, like Thome, 

struggled early in the game, 
she 
came 
through 
when 
it 

mattered 
most 
for 
Michigan. 

As 
the 
Wolverines 
trailed 

Georgia Tech 67-61 with 1:06 
remaining in regulation, Flaherty 
singlehandedly erased Michigan’s 
deficit with two 3-pointers to force 
overtime. She netted five more 
points in the overtime periods in 
order to ensure that she would have 
her turn with a pair of scissors.

“This is great,” Flaherty said. 

“It’s awesome to be able to win a 
championship and put your school 
on the map. This is the result of all 
our hard work all year whether we 

made the NCAA Tournament or 
not. It’s a great moment.”

Junior forward Jillian Dunston 

took her turn with the scissors 
between Thome and Flaherty. 
Although Dunston’s point totals 
in the WNIT were dwarfed by 
Thome’s 
and 
Flaherty’s, 
she 

led the Wolverines in rebounds 
through the first five games of the 
tournament with 41.

Dunston played no small part 

in 
Michigan’s 
championship 

victory either. During the second 
overtime period, she pulled down 
four boards and made both of her 
free throws, which propelled the 
Wolverines into the decisive third 
extra frame.

“I told myself my free-throw 

percentage this year was subpar,” 
Dunston said. “So I was like, ‘This is 
the last game. You have to go 2-for-
2.’ So I was locked and loaded at the 
line. Luckily they went in.”

But the most emotional player 

after Michigan’s win may have 
been senior guard Siera Thompson, 
who is the Wolverines’ all-time 
leader in minutes played. She 
lived up to her no-rest reputation 

Saturday, playing all 55 minutes 
and tallying 15 points, eight assists 
and four rebounds in the process. It 
was fitting, then, that she was the 
one dribbling the ball in the waning 
seconds of the game before tossing 
it in the air in celebration.

“It was surreal,” Thompson said. 

“You dream about that when you’re 
a kid — winning a championship 
in college, it’s great. It’s a surreal 
feeling I’m so happy. I’m happy for 
myself and my teammates and my 
coaches.”

Though 
Michigan 
is 

understandably 
proud 
of 
its 

WNIT 
championship, 
the 

Wolverines attention will now 
turn to the NCAA Tournament. 
Michigan made earning a bid in 
the tournament a top goal at the 
beginning of the season and was 
stunned when it found itself outside 
the 64-team field.

Yet whatever happens from 

now on, everyone who walks into 
Crisler Center will see a new team 
represented in the rafters. And the 
Wolverines will always be able to 
say that they got to trim the net 
after a championship win.

NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Sophomore center Hallie Thome was the first to cut down the nets after Michigan won the WNIT on Saturday. 

Flaherty named MVP of WNIT

DETROIT — With 1:09 left 

on the clock in the second 
quarter of the Women’s National 
Invitational 
Tournament 

championship 
game, 
junior 

guard Katelynn Flaherty laid 
on the baseline in the defensive 
zone wrestling to get Georgia 
Tech’s leading scorer, Zaire 
O’Neil, off of her.

Then O’Neil elbowed her in 

the face.

Flaherty’s jaw dropped in 

shock and she looked over at 
Michigan coach Kim Barnes 
Arico, who watched furiously 
from the sidelines. Flaherty 
pulled herself up and jogged 
down the court shaking her 
head to catch up with the play. 
As she cut across the top of the 
arc, O’Neil guarded her closely.

Flaherty had enough. She 

lowered 
her 
shoulder 
and 

knocked into O’Neil, who let 
herself fall and skid back several 
feet.

Flaherty earned her second 

foul, but didn’t look remorseful. 
She was having a tough time. 
The normally 20-point scorer 

had just seven points, and 
missed every field goal attempt 
in the first quarter. By the 
second 
quarter, 
the 
Yellow 

Jackets’ pep band was chanting 
“airball” every time Flaherty 
was in a scoring position, after 
two of her first shots fell short of 
the net.

“I was just frustrated at that 

point,” Flaherty said. “My shots 
really weren’t falling and then 
I had a stupid foul on the way 
back. After that my team talked 
to me and I kind of just settled 
down and that helped me get 
back into the flow of the game.”

Still, 
Flaherty 
found 
a 

different way to contribute for 
the Wolverines in her work from 
the free-throw line. She drew 
as many fouls as she could, and 
her strategy started working. 
She shot 7-for-9 from the charity 
stripe, earning more attempts 
than anyone on either team. She 
avoided attempting 3-point tries 
in favor of driving down low and 
drawing fouls, and attempted 
just two field goals in the entire 
third quarter. 

But with 5:08 left on the 

clock in the fourth quarter, 
the Wolverines trailed by four 

points and it was time to shoot 
again. Flaherty aimed from the 
arc and missed her first attempt, 
but after a hard-fought rebound 
by 
senior 
guard 
Danielle 

Williams, Flaherty was blessed 
with a second shot from the 
same location. This time it went 
in.

Flaherty’s 
confidence 
was 

back, and when Michigan was 
back in offensive range 30 
seconds later, she shot from 
beyond the arc and scored again. 
Despite her earlier shooting 
difficulties, Flaherty was tied 
with sophomore forward Hallie 
Thome for a team-high 19 points.

Despite Flaherty’s success, 

the Wolverines still trailed by 
one. Georgia Tech seemed an 
unstoppable force in the paint, 
while Michigan struggled to 
finish its shots. The deficit 
grew to five with just over a 
minute left, and a win looked 
improbable.

But Flaherty still had a few 

tricks up her sleeve. With 1:06 
on the clock, she launched a shot 
from several feet outside the arc, 
and it sunk through the netting. 
Just three points differentiated 
the Wolverines and the Yellow 

Jackets.

Then, with 10 seconds left, 

Flaherty did it again.

“How crazy of Kate,” said 

sophomore 
guard 
Nicole 

Munger. “That one three was 
NBA range, amazing shot, hand 
in her face. And then it was just 
like, ‘Wow, we’re alive.’ She kept 
us afloat. She kept us alive. And 
all we kept saying was just get to 
overtime, just get to overtime.”

Georgia Tech was not able to 

capitalize on its last-second free 
throws that could have given 
the Yellow Jackets a victory, and 
Flaherty found herself playing 
another five minutes.

“It was a big relief,” said 

senior guard Siera Thompson. 
“(Flaherty) is a great player. 
She loves taking big shots and 
we want her to take all the big 
shots. She delivers every time. 
We have all the faith in Katelynn 
Flaherty, and I’m so happy she 
hit those shots tonight.”

But in overtime, Flaherty 

missed her first 3-point attempt. 
Then she missed a layup, and 
then another. Yet sophomore 
forward 
Hallie 
Thome 
had 

picked up a layup, and senior 
Danielle Williams made a free 
throw, tying the single 3-pointer 
made by the Yellow Jackets. 
 

Flaherty had done her job and 
put her team in a position to take 
the game over.

The Wolverines went into 

double overtime, where Flaherty 
earned her last 2 points, helping 
to keep the score tied and 
send Michigan into its third 
overtime. The tired Wolverines 
outlasted Georgia Tech, scoring 
13 points in the final overtime 
to finally take home the WNIT 
championship.

Without Flaherty, Michigan 

could not have earned it’s first 
ever banner — so it was no 
surprise when she was named 
tournament MVP. 

“It’s indescribable,” Flaherty 

said. “I can’t put it into words 
right now. … We just really 
wanted to be successful this 
season. We faced a lot of 
adversity and had so many 
setbacks, so it’s incredible to end 
the season on a win.”

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Junior guard Katelynn Flaherty led the Wolverines to a title with a game-high 27 points against the Yellow Jackets.

MAGGIE KOLCON

Daily Sports Writer

ICE HOCKEY

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Wolverines wrap up 
season with banquet

The Michigan hockey team 

had its final official meeting of the 
2016-17 season at the Junge Family 
Center on Sunday. The Wolverines 
were honored with the program’s 
annual banquet at the Dekers Club. 

The banquet was an awards 

ceremony and a time to honor the 
roster’s six seniors — Evan Allen, 
Max Shuart, Alex Kile, Nolan 
De Jong, Kevin Lohan and Zach 
Nagelvoort — and reflect on the 
previous season.

Michigan’s season ended in 

the first round of the Big Ten 
Tournament with a 13-19-3 overall 
record, and most speakers focused 
on the future of the program 
rather than reflecting on the past.

Michigan coach Red Berenson 

did not fail to acknowledge 
the 
team’s 
record, 
though, 

highlighting 
the 
improvement 

that would be necessary next 
season. Berenson did not comment 
on whether or not he would be 
returning as the head coach for the 
2017-18 season.

He announced that a meeting 

with Michigan Athletic Director 
Warde Manuel would take place 
later this week to assess the 
coaching situation and determine 
the plan for next year.

The honors were awarded as 

follows:

Carl 
Isaacson 
Memorial 

Award for Academic Athlete of 
the Year — junior defenseman 
Sam Piazza

Piazza, 
a 
mechanical 

engineering 
major 
at 
the 

University, 
received 
academic 

All-Big Ten honors for the second 
season in a row. Piazza received 
the award for his performances on 
the ice and in the classroom.

Dekers 
Club 
Award 
for 

Most Colorful Rookie of the 
Year — freshman forward Will 
Lockwood

The Most Colorful Rookie of the 

Year award goes to the freshman 
on the team who has proven to 
have a prominent impact on the 
ice. Lockwood was chosen as the 
recipient out of the 11 freshmen on 
the roster.

Alton D. Simmons Award for 

Most Improved Player — senior 
forward Evan Allen

Allen received most improved 

honors after recording six goals 
and six assists in 28 games he 
played in this season. His 12 points 
tripled his output from last season, 
when he ended with four points in 
24 games.

Howard Colby Award for 

Sportsman of the Year — junior 
defenseman Sam Piazza

Piazza was also named to 

the 
Big 
Ten 
Sportsmanship 

team. Piazza received a Big Ten 
Honorable Mention this season 
while also serving as an assistant 
captain in senior defenseman 
Kevin Lohan’s absence.

Vic Heyliger Award for Most 

Outstanding Defenseman of the 
Year — sophomore Joe Cecconi

Cecconi served on Team USA’s 

preliminary roster for the World 
Junior Champion team and won 
a gold medal in the championship. 
He also scored his first career goal 
against Wisconsin and recorded 
seven assists this season.

Doc Losh Trophy for Scoring 

Leader of the Year — freshman 
forward Jake Slaker

The freshman ended the season 

with seven goals and 14 assists 
over the course of 35 games to lead 
the team with 21 points.

Hal Downes Trophy for Most 

Valuable Player — freshman 
forward Will Lockwood

Lockwood tallied eight goals 

and 12 assists for 20 points across 
30 games. 

Joseph E Barss Award for 

the True Team Player – senior 
goaltender Zach Nagelvoort

Chosen for his dedication to his 

team, Nagelvoort was awarded the 
True Team Player award.

LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor

Michigan remains 
undefeated in B1G

The wheels on the No. 9 

Michigan women’s tennis team 
just keep on rolling. 

The 
Wolverines 
defeated 

Wisconsin 
(0-7 
Big 
Ten, 

4-12 overall) on Friday and 
Minnesota 
(2-4, 
10-9) 
on 

Sunday. With the wins, the 
Wolverines remain perfect in 
Big Ten play, and now have six 
consecutive wins (5-0, 13-3).

The Golden Gophers saw a 

glimpse of hope after winning 
the doubles point in dramatic, 
tie-break 
fashion. 
But 

the Wolverines 
quickly 
thrashed 
any 

confidence 
that Minnesota 
may have had, 
winning every 
singles 
match 

to 
take 
the 

6-1 
victory. 

After 
beating 

Wisconsin 
on 
Friday, 
4-0, 
Michigan 

impressively dropped only one 
match on the weekend.

“We work on the doubles, 

and we take pride in our 
doubles,” said Michigan coach 
Ronni Bernstein. “But with the 
format, it’s tough to win every 
doubles point.”

Singles play has been a 

strength for Michigan this 
year. 
With 
the 
wins 
this 

weekend it has improved to 
20-1 in conference action. The 
team looks strong from top 
to bottom led by sophomore 
Brienne Minor in the No. 1 
spot for the weekend. Minor 
appeared 
confident 
on 
the 

court and bounced back after 
losing the second set, to take 
the win 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.

“I think we are solid all the 

way down,” Bernstein said. 
“We have a shot one through 
six, and I don’t know if we’ve 
had that all the time in years 
past, so I feel like we have a 

really solid singles lineup.”

Junior 
Alex 
Najarian 

proved 
her 
coach’s 
point, 

providing stability at the No. 
3 spot. Najarian’s net play was 
flawless, and she used it to 
capitalize on two break-point 
opportunities, 
allowing 
her 

to take the first set, 6-3. After 
trading leads in the second set, 
Najarian broke serve to ignite 
a two-game swing, taking a 
6-5 lead by winning a crucial 
deuce point. Najarian secured 
the victory for Michigan by 
winning her match in a tie 
break 6-3, 7-6(2).

Najarian was 

conscious about 
the 
different 

weapons 
she 
used 
on 

the 
court 

in 
Sunday’s 

matchup, 
and 

although 
her 

serve was not 
up to her own 
standards, 
she 

managed to get 
the job done.

“Usually (it’s) my serve, but 

today it wasn’t very on so then I 
rely somewhat on my backhand 
and my volleys, just not my 
forehand,” Najarian said with 
a chuckle.

The Wolverines continue to 

improve as their season nears 
the heart of conference play. 
Taking one matchup at a time 
seems to be working, as they 
continue to ride their unbeaten 
streak. Yet Michigan will be on 
the road for three straight away 
matches, which could be a test 
of the strength of this talented 
team.

Bernstein, though, doesn’t 

seem overly concerned.

“We have a tough weekend 

coming up with three on the 
road, but I feel like we have 
played a really tough schedule,” 
Bernstein said. “The goal is 
obviously to get better and 
peak in May, so I think we are 
headed in the right direction 
for sure.”

ALAN SELZER

For the Daily

“We work on 
the doubles, we 

take pride in 
our doubles.”

