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By William Shakespeare
4B — December 4, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
‘M’ blows out LIU
Thirty-three seconds into
the game, junior center Hallie
Thome hit a layup to give No.
22 Michigan its first lead – a
lead the Wolverines would
never surrender.
Following
Wednesday’s
blowout loss to No. 3 Notre
Dame, the Michigan women’s
basketball team (5-2 overall)
came out blazing in its 86-49
victory
over
the Blackbirds
(3-4).
From
the start, the
Wolverines
pressed
the
action on both
sides
of
the
ball.
By
the
end
of
the
first
quarter,
Michigan
already
accumulated a
19-point lead.
“It
was
a
great
start,”
said coach Kim
Barnes Arico. “I
was really proud of the way we
defended and how we moved
the ball on offense, and we
were able to knock down some
shots.”
The second quarter was
much of the same – as the
Wolverines carried a 45-11
lead into the halftime break.
For over 12 minutes of the
first half, Michigan held LIU
scoreless, while it knocked
down 25 points.
The
Wolverines
found
success through their ability
to share the basketball. Four
players reached double figures
in scoring – Thome (19), senior
guard Katelynn Flaherty (16),
junior guard Nicole Munger
(16) and freshman guard Deja
Church (12) – and Michigan
recorded a season-high 23
assists.
Forward
Jillian
Dunston led the way with eight
on her own, a career high for
the senior.
“We’ve been trying to figure
out a way to utilize Jillian
best,” Barnes Arico said. “The
game has really slowed down
for her. She’s playing as an
experienced player. She’s a
great student (of the game),
one of the best that we have.
When she screens and she
opens, she is available to make
those extra passes.”
Not only were
the Wolverines
distributing
the rock, but
they
were
capitalizing
on their shots.
Michigan
shot a season-
high
52.3
percent
from
the
floor.
Its
most
efficient
players, Church
and
Thome,
shot a combined
13-of-16
from
the
field.
Munger wasn’t
far
behind,
as
the
sharp
shooter seemed to finally find
her stroke, making 5-of-7 from
behind the arc.
“It was great to see her
knock down shots,” Barnes
Arico said. “But even diving on
the floor for a loose ball when
we were up 30, it just speaks
volumes to the kind of player
she is.”
The star players weren’t
the only ones contributing
on
Saturday,
though.
The
lopsided game allowed all 11
Wolverines to enter the game,
and Michigan’s bench racked
up 24 points.
The blowout also allowed
the Wolverines’ starters to get
some rest, which may prove
crucial for Michigan with
a quick turnaround against
Detroit Mercy on Monday.
HUNTER SHARF
Daily Sports Writer
I was really
proud of
the way we
defended and
how we moved
the ball on
offense
Freshmen set tempo, Michigan beats Indiana
Jay-Z’s
“U
Don’t
Know”
blared amongst a chorus of
cheers from a packed Crisler
Center crowd.
The
Michigan
men’s
basketball
team
was
only
going
through
introductions
for
its
Saturday
afternoon
matchup against Indiana, but
the intensity was the highest it
had been so far this season. Big
Ten play doesn’t normally start
this early, but the conference
matchup aura was surely alive.
It would be fair if the higher
stakes caused a few extra
nerves. But for the Wolverines’
freshmen, that wasn’t the case.
In
Michigan’s
win
over
the Hoosiers (0-1 Big Ten,
4-4
overall),
Eli
Brooks,
Jordan
Poole
and
Isaiah
Livers combined for 28 of the
Wolverines’ (1-0, 7-2) 69 points
— 19 of which came from Poole
— as they continued to showcase
aggressiveness atypical of a
first-year player.
“We’ve seen it a little bit in
practice, but not a lot in practice
because they’re still growing
every day. … I love these three
freshman now. I love them.
They still make me angry almost
everyday,” Beilein said with a
smile.
An
unbridled
confidence
is nothing new for Poole, and
having increased his playing
time each of the past three
games — he had 27 minutes
against Indiana — you could say
it’s treating him and Michigan
kindly.
“I think you saw a young guy
play with great confidence as he
got going early,” said Indiana
coach Archie Miller. “For him to
hit five threes in his first Big Ten
game … that’s unbelievable.”
Poole led the Wolverines
in both scoring and energy.
The guard essentially started
Saturday, substituting in for
Charles
Matthews
just
14
seconds into the game after
an early foul. Following a
3-pointer from fifth-year senior
forward
Duncan
Robinson,
Poole knocked one down on
the next possession. Less than
90 seconds later, the shooting
guard hit another.
“I was like, ‘It’s time to lock
in,’ ” Poole said. “Especially
coming off a loss at North
Carolina, nobody’s shots were
falling, it was
just
time
to
lock in. … I feel
like
I
kinda
sneaked up on
them a little
bit.”
But
Poole
wasn’t
done
yet.
At
the
9:23 mark in
the first half,
junior forward
Moritz Wagner found a cutting
Poole from the top of the key for
an easy layup. Just 3 minutes
prior, Wagner found Livers on
a similar play for an open layup.
It was a sign for Michigan coach
John Beilein: the freshmen
are getting it, and sooner than
expected.
“It’s
been
great
seeing
us grow as a group and as
individuals. That’s been good,”
Brooks said. “… The confidence
from the older guys have in you
and the other freshmen (helps).
The confidence that the coaches
have, that really helps.”
Poole is also customarily
the most theatrical celebrator
on
the
bench,
but
with
more
contributions
coming
on
the
court,
he
found
himself waving his
arms up and down
to liven the crowd
after he hit a side-
step trey.
And in Brooks’
sixth
straight
start,
he
once
again proved why he should
be manning the ‘1.’ Brooks
notched
a
career-best
six
assists, including the kickout to
Poole for his first three of the
game. The 6-foot-1 guard also
demonstrated his knockdown
ability,
drilling
a
stepback
jumper as the shot clock wound
down late in the first half.
“We’ve
seen
this
ability
to think to the next play,”
Beilein said. “Not all of his
fundamentals are there, but
his mind is there and just he’s
learning how to do it. For a
freshman to play against a fifth-
year guy and have six assists and
no turnovers, that was really a
big step for him.”
Livers’ statline was quieter
than Brooks’ and Poole’s, but
he helped shore up a frontcourt
defense of Wagner and Robison
that allowed 36 of Indiana’s 55
points in the paint. Livers also
had a steal-turned-fastbreak-
layup in the first half, an
opportunity that was swatted
out his hands against North
Carolina.
Beilein had reiterated at the
postgame press conference that
his team will consistently come
out firing and that it was only
a matter of time. On Saturday
afternoon, nine games into the
season and in large part thanks
to his freshmen, his words were
coming to life.
ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Editor
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Freshman guard Jordan Poole finished with a team-high 19 points, leading a strong showing from the freshman class.
I love these
three freshmen
right now. I love
them.
Despite line changes, Wolverines top USNTDP
PLYMOUTH,
Mich.
–
Michigan coach Mel Pearson
decided to break up his most
powerful
offensive
line
by
switching
forwards
Will
Lockwood and Tony Calderone
with the goal of spurring a more
diverse offensive threat.
What ensued in the first and
second periods Saturday night
was not the sign of an eclectic
offense, despite the 7-4 victory.
Calderone, junior center Cooper
Marody and senior left wing
Dexter
Dancs
–
who
have
combined for 47 points thus
far this season – continued to
dominate the stat sheet.
“We just want to try some
things and you could see we
were all over the place with lines
today,” Pearson said. “Obviously
Tony got back with Cooper and
Cooper makes the plays to him,
they’ve got something going.”
Added Lockwood: “I don’t
think it changes much team
dynamic. I think to find that
chemistry
between
lines
is
important.”
The Michigan hockey team
(2-4-2 Big Ten, 6-6-2 overall)
faced
off
against
the
U.S.
National
Team
Development
Program Under-18 Team in an
exhibition with plenty to prove
coming off a series sweep by
Ohio State.
Calderone set the trend early
in the first period with two goals.
On a cross-ice pass and then later
on a solo streak down the right
flank, he delivered two crisp
wrist shots that easily snuck past
goaltender Drew Deridder – who
will play for Michigan State next
season.
The
early
score
from
Calderone
–
paired
with
Michigan’s intention to play a
physical match, exemplified by
a concerted effort to de-skate its
younger foes – proved that the
Wolverines
weren’t
planning
on giving the USNTDP any
breathing room.
“I think they brought the fire
right away,” Calderone said. “I
think this is one of the biggest
games on their schedule. They
wanted to bring it to us, so we
had to match that.”
Marody and sophomore center
Adam Winborg increased the
Wolverines’ lead to four with
two goals only minutes apart.
The first came on a faceoff pass
from sophomore left wing Jake
Slaker and the second on another
wrist shot.
After a scoring lull at the start
of the second period, Michigan
struck again nearly five minutes
into the frame in a manner that
fans have been seeing all season.
Marody delivered a pass in the
slot to Calderone, who passed to
Dancs, who then buried the puck
into the back of the net for the
Wolverines’ fourth goal.
However,
the
U-18
team
wasn’t sitting in the passenger
seat to simply watch Michigan
tally its 16th win in the all-time
record column. It continuously
forced turnovers and dealt back
some of the damage dealt to
them on the boards.
The USNTDP found the back
of the net as well. Forward
Oliver Wahlstrom netted its first
goal almost seven minutes into
the second period. Under two
minutes later, forward Patrick
Giles scored again to drop the
deficit to two. And with three
minutes left, Giles struck again
to reduce the Wolverines’ lead
to 4-3.
After that comeback, Michigan
opened the third period looking
completely
dissimilar
to
its
earlier self. But the Wolverines
would soon find their groove
again. Within 12 seconds of each
other, Calderone and Lockwood
gave Michigan some insurance
with a goal apiece to bump its
lead back up to three.
And a goal from sophomore
center Nick Pastujov – assisted
by his brother and fellow center
Michael
Pastujov
–
sealed
USNTDP’s fate.
That goal proved that the
Wolverines’ offense can have
various lethal capabilities, but
the
changes
Pearson
made
weren’t enough to make it a
storyline for the whole game. At
least, though, it was a start.
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Senior forward Tony Calderone scored two early goals to give Michigan a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish against the U.S. National Team Development Program.
ROBERT HEFTER
Daily Sports Writer