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SportsMonday
Monday, January 8, 2018 — 3B

Barnes Arico breaks all-time win record

When the seconds ticked 

off and the game ended last 
Thursday for the 190th time in 
Kim Barnes Arico’s time as head 
coach of the Michigan women’s 
basketball team, the first face 
she saw was a familiar one: 
Danielle Williams.

Williams has been under 

Barnes Arico’s tutelage since 
the 2013-14 season, as both 
a player and — starting this 
season — a graduate assistant. 
Instead of saying a familiar 
axiom or giving a high-five after 
the team’s 80-57 dismantling 
of Wisconsin, Williams offered 
up a hug. Barnes Arico had won 
her 124th game, making her the 
program’s all-time winningest 
coach. Congratulations were in 
order.

The team gifted Barnes Arico 

a jersey, numbered ‘124,’ with 
her name on the back of it — an 
idea birthed by Mulligan and 
Sarah VanMetre, the team’s 
communications director. Prior 
to Michigan’s game against 
Ohio State on Saturday, the 
jersey was presented to her at 
midcourt.

From 
there, 
the 

congratulatory 
messages 

poured in. Nearly 18 hours after 
the game ended, she had yet to 

sift through her text messages 
because there were too many.

When Barnes Arico took 

over at Michigan in 2012, the 
Wolverines 
were 
a 
veteran 

program, 
led 
by 
then-

seniors Jenny Ryan and Kate 
Thompson. 
After 
they 
left, 

however, it was Barnes Arico’s 
job 
to 
facilitate 
a 
rebuild 

while keeping Michigan in the 
postseason — something that 
hadn’t been done successfully in 
the program’s recent history.

She did it. For four straight 

seasons, she kept the Wolverines 
above .500 and got to the 
Women’s National Invitational 
Tournament, winning it in 2017 
and raising the team’s first ever 
banner.

“I was fortunate to inherit 

a group of seniors that was 
experienced 
and 
was 
a 

tremendous 
group,” 
Barnes 

Arico said. “But after that, and 
they graduated, we had a lot of 
young, inexperienced kids. So 
we figured, we were gonna work 
harder than everybody else. And 
we might not have the talent of 
other teams, but we were gonna 
be the hardest workers and that 
would prove to be successful.”

That ultimately became her 

theme, taken into every practice 
and every game. At the end of 
the intro video the team plays at 
the start of every contest, senior 

guard Katelynn Flaherty stares 
into the camera and says, “We 
are the hardest working team in 
America.”

“I 
just 
think 
sometimes, 

especially when you’re starting 
as an underdog and maybe 
your tradition has not been 
established already, to control 
the things that you can control, 
and one is your work ethic,” 
Barnes Arico said. “And the 
intensity and passion that you 
bring to your profession every 
day, whether that’s a player 
on the court or a coach on our 
staff.”

Now — in Barnes Arico’s 

fifth year in Ann Arbor — she’s 
no longer coaching a band of 
underdogs. 
The 
Wolverines 

have been nationally ranked 
since the season began and 
look poised to make a return to 
the NCAA Tournament for the 
first time since Barnes Arico’s 
inaugural season.

When asked if she thinks 

this is the best team she’s had at 
Michigan, Barnes Arico replied: 
“I guess the rest of the world 
does.”

As for herself, well, she didn’t 

give a concrete answer. Better 
to keep working than start 
wondering.

Wolverines fall short to Ohio State in overtime

With her team in the lead just six 

minutes into the game, Ohio State 
guard Kelsey Mitchell dribbled the 
ball calmly at the top of the key.

Junior guard Nicole Munger 

and junior center Hallie Thome 
closed in on her, catching her by 
surprise and forcing a loose ball. As 
the ball bounced past the half-court 
line, the three players chased it. 
Mitchell was the frontrunner of the 
pack, and it seemed as if she would 
regain possession.

But then, out of nowhere, 

Munger and Thome dove across the 
floor just as Mitchell reached down 
towards the ball. Thome grabbed 
the ball, and Munger instantly 
called a timeout — winning 
possession back for her team.

Some 
may 
have 
wondered 

why two starters would sacrifice 
themselves so early on.

But 
in 
Sunday 
afternoon’s 

overtime thriller, every possession 
mattered. The No. 22 Michigan 
women’s basketball team (2-2 Big 
Ten, 13-4 overall) fell to the tenth-
ranked Buckeyes (4-0, 15-2), 78-71, 
at Crisler Center.

The game started out intense, 

with both teams showing off their 
energy and physicality. Munger 

drained a corner 3, getting the 
Wolverines on the scoreboard 
early on. But Mitchell responded 
immediately for the Buckeyes, 
sinking a 3-pointer of her own.

The rest of the quarter — and 

game for that matter — would 
follow this back-and-forth trend.

Both 
teams 
created 
a 

considerable amount of scoring 
chances. Ohio State played very 
tight defense overall, especially on 
Katelynn Flaherty, but the senior 
guard still managed to find the rim 
from the get-go.

Thome 
was 
also 
a 
major 

contributor for Michigan. The 
Wolverines consistently fed her 
the ball down low, letting her spin 
around defenders to find the basket 
with ease. Michigan figured out 
how to capitalize on her height 
advantage from the beginning, and 
she put it in effect at the end of the 
first quarter.

Following a missed 3-pointer 

from Munger, a Buckeye defender 
waited under the rim for the 
rebound. But Thome suddenly 
reached 
over 
the 
opponent, 

grabbed the ball and scored.

Despite their offensive success, 

the Wolverines couldn’t limit Ohio 
State’s offense. They also had 
numerous traveling violations, and 

due to these mistakes Michigan 
trailed, 24-18, at the end of the 
opening stanza.

The second quarter was a 

defensive battle in which the 
Wolverines came out on top, 
limiting the Buckeyes to just six 
points. Senior forward Jillian 
Dunston set the tone for Michigan 
in this period, offering leadership 
through her confident style of play. 
The Wolverines followed suit and 
began cutting into Ohio State’s 
lead.

Having just hit a free throw to 

get her team within one, freshman 
guard Deja Church received the 
ball once more, following a missed 
jumper by Mitchell. Church’s 
floater — the last shot of the half — 
spun out of the hoop, though, and 
Michigan trailed, 30-29.

Flaherty made a jumper at the 

start of the second half, giving 
the Wolverines their first lead in a 
while. This lead flipped between 
the two sides seven more times 
in what was an even-sided third 
quarter.

With 19 seconds remaining 

in the quarter, Flaherty came up 
clutch for Michigan. She showed off 
her ball-handling skills, dribbling 
through the defense to convert a 
layup and tie the game at 47 at the 

end of the third frame.

Neither team pulled away in 

the fourth quarter. Thome found 
success in the low post, leading 
the Wolverines’ offense with a 
quarter-high nine points, while 
Mitchell continued to lead the 
Buckeyes.

With a little over a minute in 

regulation remaining, Michigan — 
trailing 62-61 — called a timeout. It 
proved helpful. Flaherty drained a 
3-pointer shortly after to give the 
Wolverines a two-point lead.

After a missed jumper by 

Ohio State, Michigan regained 
possession and had a chance to 
make it a two-possession game. But 
Flaherty missed a 3-pointer and 
Mitchell capitalized, going coast-
to-coast to tie the game at 64.

The Wolverines called a timeout 

with twelve seconds left, and 
had one final chance to put the 
game away. But Flaherty couldn’t 
convert, missing another 3-pointer, 
sending the game to overtime.

With 
Thome 
and 
Flaherty 

well-guarded, Michigan’s offense 
struggled in overtime. Deadlier, 
however, 
was 
its 
defense’s 

continued inability to stop Mitchell, 
who scored nine of her game-high 
37 points in the extra period.

Though the Wolverines had 

strong individual efforts — which 
included 27 and 22 points from 
Thome and Flaherty, respectively 
— they were not enough for a 
victory.

Michigan put together four 

strong quarters, but the end result 
left the fans feeling bitter once 
again. The Wolverines have yet to 
close out a game against a high-
caliber team.

“In general, we just need to 

realize we are right there,” Thome 
said. “We all need to go back, watch 
the game, figure out what we need 
to improve upon and then we play 
them next week, so we are in a good 
condition right now. We just need 
to keep improving and take it day 
by day. It’s a loss, but a loss is time 
for learning.”

In season-opening win, 
‘M’ passes difficult test 

For the No. 7 Michigan 

women’s 
gymnastics 
team, 

facing the best competition has 
become the norm. The prestige 
of the program has invited in 
competition from top talent 
across the nation.

This 
season 
alone, 
the 

Wolverines will face three of 
the top five teams ranked in the 
NACGC/W Preseason Coaches 
Poll. Friday, Michigan began 
its difficult schedule against 
fourth-ranked Alabama at the 
Crisler Center.

In a meet filled with a bevy of 

highs and lows, the Wolverines 
escaped with a narrow win, 
topping 
the 
Crimson 
Tide, 

196.200 to 195.675. Highlighting 
Michigan’s 
victory 
were 

individual performances from 
junior Olivia Karas on her floor 
routine and senior Briana Brown 
on the uneven bars, scoring 9.925 
and 9.900, respectively.

“We knew it was a really tough 

team,” Brown said. “But we’ve 
been working really hard and 
we’ve beaten Alabama before so 
we knew if we just trusted our 
training, if we just came out here 
and did what we knew how to do, 
it was gonna be just fine, and we 
had a lot of fun.”

The importance of competing 

against top-ranked opponents 
early and often is not lost on 
Michigan coach Bev Plocki, who 
places a special emphasis on 
scheduling the best of the best.

“I have always been of the 

belief that you are only as good as 
the teams you compete against,” 
Plocki said. “And the last couple 
years — this is not out of the 
norm for us. I really feel like you 
have to put yourself up against 
the best as a measuring stick.”

Now 
that 
Plocki 
has 

successfully lined up a laundry 
list of difficult opponents, the 

team’s preparation and energy 
must rise to that same elite level.

For these gymnasts, they will 

take that energy wherever they 
can get it, whether it comes from 
the crowd or their teammates.

“I feed off energy,” Karas said, 

“I always tell my teammates, 
‘you’ve gotta be loud for me!’ 
But I love energy, I love the 
excitement of the crowd, I love 
looking at, like making eye 
contact with people in the crowd 
and getting excited, it gets me 
excited, and — I thought the 
crowd brought so much energy 
that just helped us in the end 
there.”

That was evident Friday. 

Karas’ floor routine — complete 
with a double Arabian — was met 
with a thunderous cheer from 
a 3,000-strong Crisler crowd. 
From her first pass, Karas drew 
a standing ovation from the 
rambunxious crowd and rode 
the high energy to an event-best 
score of 9.925.

While the camaraderie was 

a high point in Michigan’s 
performance, some aspects still 
need improvement as Brown 
mentioned the team’s landings 
and ability to compete what 
they’ve 
practiced 
could 
get 

better.

Plocki will be the first one to 

say there is no magic fix to help 
a gymnast stick a perfect landing 
every time. But even against No. 
4 Alabama, Michigan displayed a 
patience and poise that carried it 
to victory.

“We’ve got a lot of stuff to 

work on here with people,” 
Plocki said. “But I’m really proud 
of the fact that, when things 
were not going our way, and you 
know, we were under so much 
pressure, we could have easily 
caved — but sometimes you just 
have to keep fighting and believe 
that it’s worth the continued 
fight and you can come out with 
the win.”

Thome flourishes in Michigan loss

With 4:45 remaining in the 

first quarter, Ohio State had 
possession of the ball near 
half court. As the Buckeyes 
passed back and forth, they 
lost control of the ball and it 
rolled over to the other side of 
the court. Several players broke 
into an all-out 
sprint 
in 
an 

attempt to gain 
possession, but 
it was junior 
center 
Hallie 

Thome 
who 

slid 
her 
six-

foot-five body 
across 
the 

floor to secure 
the ball.

The 
crowd 

of 8,313 erupted.

Though Ohio State would 

ultimately prevail in overtime, 
Thome proved to be a key player 
for 
the 
Michigan 
women’s 

basketball team in Sunday’s 
game, totaling a team-high 27 
points.

“I think we need to realize 

that we’re right there,” said 
Thome. “Now we need to keep 
improving and take it day by 
day ... it’s a loss but a loss is time 

for learning.”

Despite 
Buckeye 
ball 

pressure that forced Thome and 
the Wolverines into numerous 
traveling 
violations, 
Thome 

used footwork to create clean 
shots around the hoop.

“She’s 
got 
outstanding 

footwork, she’s a really skilled 
post,” said Michigan coach Kim 
Barnes Arico. “I think that they 

were 
bumping 

her a little bit and 
they were calling 
a ton of travels 
against us, really 
more in the first 
half than we had 
all 
year 
long. 

And I think part 
of that was their 
physicality 
and 

we had to adjust 
to that.

“I thought we settled down 

as a team and did a better job in 
the second half of not traveling 
with the basketball. And she 
specifically really settled down 
and just used her quickness and 
her footwork to be aggressive.”

Senior point guard Katelyn 

Flaherty had several assists 
to Thome during the game, 
making them a notable and 
highly-guarded duo.

“It’s better when she’s on my 

side because they can’t help 
down so it’s easier to get into 
the post,” Thome said. “They 
kind of have to pick and choose, 
do they want a three or do they 
want a two? So being able to 
play with a player like this, 
who everyone in the country 
respects, is definitely so nice.”

Ohio 
State’s 
one-on-one 

defense provided Thome an 
advantage not afforded by some 
other teams, who tend to focus 
more attention on Thome.

“She’s coming off of a real 

good game and we talked about 
trying to establish her early and 
get her the ball early and we 
were able to do that,” Barnes 
Arico said. “I think one of her 
advantages was that they left in 
her in a one-on-one and a lot of 
times teams try to double her.”

But Thome was good for 

more than just scoring, proving 
herself as a defensive standout 
Sunday. Early in the second 
quarter, 
Thome 
blocked 
a 

shot that put the fans on their 
feet. And in a matchup with 
Stephanie Mavunga, one of 
the Buckeyes’ best players, she 
stood her ground.

“She really attacked her,” 

Barnes 
Arico 
said. 
“She 

definitely 
won 
the 
battle 

tonight.”

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS

JACOB KOPNICK
Daily Sports Writer

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

Junior center Hallie Thome was the bright spot for Michigan, scoring 27 points in the Wolverines’ loss to Ohio State.

ETHAN SEARS
Daily Sports Writer

SARAH HURST
Daily Sports Writer

“I think we 

need to realize 
that we’re right 

there.”

Junior center tallies 27 points against rival Ohio State

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico broke the all-time wins record on Thursday by beating Wisconsin.

Read the full story online at 
MichiganDaily.com

ROHAN KUMAR
Daily Sports Writer

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

The Michigan women’s basketball team came close to beating Ohio State, but ultimately fell short in overtime.

Read the full story online at 
MichiganDaily.com