The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
Monday, January 22, 2018 — 3B

DARBY STIPE/Daily

Senior point guard Katelynn Flahery led Michigan with 27 points in the 19th-ranked Wolverines’ 44-point win over Illinois on Saturday night.

Michigan throttles Illinois, 86-42

As the clock ran out in the 

first quarter, Katelynn Flaherty 
pulled up from the far right side 
at midcourt. The ball swished 
perfectly through the net.

“When I saw it was high 

enough, I was like, ‘It feels 
pretty good,’ ” Flaherty said. 
“Then it went in I was like, 
‘Wow, that’ll never happen 
again.’ ”

It was that kind of day for 

the No. 19 Michigan women’s 
basketball team, as it went on 
to defeat Illinois by 44 points, 
86-42.

After 
allowing 
a 
quick 

five points to start the game, 
the Wolverines (6-2 Big Ten, 
17-4 overall) were locked in. 
Throughout the final 8:10 of the 
quarter, Michigan outscored the 
Fighting Illini 24 to seven. The 
strong play in the first was the 
byproduct of team basketball.

Though, as often is the case, 

senior 
guard 
Flaherty 
was 

the star of the quarter. After 
missing her first three shots, 
Flaherty hit three straight 3s, 
including her half-court heave. 
Her typical strong performance 
continued, as she finished with 
27 points, eight assists, four 
rebounds and four steals.

After the opening surge, 

the 
Wolverines 
cooled 
off. 

Michigan and Illinois (0-7, 9-12) 
were even in the second, scoring 
12 apiece. The Wolverines went 
through a four-minute drought 
without a basket, but were 
able to maintain a lead with 
solid defense. The only place 
the Fighting Illini found some 
success in the first half was 
from behind the arc; 50 percent 
of their first-half points came 
off 3s.

While 
Michigan’s 
defense 

was extremely good in the first 
half, it was even better in the 
second.

“We did a really good job in 

the first half of taking away 
the foul line,” said coach Kim 

Barnes Arico. “They made some 
shots late in the shot clock and 
some off offensive rebounds (in 
the first half). So we knew if we 
could clean that up a little bit, 
we would be able to get more 
stops.”

And that’s exactly what they 

did. The Wolverines allowed 
just four points in the third 
quarter and 18 total points in 
the second half. Comparatively, 
Flaherty scored 14 and freshman 
forward Hailey Brown scored 11 
in the second half.

Brown had one of the best 

games of her young career, 
finishing with 17 points on 
6-of-9 shooting, a career-high 
14 rebounds and one block. She 
was a force down low, where 
Michigan outscored Illinois 40 
to 12.

“We 
knew 
when 
Hailey 

committed to us that she would 
be an outstanding addition 

to 
our 
program,” 
Barnes 

Arico said. “Hailey just keeps 
grinding, just keeps working 
and improving each and every 
single day. Last week she was 
recognized as freshman of the 
week nationally.”

Throughout the game, the 

Wolverines were able to create 
offense from their defense. 
Michigan forced 21 Fighting 
Illini 
turnovers, 
scoring 
31 

points 
off 
those 
mistakes. 

Illinois, on the other hand, had 
just two points off turnovers 
and four steals. Junior guard 
Nicole Munger had five steals of 
her own.

While it’s always nice to win 

by 44, the Wolverines shouldn’t 
be too surprised — the Fighting 
Illini 
have 
now 
lost 
eight 

straight.

Don’t expect it to be this easy 

when the Wolverines face rival 
Michigan State this Tuesday.

Rice, ‘M’ honor Flaherty’s record

For Katelynn Flaherty, it’s 

easy at this point. Wait for the 
defense to contract around a 
stampeding Jillian Dunston then 
slide in behind as the trailer. Three 
points. Run off a Hallie Thome 
pindown, leaving her defender 
behind. Three points. Or, loft one 
up from half-court, a heave that 
falls through the net as the buzzer 
sounds. Three points.

The senior guard does all of the 

above, all in the first quarter, on 
the way to a 44-point win over a 
conference opponent. It’s par for 
the course.

“Just crazy,” she said. “I do not 

know how the hell I would be able 
to do (a half-court shot) again.”

Flaherty is Michigan’s all-time 

leading scorer, an honor earned 
with a 3-pointer (what else?) at 
Nebraska last week, to move atop 

the list. Not the women’s basketball 
program’s all-time leading scorer, 
mind you — though she holds that 
honor as well. The school’s all-
time leading scorer. She passed 
Glen Rice’s record of 2,442 points, 
leaving the three-time NBA All-
Star in her dust.

Rice 
sent 
Flaherty 
a 

congratulatory Facebook message 
after the record was broken, but 
didn’t meet her in person until 
Sunday — a ceremony during 
a break in the Michigan men’s 
basketball team’s win over Rutgers.

“I always say records are made 

to be broken and to be able to have 
it done by Katelynn, who’s had a 
tremendous career, tremendous 
athlete, tremendous scorer — I 
mean, God, that’s almost like 
another Glen Rice out there 
watching her shoot the basketball 
and do what she does,” Rice said. 
“For me, it’s an honor to even be in 
the same sentence as she is.”

Rice knew Flaherty was coming 

for his record well in advance, 
a reality of having a female 
sharpshooter who couldn’t leave 
early for the NBA in his midst. By 
Sunday, Flaherty was already at 
2,505 points, a virtue of dropping 
21 and 27 points in two games since 
breaking the record.

“When I found out I was gonna 

be coming here and scouting the 
game (for the Miami Heat) and 
they told me, ‘Oh yeah, you know, 
you’re not the all-time leading 
scorer anymore,’ ” Rice said, “I 
went, ‘Oh really, great. Let me 
guess: Katelynn.’ Yes, it was her. I 
(had) seen it coming, a while back.”

There’s a poetic justice to 

Flaherty — a sharpshooting guard 
whose favorite play is a pull-up 
jumper — passing Rice, who shot 
over 50 percent from beyond the 
arc, leading Michigan to the 1989 
National Championship. Though a 
senior, Flaherty has yet to make the 
NCAA Tournament. But the No. 
19 Michigan women’s basketball 
team (6-2 Big Ten, 17-4 overall) is 
well on its way.

And, like they did with Rice, 

opponents are pulling out all 
the stops to keep Flaherty from 
beating 
them, 
face-guarding 

her 25 feet from the basket with 
regularity.

“You got defense working night 

in and night out trying to stop you 
and at the same time, when you’re 
a scorer and you know it’s coming, 
you work that much harder to stay 
ahead of what they’re trying to do 
as far as strategy and stopping you, 
so I feel it,” Rice said. “I understand 
the body of work that she (has). 
She’s put in the work and when you 
put in the work, you accomplish 
what she is accomplishing. It’s 
pretty easy when you’re in that 
spot because you understand 
exactly what you gotta do to keep 
going forward.”

With eight games to go before 

the Big Ten tournament, Flaherty 
is well on her way to setting a 
near-unbreakable scoring mark. 
The only thing left for her to 
accomplish 
in 
her 
collegiate 

career: A tournament run.

HUNTER SHARF
Daily Sports Writer

ETHAN SEARS
Daily Sports Writer

‘M’ finishes second

In the face of 2,000 screaming 

fans at the new U-M Indoor 
Track Stadium, fifth-year senior 
Micah Beller came sprinting 
down the stretch of his 3000-
meter race, neck and neck with 
Michigan State’s Clark Ruiz. 
As they neared the finish line, 
Beller narrowly pulled ahead, 
holding his advantage with a 
final lean of his chest over the 
finish line.

“Once it was within 200 

meters, it was just the crowd 
carrying me the whole way,” 
Beller said. “They really got 
into it, and it was awesome 
being able to feed off that 
atmosphere.”

It initially appeared that 

Beller’s 
victory 
gave 
the 

Michigan men’s track and field 
team the advantage it needed 
to hold off Ohio State and take 
home 
the 
Simmons-Harvey 

Quad meet. However, a late 
disqualification in the 4 x 400 
race dropped the Wolverines to 
second place.

Despite the disappointing 

ending, Michigan came away 
from the meet optimistic about 
its all-around showing.

“We performed in almost 

every area,” said Michigan 
coach Jerry Clayton. “Obviously 
the throws and then (junior) 
Taylor (McLaughlin) in the 
400, the 4 x 4 there at the end. 
Overall, from top to bottom, 
very good team effort.”

While Beller’s 3000-meter 

was the most exciting race of 
the day, the Wolverines were 
also dominant in the throwing 
circle. Junior Joseph Ellis and 
senior Grant Cartwright placed 
first and second, respectively, 
in the weight throw, while 
sophomore Andrew Liskowitz 
and Cartwright were the top-
two shot putters.

To contend for a Big Ten title 

next month, these throwers 
— the self-proclaimed ‘Meat 
Factory’ — know they will 
need 
to 
repeat 
Saturday’s 

performances.

“We took that responsibility 

(to be team leaders) on last 
season,” 
Ellis 
said, 
“when 

we scored 30-some points at 
outdoor Big Tens so the team 
is expecting a lot of us but we 
expect a lot of ourselves. Ideally 
the ‘Meat Factory’ — me , Grant, 
Andrew 
Manning 
— 
we’re 

making moves onto the next 
stage at nationals and we start 
to score big points for the team.”

Clayton was equally pleased 

with the performance of his 
throwers.

“The marks at which they 

opened at (were) about exactly 
what 
we 
were 
expecting,” 

Clayton said “so we’re real 
excited with where they’re at.”

Back on the track, Michigan 

saw two personal records in 
the 800-meter race produce 
another 1-2 finish. Junior Matt 
Plowman clocked in at 1:51.83 
while his sophomore teammate 
Anthony Berry ran a 1:52.18 in 
his first collegiate race.

“That was really a big step 

forward, because those guys 
are younger,” Clayton said. “To 
step in and compete against the 
teams we had here, that was 
an outstanding race for both of 
them.”

While the Wolverines were 

pleased with their work on 
the track, perhaps the most 
encouraging performance was 
from the stands. Many of the 
Michigan athletes credited both 
the crowd and their sparkling 
new facilities as supplemental 
to their success.

“I can’t speak enough to 

how this facility has helped us 
(train) over the last couple of 
months,” Beller said.

Even 
the 
throwers 
— 

normally hidden from the fans 
— noticed a difference in the 
crowd.

“It’s kind of nerve-wracking” 

Ellis said. “Normally the throws 
are off to the side and now we’re 
just surrounded by fans.”

Added Clayton: “The crowds 

we’ve had these last two meets 
have just been great. We’re 
excited and we’re glad the fan 
base is too.”

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

THEO MACKIE
Daily Sports Writer

Underclassmen shine in season’s first dual-match 

With the score knotted at 

30-30, 
Chiara 
Lommer 
and 

Alyvia Jones were feeling the 
pressure. If they could just take 
this game, the underclassmen 
would clinch the doubles point 
for the Michigan women’s tennis 
team. If they faltered, the point 
would go to Kansas.

They did not falter.
The No. 2 doubles pair set up 

back-to-back 
unforced 
errors 

to take their match, 7-5. The 
victory was just the beginning of 
Sunday’s dual match, but in the 
end, the Wolverines finished on 
top, 7-1.

Though the ITA Kick-Off is 

not until next weekend, Michigan 
didn’t want to wait to play. By 
starting its season early, it’s just 
one more opportunity for coach 
Ronni Bernstein and the team 
to see what works well and what 
doesn’t.

“We’re trying to figure out a 

way to win the doubles point,” 
Bernstein said. “We’re trying 

to 
find 
someone 
that 
plays 

aggressive with someone that 
sets them up. Today we got (the 
doubles point), which was great, 
but we’ll change it until we feel 
like it’s good.

“But that doubles point is big 

and I think it was a momentum 
thing for us today.”

Some 
may 
think 
that 
a 

freshman and sophomore doubles 
duo is risky, but it clearly paid 
off for the Wolverines. In fact, 
their senior pair at No. 3 doubles, 
made up of Mira Ruder-Hook and 
Kara Hall, was the only team that 
dropped their doubles match.

The underclassmen didn’t just 

shine in doubles, though. The 
first two players off the court 
were Jones and freshman Bella 
Lorenzini, at No. 3 and No. 6 
singles, respectively.

Jumping out to a quick start, 

Jones eventually lost her 2-0 lead 
and the score was tied up again. 
While the first set was a grind for 
the freshman, she took control 
early in the second set. Braced 
with a 5-1 lead, Jones was down 

on points, 40-15. But Jones was 
eager to end her match, forcing 
the game to deuce and winning a 
baseline rally on a Jayhawk error.

While Jones just joined the 

Wolverines at the beginning 
of the winter semester, she has 
already 
proved 
herself. 
She 

earned her way into the doubles 
and singles lineup due to her 
unbeaten record. 

“She’s aggressive, she’s got 

some weapons,” Bernstein said. 
“She’s got a big serve, big forehand, 
she plays defense well, too. I think 
she has it all. … Definitely a big 
addition mid-year.”

While the freshmen breezed 

through 
their 
matches, 
that 

wasn’t 
the 
case 
for 
every 

Michigan player. Normally, when 
a team reaches four points the 
match is over and all matches 
are abandoned, but Ruder-Hook 
and Lommer were given the 
opportunity to play out their third 
sets.

With 
all 
her 
teammates 

watching, Lommer was the last 
on the court. She had a 5-2 lead 

in the final frame, but was down 
on points, 40-30. She fought off a 
game-point to set up deuce. With 
no advantage scoring, this was 
Lommer’s chance to end it.

Kansas was going to make her 

work for it, though.

After a rally of over 30 shots, 

both 
players 
were 
clearly 

exhausted but neither wanted 
to go for the big shot and make 
a mistake. It became a matter 
of who was going to make the 
error first, and in the end, it was 
Jayhawk Janet Koch. Lommer 
won her match, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

As fall tennis is all about 

individual play, it was clear that 
the Wolverines were excited to 
get back to being a team. They 
rushed up to Lommer to greet 
her and exhaled as their first dual 
match was in the books.

With ITA Kick-Off on the 

horizon, Michigan’s season is 
just getting started. But with a 
strong veteran force and eager 
underclassmen, the Wolverines 
are poised for another impressive 
season. 

DARBY STIPE/Daily

Freshman Alyvia Jones acquitted herself well in Michigan’s dual match of the season, winning both her doubles and singles matches against Kansas.

PAIGE VOEFFRAY

Daily Sports Editor

