Panthers ruin Wolverines' weekend in the sun

The good side: The Michigan women's basketball team got to spend its Thanksgiving break in Miami, playing at the Florida International Thanksgiving tournament.

The bad side: The team's holiday meal included a rather healthy side of disappointment.

Despite pounding Furman on Saturday to win the consolation bracket of the tournament, the Wolverines (4-1) suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of host Florida International the day before.

Michigan routinely squandered double-digit leads during the contest, and, after forward Molly Murray hit a jumper to knot the score at 67 with 13 seconds left, found themselves an unhappy victim of the Golden Panthers' late-game heroics.

Florida International center Gergana Branzova, who would burn Michigan's defense for 16 points and nine rebounds on the day, took a pass from Dalma Ivanyi and spotted up at the right elbow. As time wound down, the Wolverines watched as Branzova's jumper connected to give the Panthers the win, 69-67.

"They executed perfectly," Michigan forward Mandy Stowe said of Florida International's last play. "We were playing good defense, and the help and recovery was there, but it was just a really tough shot."

The Wolverines dominated the Panthers in the first half, jumping out to a 9-0 lead before Florida International was able to get on the scoreboard. But Michigan staggered through a four-minute scoring drought in the second half, and the game was tied at 50 with 11:06 to go.

The Wolverines would never recover, shooting an icy 38 percent from the field in the second half, and getting outscored 40-28 by the Panthers.

"We didn't come out in the second half with the same intensity we had in the first," Stowe said. "We became satisfied with the lead, and relaxed. I guess we didn't think they would fight back from the ten-point deficit at the half."

Unfortunately for Furman, which had fallen to Purdue in the first round of the tournament, they were next on the schedule for the Michigan, which was now stinging from its first defeat of the season.

Refocused and determined, the Wolverines made quick work of Furman, taking a 24-point lead at the half on their way to a 104-72 rout of the Lady Palladins.

Recording the third-highest point total in school history, the Wolverines were led by Pollyanna Johns, who scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

The performance, coupled with Johns' 17 point, 10 rebound effort in the Wolverines' first-round game, earned the 6-3 center a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

As for the team, there was a sense of satisfaction with the way they bounced back from their early disappointment.

"We were all really frustrated with the loss, and we came out fired up," Stowe said of the team's performance against Furman. "We played well for all 40 minutes, and our press allowed us to get quick, easy shots and put them away."

12-01-97