EAST LANSING - Just minutes before the championship game of the MSU-Felpausch tournament on Saturday, Anne Thorius, the starting point guard on the Michigan women's basketball team, was sitting in a bathroom stall, minding her own business.
Then a voice came from the next stall.
"Anne," the voice said, "we need you to score today."
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| MALLORY S.E. FLOYD/Daily As she sat minding - or doing - her own business before Saturday's game at Michigan State, freshman guard Anne Thorius heard a voice booming from the stall next to hers in the bathroom. It was her coach, Sue Guevara, imploring her to do more scoring. Thorius responded, wiping away the Spartans by scoring 22 points and by playing all 40 minutes of the game. |
"I should have told her that Friday, huh?" Guevara said of the bathroom comment.
Friday was when Michigan survived a scare from St. John's in the tournament's opener. In that game, Thorius looked like what she is - a freshman. She seemed unfamiliar with her teammates, missing passes and turning the ball over.
Thorius was only 2-of-3 from the field, scoring five points. She recorded just two assists and turned over the ball four times. She played sloppy in a game that was sloppy all around.
What a difference a day made.
In the championship game, Thorius, who was named to the all-tournament team, took Guevara's advice and came out scoring. She took 10 more shots than she did in the opener, but she wasn't selfish, adding six assists.
But the most remarkable thing about Thorius's performance was the minutes she played. In just her second game at the collegiate level, she played the entire 40 minutes.
"I didn't know she played 40 minutes," Guevara said. "I just realized I never took her out."
Guevara compared her to players like Stacey Thomas and Pollyanna Johns, who only come out of the game if they do something that Guevara needs to talk to them about, or if they get into foul trouble.
In the second half, the Wolverines shot an astonishing 69 percent from the field - a testament to Thorius's ability to find the open player.
After a solid first half - eight points, one assist, one turnover, two steals - Thorius had a dominant second half.
In the half, she was 6-of-8 from the field - including two 3-pointers - for 14 points. She added five assists and two rebounds.
The highlight of her game was a two-minute stretch midway through the second half.
First, Ann Lemire found Thorius open in the corner. Thorius took the feed and knocked down a trey, giving Michigan a 12-point lead. One minute later, Thorius took the ball at the top of the key and drove to the hoop, easily penetrating the Michigan State defense for a layup. Just 45 seconds later, Akisha Franklin dished the ball to Thorius, who nailed another 3-pointer.
Thorius' offensive explosion led a Michigan run that turned a nine-point lead into a 19-point cushion.
"Of course there's a lot of pressure coming out and having to run the plays," Thorius said. "But I feel pretty comfortable out there. The pressure is on everybody."
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