WEST LAFAYETTE - After losing two of its last three games, the Michigan women's basketball team needed a victory in a big way. Scratch that - the Wolverines needed a victory as if their NCAA tournament bid depended on it.
Yesterday, Michigan got that desperately-needed win as it knocked off Purdue in a nailbiter, 62-60, at Mackey Arena. Purdue guard Ukari Figgs' last-second, desperation shot bounced harmlessly off the backboard, and the win was secured.
The Wolverines (7-5 Big Ten, 15-7 overall) won their 30th game under second-year head coach Sue Guevara in dramatic fashion, coming back from a seven-point first-half deficit to defeat the Boilermakers (7-5, 14-8) for the second time this season.
"We got behind 8-0 very quickly and then we just whittled away at it, one possession at a time," Guevara said. "We're happy to get out of here. It's been a long, long, long time since Michigan has beaten Purdue twice in one season."
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| JOHN KRAFT/Daily Michigan center Pollyanna Johns had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the Wolverines' 62-60 victory over Purdue. |
On Sunday, the Wolverines used a balanced scoring attack and stifling defense to mark their return to the Big Ten race. Four Michigan players scored in double figures, and guard Stacey Thomas led all scorers with 16 points. Thomas made 4 of 8 from the charity stripe, including several crucial free throws down the stretch.
The Wolverines led by four at halftime, but it took the Boilermakers just 1:09 to tie the score at 29. The lead then changed hands several times before Michigan took a 53-45 lead with 6:42 remaining in the game.
"We knew that Purdue had to have the basketball so they were going to do everything they could to get it," Guevara said. "We had to grab it, we had to pivot, and we had to come make the pass and we knew that they had to foul."
On the defensive end of the floor, Michigan held Purdue's two leading scorers, Stephanie White and Figgs, in check. The two combined for 29 points, several below their combined average of 35. Although the Boilermakers pulled down 16 offensive rebounds, they managed to shoot only 37 percent from the floor, far below their 47-percent season average.
The Wolverines had much more success from the field, making 57 percent of their shots.
Michigan relied heavily on penetration and the inside game, two aspects that had been lacking in recent losses. But Michigan again struggled to hold onto the ball, giving up 23 turnovers, including 13 in the first half.
"I thought we guarded them a lot better than we did" in Ann Arbor," Figgs said. "They were just hitting some tough shots. Stacey Thomas was hitting some tough shots going into the lane and you just can't guard that."
Michigan center Pollyanna Johns contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds, but it was Michigan's guards that shouldered the bulk of the scoring responsibilities. Akeisha Franklin scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
The victory moves Michigan into a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten, just a half-game behind third-place Indiana. The Wolverines will need to finish in the top five spots to receive a bye in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
02-09-98
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