'M' winning streak ends in Champaign

In December, the Michigan women's basketball team (1-1 Big Ten, 10-2 overall) set a team record for consecutive wins. The Wolverines posted their eighth straight win against Illinois State, and continued that win streak against Indiana a few weeks later. But yesterday that winning streak came to an end.

Michigan battled the snow and traveled to Illinois yesterday for their second Big Ten matchup of the season. But there, its streak ended. The Fighting Illini defeated the Wolverines, 75-65, in overtime.

The game was even the entire way through, with both teams knotted at 29 apiece at the half, and tied at 60 after regulation.

FILE PHOTO The Michigan women's basketball team was outscored 10-5 in the overtime period by Illinois, dropping a 75-65 decision in Champaign last night.

But it was the overtime period that made all of the difference. The Fighting Illini came out strong, adding 15 points to their total, while the Wolverines could only muster five.

Anne Thorius led the team with 15 points, followed closely by Stacey Thomas who contributed 14 points, with 11 rebounds. Alison Miller also helped on the defensive end adding 12 rebounds.

Michigan's effort throughout the 40 minutes during regulation was not enough to carry them through. Both teams entered this game barely outside of the top 25 teams in the nation, but the end of the winning streak also ended Michigan's hopes, at least for now, of entering that elite group.

The Wolverines entered the Big Ten season riding the emotions of the streak.

Michigan traveled to Indiana on Dec. 28 for its first conference challenge and came out with the streak still intact. The team defeated the Hoosiers 72-58, and the game was much closer than the score would indicate.

The Wolverines were led by junior Kenisha Walker, who recorded a career-and game-high 27 points, and her first career double-double, adding 11 rebounds. Walker's previous career-high was 13 points against Illinois State.

Indiana started with a bang, leading the Wolverines, 17-8, eight minutes into the first half. But the leadership of Walker, scoring eight of the team's first 10

points

The second half was dominated by the Wolverines. The Michigan defense held the Hoosiers to just 10 points in the first 10 minutes, and Michigan was able to pull out to a 55-36 lead. Indiana was able to cut the lead to 11 points with two minutes left, but the Wolverines held off the Hoosiers down the stretch.

The Wolverines were supposed to begin the Big Ten home season against Michigan State on Jan. 3, but 14 inches of snow kept the Spartans at home. The game was rescheduled for Jan. 20 at 7 p.m., but the cancellation continued the long stretch of road games for the Wolverines.

All this talk about the win streak became reality on Dec. 12 when Michigan traveled to Normal, Ill., to take on Illinois State. And this trip was all but normal. The Wolverines set a school record with its eight straight victory, a 86-43 victory over the Redbirds. The team broke the record of seven straight wins set by the 1989-'90 team, the first Michigan squad to make the NCAA tournament.

This not-so-normal trip began with a not-so-normal lineup, one consisting of no freshmen for the first time this season. Thomas, Thorius, Ann Lemire, Miller, and Walker started for the Wolverines. But it would be a freshman who led the team to victory.

Freshman Heather Oesterle led all scorers with a career-high 17 points, and also contributed six rebounds and tied a career mark with three steals.

Unlike the Indiana game, Michigan led the entire 40 minutes. The defense held the Redbirds to only 17 first-half points, and the Wolverines caused Illinois State to commit 30 turnovers over the course of the game.

The second half continued the domination by the Wolverines, as they led by 45 points three times in the final four minutes.

The winning streak may have ended for Michigan, but the focus has not changed. The Wolverines face their toughest challenge of the season Saturday against Louisiana Tech, the 1998 NCAA tournament runners-up. Michigan looks to start that winning streak all over again.

01-06-99