Freshmen emerge for women's basketball

EVANSTON - The Michigan women's basketball team's season has made a 360-degree turn. A nine-game winning streak quickly turned into a five-game losing streak. And this weekend's two-win road trip, added to a victory earlier in the week against Michigan State, and yet another winning streak has begun.

And it has been the play of the Michigan freshmen that have gotten the Wolverines back on track.

With freshman Heather Oesterle still sitting on the bench with a stress fracture in her foot, the other three newcomers have seen more playing time and put it to good use.

DANA LINNANE/Daily Michigan center Alison Miller played 34 crucial minutes in the paint for the Wolverines against Northwestern. Her 10 points were key, as were her three offensive rebounds. Michigan defeated the Wildcats, 64-54.

Through the last few games, Ruth Kipping has been leading the way for the freshman trio. Kipping was given a starting position in the Jan. 15 game against Wisconsin, and has remained there ever since. She posted 15 points against the Badgers, a career high at that point.

Against Michigan State, Kipping added 14 points and nine rebounds to the Michigan victory, but that would be soon surpassed by the career day she had Friday on the road against Iowa.

Against the Hawkeyes, Kipping shot 80 percent from the field, scoring 19 points. She also produced on the defensive end, adding 11 rebounds.

But during that game, she hyperextended her knee, which bothered her in yesterday's victory over Northwestern. Kipping still held on to her starting position, but she only saw 16 minutes of playing time and was only able to contribute four points.

"Ruthie is a candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "Unfortunately we didn't get to see that today. But she will get a couple days to ice up, heal up and get ready for Ohio State."

So it was yet another freshman who took that leadership role. Alayne Ingram started the game off with a basket and free throw to give Michigan the early lead, and she continued to contribute the rest of the game.

Ingram ended the game with 11 points, which included two key 3-pointers. Her aggressive and quick style of play also helped to slow the Wildcats down in the second half.

"It was definitely a fast-paced game, and it did wear us down a little bit," Northwestern sophomore Clarissa Flores said. "And with the injuries we have, they definitely wore us down."

Ingram also produced a team-high 17 points earlier in the week in the victory against Michigan State.

Although Raina Goodlow hasn't gotten the starting nod like the other two freshmen, her contributions off the bench have taken notice. In Friday's win over the Hawkeyes, Goodlow added nine points off the bench. That was followed by a six-point performance yesterday, where Goodlow was perfect from the field.

And this is a crucial time for the freshmen to emerge. This is a team that has had many missing links over the past few games.

With Oesterle sitting out the past few games, Ann Lemire out against the Spartans, and the departure of sophomore Mandy Stowe, made it important for the freshmen to contribute quality minutes.

The team's top scorer, Stacey Thomas, also went into a small scoring slump earlier in the month. And it was the freshmen who were able to take the pressure off her and help to take her place. Now the slump is over, and the pressure has been removed.

"I'm very proud of the freshmen," Thomas said. "They're coming in, contributing and working hard. It's great to see how they can step it up."

These setbacks to the Michigan program have proven to not be setbacks at all, but instead more opportunities for the freshmen to shed their inexperience.

And they have done just that.

"My freshmen aren't freshmen anymore. They are now sophomores," Guevara said.

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