Wolverines torch Illini 70-59, complete impressive sweep

By Arun Gopal

Daily Sports Writer

It wasn't so long ago that the Michigan women's basketball team was the whipping boy of the Big Ten Conference.

If a struggling team needed a confidence boost, it could get one against Michigan.

If a powerhouse needed a breather in its schedule, Michigan was the answer.

Oh, how times have changed. As No. 23 Illinois found out last night, Michigan is no longer a weak sister in the Big Ten.

After a sluggish first 20 minutes that ended with the Wolverines behind by four, Michigan regrouped and came out blazing in the second half. Led by an amazing scoring outburst from point guard Anne Thorius and some ferocious defense, the Wolverines torched Illinois, 70-59.

In the process, Michigan earned just its third season sweep over Illinois in school history, and the first such sweep under fourth-year coach Sue Guevara.

"Obviously, it was a game of two halves," Guevara said. "It appeared that Illinois wanted it a little bit more than we did in the first half. We challenged some people in the second half, including Stacey Thomas."

While Michigan was down just 33-29 at the half it was evident that it had not brought its "A" game. Illinois outshot, outrebounded, and outhustled the Wolverines, leading by as many as 11.

"They were doing a good job on the boards," Guevara said. "They were getting all the loose balls, we were turning it over, we were rushing. Illinois came out and played with a lot of intensity."

Michigan was suffering from subpar performances from its star backcourt. Thorius failed to hit a single shot in the opening half and finished with no points and just one assist. Meanwhile, Ingram shot a miserable 2-for-9, including 0-for-3 behind the arc, and scored just four points.

Had it not been for Thomas' 14 points, Michigan might have been blown out before halftime.

"Stacey carried us in the first half," Guevara said. "I talked with Thorius about how the hardest thing to defend in basketball is penetration, and I told her that it's fine if she shoots 0-for-4 in the first half, as long as she scores 23 in the second half."

Proving her coach's words prophetic, Thorius came out and did what Guevara said she needed to do - she scored 23 points in the second half, much of it as a result of dribble penetration.

As Michigan built a progressively larger lead, the Danish Sensation's confidence skyrocketed. The result - along with her sytematic dismantling of the Illinois defense, Thorius didn't miss a shot in the second half. 7-for-7 from the field, 7-for-7 from the charity stripe.

"I've never had a half like this before," Thorius said. "I felt like everything was falling in the second half. I was very excited.

"Coach told me at half to look at the basket and to make sure that I penetrate. With the kind of defense that Illinois played on the perimeter, I had to beat the first line of defense and see if I could take it to the basket or dish it to a post player."

With their overall record now at 15-6, the Wolverines can look toward their game on Sunday against Ohio State in Columbus. The Buckeyes have been a pleasant surprise this season, amassing a respectable 11-8 record, with a 4-5 mark in the Big Ten.

Winning at the one-year old Value City Arena will not be an easy task for Michigan, but it is an opportunity that the Wolverines seem to relish.

"We get to go on the road, and we're gonna play a very tough Ohio State team," Guevara said. "It's gonna be in front of about 7,000 people, and we love that kind of a challenge."

Danny Kalick/Daily

Shooting guard Alayne Ingram didn't have her usual solid game, but that didn't stop Michigan from completing a sweep of Illinois with a 70-59 win last night.