Senior forward Carly Benson tapped teammate Carmen Reynolds’s thigh when asked reporter asked about Reynolds’s performance during the press conference after Michigan’s loss to Penn State Monday. It was an excited, happy motion, a "you take this one" sort of action.

Reynolds, a freshman forward, might not have had to face the pressure of answering the on the spot questions before that. But she certainly knows how to handle game pressure, which has led to her increased playing time recently.

In the last four games, Reynolds has played an average of 23 minutes per game, up from a 10.5 average in her first four collegiate games. Michigan coach Kevin Borseth initially played just one post player off the bench. That’s when the hardworking freshman stepped in.

The Wolverines (3-10 Big Ten, 10-14 overall) boast four seniors in their starting lineup, but a youthful injection usually comes midway through the first half of each game. Reynolds, freshman guard Courtney Boylan and junior center Krista Phillips have been the first players off the bench.

The future of Michigan women’s basketball has been personified by Reynolds and Boylan this season.

Reynolds played with a notable maturity Monday, scoring a career-high 20 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. She filled the stat sheet by snagging four rebounds and blocking two shots in 28 minutes.

Boylan believes Reynolds’s ability to score in the post opened up the perimeter game as taller defenders were forced to guard her.

Borseth knows Reynolds has the ability, but the future will tell if she can consistently play at this high of a level.

“She’s good in traffic,” Borseth said. “She can shoot well. She passes well. She sees the floor. She’s got really good hands, so if you throw it in there and you collapse on her real fast she’s just able to make some real quick decisions that most players aren’t able to make.”

Boylan has been no slouch, either. She scored a career-high 18 points in her first college game on Nov. 15 at Kentucky on 4-of-4 3-point shooting. But recently, she hasn't exploded like she did in her first game.

“We’ve gone to our bench in a hurry with those three kids,” Borseth said. “They give us a different look. They give us the scoring threat. Boylan and Reynolds automatically can score.”

Borseth said Wednesday that before the season started he didn’t even know which players he was going to play, let alone what the pair of freshmen could do.

“At the beginning of the season, Coach was like, ‘We need more production off our bench. We need you guys to come out there and make a contribution,’ ” Boylan said. “And I think that’s happening now.”

Boylan and Reynolds each believe they have learned the most through in-game experience and that has translated into success.

The three came off the bench early to spark a comeback at Northwestern and to provide scoring punch against Penn State, but the Wolverines lost both games. Reynolds and Phillips combined for 30 of the team’s 56 points against the Nittany Lions.

Borseth thinks Reynolds’s play will continue to improve, and her presence is valuable for this team.

“As a freshman, (Reynolds) is going to learn as she goes," Borseth said. "She may shine from now on in the rest of the year, but she may just completely flop. … But before this whole thing shakes out, she’s going to be a very good player.

"Sooner or later, you are going to throw everything at this kid including the kitchen sink, and she is going to know where it’s coming from, when it’s coming, and how to deal with it when it gets there."

The Wolverines have lost eight of their last 10 games, but the two freshmen have been one of Michigan’s most refreshing surprises. The team hasn’t been consistent all year, but Borseth knows he can rely on his duo of super-subs to make something happen when they get on the court.

Reynolds’s ability to go inside and out and Boylan’s scoring swagger would make any coach happy.

“You really need to have kids coming back every year that can refuel the system,” Borseth said. “The more experience they have, the better it’s going to be.”

Even though the sun seems to be setting on the Wolverines’ season and their tournament chances, their future is undoubtedly bright.