Outside of Crisler Arena on Monday night, the temperature was -6 degrees. Even though the gym was heated, it looked as if the Michigan women’s basketball team was affected by the freezing temperatures.

In a sluggish and sloppy performance, the Wolverines pulled out a 68-54 victory against New Mexico State. The game was much closer than the score indicates.

With a little under four minutes to play, Michigan’s lead was cut down to two points. But after Michigan coach Kevin Borseth called a timeout, the Wolverines went on a 13-2 run to seal the victory, with sophomore guard Jenny Ryan playing a key role. She tallied four points, an assist and two steals in 41 seconds to spark the run.

“She plays with a great deal of confidence, whereas last year she might have deferred to somebody else,” Borseth said after the game. “If you’re confident, good things happen.”

Before the last four minutes of the game, Michigan (6-4) did not look at all like the team that upset an undefeated Kansas squad last Thursday. Although the Wolverines finished at an acceptable 48 percent from the field, they shot only 38 percent in the first half.

“Our shots weren’t falling, but we knew we would get it together eventually,” Ryan said.

A bigger issue was their 18 turnovers. Even though they forced 25, the Wolverines were unable to find an offensive rhythm because of their inability to hang onto the ball. They looked somewhat lethargic on offense and didn't have the same type of energy that they had against Kansas.

“We came off a big win against Kansas, and it was just one of those things where we weren’t as ready as we thought we were,” Ryan said. “I think we were expecting it to maybe be a little easier because they aren’t the big name program.”

On a brighter note, Michigan continued its stellar play on the defensive end. Besides forcing a lot turnovers, they also had 12 steals and were able to pressure New Mexico State (6-4) into shooting 39 percent from the field.

The defensive improvement over the past 10 games is a good sign, especially when the team is struggling to sustain offensive consistency.

The Wolverines held the Aggies' most dangerous scoring threat, Tabytha Wampler, mostly in check (14 points and five rebounds). She came into the game averaging close to 11 rebounds, and Michigan’s ability to keep her off the glass helped it secure the victory.

Granted, not all was lost on offense. The Wolverines had four of their starters score more than 10 points. The only starter who did not score in double figures, Nya Jordan, dished out seven assists.

Sophomore forward Rachel Sheffer had one of her best games of the season, leading the team with 14 points. Junior forward Carmen Reynolds was one rebound shy of her first double-double of the season, tallying 13 points and nine rebounds.

Michigan plays two more non-conference games before starting its Big Ten schedule against No. 11 Ohio State on Dec. 30. And while Monday's performance might not have been enough to beat a tough Big Ten opponent, the Wolverines are pleased to have come away with a win.

“The effort was there,” Borseth said. “I don’t think it was very pretty, but we got it done.”