With eight seconds left in the Michigan women’s basketball team's matchup with Penn State, the Wolverines were just a steal and a layup away from tying the game. But all they got was the steal.

And those final seconds of Michigan's 64-56 loss weren't pretty.

With the Wolverines down two points, senior guard Jessica Minnfield stole the ball but turned it over, leading to a flagrant foul by senior forward Carly Benson. Michigan coach Kevin Borseth reacted animatedly and received a technical foul. The Nittany Lions' Tyra Grant made 6-of-6 of the subsequent free throws in those final seconds.

"We stole it again and had it taken away again," Borseth said. "Those last two possessions were pretty critical.”

Michigan (3-10 Big Ten, 10-14 overall) held Grant, who is the second leading scorer in the Big Ten, to just 15 points.

Coupled with the Wolverines' strong defensive play was a 20-point offensive explosion from freshman forward Carmen Reynolds. Even though last night's loss was just Reynold's 15th game this season, she logged 28 minutes of playing time.

“She can score,” Borseth said. “She’s offensively assertive. She’s got a nice touch and we want her to be able to shoot it.”

Reynolds looked like a veteran as she knocked down shots from the outside and made the important plays down low, making post moves and put backs. Reynolds is one of three players providing a spark off the bench. Junior center Krista Phillips also played a reserve role and added 10 points and seven rebounds. The two contributed 54 percent of Michigan's offense and a third of the team's rebounds.

“We've struggled a lot offensively with consistency throughout the year,” senior Carly Benson said. “So if somebody is having an off night, it’s great to have somebody like Carmen or Courtney (Boylan) or K.P. or anybody to come in and contribute numbers.”

This season, the Wolverines have struggled to play two complete halves. But last night, they were just eight seconds short of avenging their earlier 18-point loss to the Nittany Lions (9-13, 4-8).

The Wolverines' regular-season finale won't get any easier. All five of their final opponents are in the top half of the Big Ten standings while Michigan continues to fall deeper in the conference.