For much of the last month, players on the Michigan women's basketball team have preached the importance of getting ahead in the early stages of games.

And in nearly all of those games, the Wolverines have failed to practice what they preach.

Yesterday's game against Indiana was a perfect example of this occurrence as well.

But unlike those other times, Michigan didn't just find its way back into the game, it also rallied to beat the Hoosiers, 65-63, at Crisler Arena.

The Wolverines came back from a 17-point deficit, tying a program record with 12 triples in the process.

Michigan's depth played a key role in the victory. Indiana dressed just eight players - one of whom had to leave the game with an injury.

On the other hand, the Wolverines used 12 players.

"They only had the eight players," Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett said. "We were hoping that we could wear them down a bit and get them back on their heels by making some great choices offensively. We hit some big shots."

Her last statement couldn't have been more true.

The Wolverines caught fire after halftime, hitting 8-of-15 from beyond the arc.

Due to Indiana's short bench, the Hoosiers (2-7 Big Ten, 13-9 overall) were forced to play a compact zone at times, often giving Michigan (2-7, 9-13) open looks from the outside.

"It definitely helped that they were sagging off of us a little bit," said sophomore Carly Benson, who knocked down three 3-pointers of her own. "Being wide open gives you a lot of confidence."

Indiana coach Felisha Legette-Jack said her team's gameplan was to allow the Wolverines space to take perimeter shots, as Michigan came into the game shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range.

"The statistics say they aren't a great 3-point shooting team," Legette-Jack said. "We took our chances not coming out and defending as quickly as we should have. But today was their day, and it was their time to come back."

Without Michigan's lackluster start, the team's dramatic comeback may not have been necessary.

Just eight minutes into play, Michigan fell behind 18-3. The Wolverines turned the ball over 15 times in the opening frame alone. Indiana's hot shooting put the Hoosiers ahead and kept them there during the opening half. Indiana connected on three of its first four 3-point attempts, and shot 48 percent from the field. Improved play toward the of the first period helped chip away at the deficit, but the Wolverines still trailed 34-23 at the break.

Though the team was behind, there was a difference in the team's mentality at halftime - at least for freshman LeQuisha Whitfield.

"I didn't want to lose," Whitfield said. "I told my team at halftime, 'Guys, we're not going to lose this game.' We were down by 15, and I still had faith."

Despite that conviction, Michigan struggled mightily to start the second half. The Wolverines missed their first seven shots of the period, and the Hoosiers used a 6-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 40-23.

But that was when Michigan turned it on, and the Hoosiers began to tire.

Two things gave the Wolverines a chance to win down the stretch.

After turning the ball over 15 times in the first half, Michigan committed just three turnovers in the second frame.

The other factor was Whitfield, who scored a team-high 15 points - all of which came after halftime. The forward nailed two clutch 3-pointers down the stretch.

The first trey tied the game at 59 with just under three minutes to play.

The next one brought the crowd to its feet, giving the Wolverines a 64-61 advantage they wouldn't relinquish with 1:17 remaining.

"I just played intense and with passion," Whitfield said. "I was really confident in what I was doing."

That poise lifted Michigan to its first two-win season in the Big Ten since the 2003-2004 campaign.

Even though the victory marked the Wolverines' largest comeback of the year, Burnett claims she always had faith in her team.

"My favorite quote is from Winston Churchill," Burnett said. "He said, 'Never, ever, ever give in.' Even when we got down, these kids were being competitive, and I'm happy they pulled it off."