A clean slate.
After going 5-23 last season, the Michigan women’s basketball team opened this season with a weekend trip to Eugene, Ore., for the Women’s Sports Foundation Challenge at McArthur Court.
Playing against two NCAA tournament teams from a year ago, Michigan showed it can play with some of the country’s top programs with a weekend split – losing to No. 22 Temple 65-48 on Friday night before dominating the St. Francis (Pa.) Red Flash on Saturday night, 80-52.
The Wolverines used a historic free-throw performance, pressure defense and a quick start to cruise to victory against the Red Flash.
Michigan (1-1) posted one of the most prolific free-throw shooting outings in the program’s history, finishing 30-for-35 from the charity stripe and tying a program record for free throws made in a game. On each of the other occasions when the team has made 30 in a game, it attempted more than 35 free throws.
After posting the worst free throw percentage in the Big Ten last year with a 67.2 percent conversion rate, Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett credits her practice strategies for the 85.7 percent free throw shooting percentage.
“We try to put them in game-type pressure and situations (in practice),” Burnett said. “We shoot free throws when we’re tired. I see free throws as a confidence (building) skill.”
On Friday night, sophomore Katie Dierdorf made her first appearance for Michigan in 11 months after recovering from a hip injury. On Saturday night, she scored a career-high 13 points, including a team-high seven points from the free throw line.
Using a trapping, full-court press, Michigan forced St. Francis (0-2) into committing 17 first-half turnovers and shooting just 20.6-percent from the field.
“We went to our scramble defense early and felt that it gave us some good offensive opportunities,” Burnett said.
The early-game defensive intensity opened up the fast break and helped Michigan build an 18-2 advantage in the first 6:30 of the game.
Freshman Stephany Skrba – who made her first career start on Saturday night – led the team with 19 points and eight rebounds and helped Michigan take control of the game early.
“She continues to step forward,” Burnett said. “Her ability to score and get offensive rebounds are tremendous assets for us.”
After winning the opening tip off, Skrba hit a jumpshot on the opening possession for the early advantage. She recorded eight points and swiped two steals in the game-opening run.
Michigan’s first-half pressure carried the team to a 52-16 halftime lead.
In second half, Michigan committed nine turnovers while the Red Flash turned the ball over just three times, but Michigan’s advantage was too much for St. Francis to overcome.
On Friday night, nationally ranked Temple (2-0) held a 31-16 lead at halftime.
Michigan mounted a comeback in the second half, trimming the deficit to eight with 4:28 remaining.
“Coming back, we did some great things defensively,” Burnett said. “We simply turned the ball over and did not get good offensive possessions at the time.”
Michigan could get no closer and Temple finished the game with an 11-4 run.
Burnett was proud of how freshman point guard Jessica Minnfield performed in her first collegiate game. Minnfield was the team’s leading scorer with 15 in 29 minutes of play.
Although the Wolverines fought back, they need to improve to beat a team like Temple.
“We really feel after playing them that we should have beaten them,” Burnett said. “This is the kind of team that we can beat and will beat.”
Notes: Michigan has made 30 free throws on two other occasions. The first was in an 86-77 victory at Minnesota on March 6, 1988, in which the team attempted 42 free throws. The other time was on Nov. 18, 2001, when No. 17 Michigan defeated the University of Detroit 67-52 at Calihan Hall. – Michigan did not attempt a 3-point shot in its 80-52 win over St. Francis after attempting 483 last season – the third most in the Big Ten.