There are few things that can be the difference between winning or losing a basketball game. The Michigan women’s basketball team has one of them down: bench play.
“The way that they’ve been able to play has been the difference between us being successful, and early on in league play, us not being successful,” said Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico after the team’s 67-61 win over Nebraska on Thursday.
Within a span of five minutes, Brown single-handedly turned Sunday’s game on its head in the second quarter — from a nine-point deficit to a one-point lead for the Wolverines by the end of the half.
Catalyzed by Brown’s performance, the Michigan women’s basketball team (16-9 overall, 7-6 Big Ten) escaped State College with a 66-62 win over Penn State (10-13, 3-9).
After notching two consecutive wins for the first time since November, the Michigan women’s basketball team (5-6 Big Ten, 14-9 overall) will host Nebraska (5-6, 10-12) Thursday night.
Currently sitting at 57 in the latest Ratings Percentage Index, and as just the fourth team out in ESPN.com’s Charlie Creme’s latest bracket projection, the Wolverines finds themselves in a position that just 10 days ago was inconceivable.
Even though things are trending upwards for Michigan, it does not mean in the slightest that the Wolverines are a shoo-in to make the Tournament.
Nicole Munger picked up the loose ball and took off down the floor. The ankle injury Munger had suffered against Michigan State didn’t look to be ailing her now as she directed the fast break for the Wolverines. When a Hawkeye caught up, she dumped it off to Deja Church, who laid it in with ease.
A transition layup finished off by the sophomore guard perfectly characterized the first quarter of Michigan’s (13-9 overall, 4-6 Big Ten) 90-81 victory over Iowa (16-5, 7-3) Friday afternoon.
The polar vortex already canceled classes for Wednesday and Thursday. Now, it’s canceled tonight’s Michigan women’s basketball game against Iowa.
During the first quarter of Sunday’s game at Crisler Center, Nicole Munger fell to the floor, only getting up with the aid of her teammates and the Michigan training staff.
Despite playing the No. 23 Michigan State Spartans (5-4 Big Ten, 15-5 overall) close for much of Sunday’s contest, the Michigan women’s basketball team (3-6, 12-9) was ultimately unable to rally late, succumbing to their in-state rivals in a 77-73 defeat.
There were multiple performances from Michigan players that contributed to a come-from-behind win over bitter rival Ohio State on Sunday afternoon — many of them by underclassmen — and yet, the two biggest plays of the game came from the two senior Wolverines — guard Nicole Munger and center Hallie Thome. For a team largely characterized by its youthful exuberance and inexperience, the veterans stepped up in a massive way.
In their only regular season contest against one another this season the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes 62-58 in what was a thrilling, scrappy game thanks in large part to Michigan freshman forward Naz Hillmon and senior guard Nicole Munger.