Next: at Michigan State

Let's cut right to the chase: this is the most important weekend of the season.

We've seen the Wolverines grow together on the road, beating out a ranked team in the process. But with a mostly atrocious performance two days ago, Michigan will now face its toughest competition in the conference.

Some final words on Northwestern (many which have been expressed by UMGoBlue.com members): it was just a bad night. Unable to carry over previous momentum plus some holiday ham, it's pretty bound to have some rust on you. I'm not here to say that we should all feel good about those final five minutes, but if anything, there's potential for some good to happen. Only time (or tomorrow) will tell.

Which brings us to Michigan State. To say the least, this team is deep - the Spartans play nine-deep on a regular basis. The bench has averaged 32.7 points per game, where any Spartan can have a breakout game. This leads to Key No. 1: contain the bench players. I know Coach Borseth usually doesn't want to go too deep in the lineup, but I wouldn't be surprised if he taps into it.

Key No. 2: Make them foul. In all of their losses, the Spartans committed 20+ fouls and more than the opposition. Evident by combining the blocks and steals, Michigan State is a very aggressive team on defense. On the other end, the Wolverines need to be firm on defense. Combining the two, Michigan can easily frustrate the Spartans, go to the line and (hopefully) earn some easy points at the charity stripe.

But in order for that to be done, they have to follow Key No. 3: No dumb shots. Sounds easy, but the Wolverines have seemed to fall into this trap. Not to rail on Dayeesha Hollins, but some of her shots have been less than ideal. With Allyssa DeHaan manning the paint, they will need to be smart around it. I'm sure it'll probably involve many takes from the arc - as long as there's ball movement involved, I'm all for it.

The matinee is at 2p EST at the Breslin Center. For you out-of-staters (like myself), it'll be on the Big Ten Network.

Northwestern 63, Michigan 59

'Twas too little, too late for the Wolverines as they fall exactly a month after their previous loss. Down 12 with 3:45 on the clock, Veronica Hicks scored ten to get within three of the Wildcats. Aside from the final surge, Michigan struggled from the field, dipping below 30% and ending at 32.8%. The Wolverines are now 1-1 in Big Ten play and 9-3 for the season.

Next: vs Northwestern

Before we begin, we hope you all had a restful holiday break. I know I can't eat anymore for the next few days.

In addition to all the food, the season indicates the start of the Big Ten basketball season. Technically, it began a few weeks ago when the Wolverines beat a young Iowa squad, but now we get into full swing.

As we enter the season, here's a quick look back at the non-conference slate:
- Michigan blew out the first three opponents by 15+ points.
- Its infamous eight-game road trip ended positively with five straight victories
- The final week included a gigantic win over now-No.15 Xavier, earning Dayeesha Hollins top honors (Freshman of the Week & Big Ten Player of the Week) and votes in the polls.

Hollins has certainly been impressive, but it's been Michigan's knack of closing out games that's staggering. Last year, none of this was prevalent. Often when the game came close in the final 10 minutes, the Wolverines got hesitant, lost rhythm and no one wanted to take control. In short, they fell apart.

This season looked to be the same against now-No. 22 Kansas and New Mexico State. Michigan help close to its opponents in the waning moments, but couldn't close the door. The year could have been defined by youth inexperience, but something different happened. The Wolverines kept up.

In the team statistics column, you won't see anything extraordinary. The Wolverines are near the bottom when it comes to opponent's PPG. This isn't to say that the "team defense" concept doesn't work, but there are clear lapses from time to time. These Wolverines, under the guard of Ronnie Hicks (who, by the way, addresses free throw woes), have been magnificent in responding to adversity. I may be wrong (see: my slight Chicago bias), but I think it is her tenacity that has been essential to Michigan's success.

Going into the Big Ten season, I'm looking forward to seeing how the freshmen will react to Big Ten play, particularly Ohio State. Like Coach Borseth's first season, I wouldn't be surprised if they take the conference by storm the first time around. Going through the grind again, that's where it'll get interesting.

This takes us to Big Ten opponent No. 2: Northwestern (a.k.a. the Welcome Home game).

In this contest, there's really just one person to worry about: Amy Jaeschke. The junior center from New Trier currently averages 16.5 PPG, and most likely opens up the floor for the Wildcats. Obviously, this calls for Krista Phillips to take the lead in this matchup. Although the Wolverines have been quite aggressive on both sides of the ball, Phillips MUST remain disciplined as she averages about three fouls a game.

If Michigan is able to contain Jaeschke (my memory says that the Wolverines had trouble previously), then it should be able to go home happy - a short walk away from Crisler.

Tomorrow's game is apparently Abrakadoodle Art Night. If you can't make it there, you can watch it on BigTenNetwork.com for $2.99 (sidenote: This is a complete ripoff). Let's go ladies - make it six straight!

One quick update: In the Jeff Sagarin rankings, Michigan stands at 19th. According to RealTimeRPI.com, the Wolverines sit at 14th, which is one ahead of Ohio State. Again, both should be taken with a grain of salt.

Michigan 65 University of Detroit-Mercy 51

Michigan overcame a some early struggles (the game started with an 11-0 Detroit run) to come back and win another road game. Carmen Reynolds and Courtney Boylan gave the Wolverines some scoring until the rest of the team settled down. Early on it seemed like Detroits aggressive defense had Michigan off their game - turnovers, missed easy shots and poor passes threatened to snowball.

After a couple of baskets Michigan started chipping away at the lead and by half time it was 28-25 in favor of Detroit. In the second half, Michigan's shooting improved (44% versus 31%) and turnovers improved (10 in the first half, only 3 in the second). Dayeesha Hollins led the way with 17 points and 7 assists. Veronica Hicks and Courtney Boylan added 11 each. Jenny Ryan and Krista Phillips both pulled down 13 rebounds.

Next: @ Detroit

I'm not going to say that this game is a shoo-in, but this one shouldn't pose too much of a problem for the Wolverines. Nonetheless, there are several factors to consider.

1.) Despite being winless for over a month, I'm sure the Titans have been eying this game for a while. As mentioned on Inside Michigan Basketball (TV), Detroit head coach Autumn Rademacher will be facing her mentor in Coach Borseth. Rademacher should have a pretty good feel how Borseth gameplans, so it'll be interesting what she'll do in return. Definitely the main storyline in tomorrow's game.

2.) Detroit's Brigid Mulroy can shoot the three-ball. She's currently .610 from behind the arc, and is, unsuprisingly, the leading scorer with 15.4 points/game. Shutting her down on the offensive end should do the job.

3.) It's possible that this could be a let down game. After a gigantic win at Xavier, there's opportunity to mail this one in. It's also the final game of the eight-game road trip (which seems to be more team-building than grueling) and the last contest before the holiday break.

That's all I have to say before this one. Live video can be found on the Horizon League Network and as always, Gametracker will follow along. Game time is 1p, right after the men's team looks to upset the Jayhawks. Happy Saturday everyone!

Kevin Borseth on UM Coaches Show

Live tonight from 8:00-9:00pm at Pizza House in Ann Arbor. For more information, check mgoblue.com.

Jeff Sagarin

With Michigan's early success and relatively tough schedule, they are currently ranked 18th by Jeff Sagarin and are the second highest ranked team in the Big 10 after Ohio State (currently 6th).

While its nice for the team to get some recognition for their effort, there is a very good chance they will drop - their strength of schedule will almost certainly fall from this point in the season. (It is currently the 15th most difficult schedule, but will be lower after playing Detroit, and it will drift lower during conference play as well).

Upcoming Bus Trips

Michigan is sponsoring bus trips to three upcoming games:

Univ of Detroit December 19th
Bus loads at 11:00 am, departs 11:30 am, game at 1:00 pm.

Michigan State December 31st
Bus loads at 11:30 am, departs 12:00 noon, game at 2:00 pm.

Ohio State January 3rd
Bus loads at 9:00 am, departs 9:30 am, game at 2:00 pm.

The Michigan State and Detroit games are 15.00 and include transportation/ticket/pizza lunch.

The Ohio State game is 40.00 and includes transportation/ticket/donuts/bagels/juice.

All buses load/depart from the tunnel area at Crisler Arena.

I believe there is only one ticket left for the Ohio State trip, though I don't know if they will consider adding an additional bus if there is demand.

For more information contact Erin Stacer at (734) 647-0603 or estacer at umich.edu

Michigan 72 Xavier 71

Michigan with a huge upset over Xavier - the Wolverines first road win against a ranked opponent since the 2000-01 season. Dayheesha Hollins had a huge game (22 points, 9 boards, 4 steals) as did Carmen Reynolds (18pts) and Krista Phillips (16pts).

Next: Xavier

Michigan travels to Cincinnati tonight to face the 12th ranked Lady Musketeers at 7:00 tonight. Xavier is probably the best team Michigan has faced to date - they have already beaten two ranked teams in Arizona State and Kansas while losing on the road at Michigan State.

Once again Krista Phillips will have her hands full - one of Xavier's top players is 6'6" center Ta'Shia Phillips, who is averaging 12.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Michigan will also have to keep an eye on forward Amber Harris who leads Xavier in scoring with 14.1 points per game and chips in 8 rebounds as well.

Michigan is definitely the underdog, but if they can avoid mistakes and stay focused they might have a shot at the upset - Xavier only beat Kansas by 5 (at home), and using Jeff Sagarin's ratings is only a slight 1 point favorite

The Day (or two) After: Iowa and Boston College Edition

(Usually, I'll try to have these after each game, but for those with virtually no coverage, I'll combine them with previous contests. Plus, work gets much busier this time of the year.)

The Coverage:
The Michigan Daily - Michigan wards off Iowa's second-half rally to earn first conference win
The Daily Iowan - Printy's missed free-throw one of many missed opportunities
Des Moines Register - Hawkeyes sustain another tough loss
Quad-City Times - Free throws doom Hawkeyes women
The Gazette - Missed opportunities foil women late
The Michigan Daily - Women's hoops win third straight on road

The Basics:
- Michigan squeaks by Iowa, 54-51, after both teams refuse to sink free throws down the stretch
- Battling back from 8-0, the Wolverines hold off a late Boston College run for third-straight road win, 76-70

The Breakdown:
There are many things young teams have to learn. One of the most important is how to close out games. A few weeks ago against New Mexico, Michigan struggled to close the door en route to its second loss of the season. But in the previous two contests, they prevailed - one was a gift, one was all grit.

Michigan 76 Boston College 70

Michigan comes up with another road win in a close contest. It was tied at halftime 34-34, but Michigan was able to out shoot BC in the second half (48% vs. 37%) and able to hit clutch free throws down the stretch to pull out the win. Add in taking care of the ball (1.00 assist/turnover ratio) and 15 steals and it adds up to another good win for the Wolverines.

Next: Boston College

Michigan travels to Boston College tonight to face the 5-3 Eagles at 7:00 tonigh. It should be an interesting matchup. Both teams have escaped Iowa City with close wins (Michigan 54-51, BC 72-67)

Using to Jeff Sagarin's current ratings (Michigan is currently 37th, Boston College 50th), the teams are very closely matched - Michigan favored, but by less than a point when home court advantage is factored in.

One of the keys for Michigan will be Krista Phillps - Boston College is led by 6'6" center Carolyn Swords who is averaging 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Michigan's guards will also have their hands full with Mickel Picco, who is averaging 13.6 points and slightly over 3 three point baskets a game.

Video Highlights of the Michigan's win over Iowa

Recruiting Update

This is old news, but Michigan signed Val Driscoll a 6'4" center from Massachusetts during the early signing period.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball program received a National Letter of Intent from 6-foot-4 center Val Driscoll on the first day of the early signing period (Wednesday, Nov. 11). Driscoll, a native of Stoughton, Mass., will join the Wolverines for the 2010-11 season.

"We are ecstatic that Val will be joining us for next season," said head coach Kevin Borseth. "Val is a big, strong presence around the basket and really demands attention down low. It is something that we haven't had, and we are excited to get her into our program. Val is an extremely hard worker and an all-around good person who I believe is going to be a major contributor to our program's success."

Driscoll is a three-year varsity letterwinner at Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree, Mass. In 2008-09, she led her squad to the Massachusetts Division 3 Southeast region championship and the team claimed back-to-back Division 3 State Championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Driscoll led the Catholic League in scoring in 2008-09, averaging 19.4 points per game and has scored over 1,000 career points. She is a three-time Catholic League All-Star and a two-time team captain at Archbishop Williams.

From "wickedlocal.com":

For the past three seasons, anyone following girls basketball on the South Shore saw the dynamic skill set Val Driscoll brought to the court each night.

Apparently, some people out in Ann Arbor, Mich., were watching as well.

Driscoll, a 6-foot-4 senior at Archbishop Williams High School, recently accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Michigan women’s basketball team, choosing the Wolverines over a list of more than 25 other Div. 1 schools.

Also, per kjasr.com (hat tip to mzonefan over on the umgoblue.com women's basketball forum), Michigan has a 2011 verbal commitment from Cyesha Goree of Wyoming Park high school. Goree is 6' wing forward and currently rated the #7 player in the 2011 class by michladyballers.com.

Michgan 54 Iowa 51

Michigan hangs on to win their big ten opener 54-51. Krista Phillips led the way with 15 points, Carmen Reynolds had a double double (12 points, 10 rebounds), Veronica Hicks added 11 and Jenny Ryan had 10 rebounds.

From the Gazette Online:

Michigan (6-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) dodged two bonus bullets in the final half-minute.

Theairra Taylor missed the front end of a one-and-one with 26 seconds left, falling for an age-old trick.

“One of their players talked just as I shot,” Taylor said.

What did she say?

“My shoelace was untied.”

Next: Iowa

Part of the quadruple-header on the Big Ten Network (going on right now!), Michigan will battle the Hawkeyes at Carver Hawkeye Arena in just over four hours

Without Kachine Alexander suiting up (21.0 ppg in three games), Iowa's scoring threat is greatly diminished. Iowa is putting Kelly Krei in her place, but offensively, she's only a key factor around the three point arc. And since Hawkeyes are expected to play just seven people, I believe it's important that the Wolverines get into the transition game and tire this team out.

One more Hawkeye to look out for: Kamille Wahlin. She is coming off a 23-point performance and has been in double-figures in 7-of-8 contests.

In case you haven't been paying attention to this unprecedented 8-game road trip, the Wolverines are 2-2, alternating losses and wins. In each of those losses, Michigan recorded just 10 assists - in all but one win, they've had 16+ (a bit of a random stat, but something Coach Borseth likes to keep in mind). The past two games were also the Wolverines' cleanest based on the turnover stat (14 each). Obviously, that discipline is always good to have, especially in this conference (see Indiana v MSU).

Other tidbits: Both teams lost to Kansas by 11 points...Big Ten premiered a new PSA you can watch here...Michigan is second in the conference for PPG

Welcome Anthony

Anthony has graciously agreed to join me here - his first post directly below. I'm looking forward to his contributions.

Inside the Box Score

20-point wins are always nice, but let's pay attention to Michigan limiting the Hokies to 27.9% from the field. I'd say that's pretty good also.

I have to qualify that by saying that Virginia Tech isn't the best of teams nor has it played any real competition until Thursday (a 36-point win again Elon is well...expected). Still, the Wolverines have seemed to piece together Coach Kevin Borseth's "Team Defense." They recorded their 4th double-digit steals game this season. To put that in perspective, Michigan only gained double-digit steals five times last year. But to quote what Krista Phillips said to The Michigan Daily:

"We are going to have to step it up defensively come Big Ten (play).”

True that.

Speaking about the Big Ten, it lost once again to the ACC (7-4) in the third year of the Challenge. Admittedly, that's a bit expected given the five ranked ACC teams and its overall dominance. Yet intrigue happened near the top of both conferences - No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 North Carolina went down.

The Buckeyes couldn't score a field goal for seven minutes in the later stages of the second half, which I'm sure will not happen again this season under Coach Jim Foster's watch. MSU's Alyssa DeHaan is finally starting to impress me with her 14 points after just 18 minutes on the court.

Northwestern lost a heart-breaker against Clemson, but the Wildcats seem to be much improved already, especially with the win against DePaul.

A more extensive post about the Big Ten will be worked on later this weekend as we head into the conference opener on Sunday. For now, know that most teams are in the same boat, making for another interesting season.

A day in the life

of Krista Phillips. Who knew Carly Benson likes sweet potatoes? Note - requires Microsoft Silverlight.

Michigan 71 Virginia Tech 51

Four Wolverines were in double figures (Hicks - 19, Hollins - 16, Phillips 12 and Reynolds 10) as Michigan gets a nice road win.

Coverage from the Michigan Daily and planetblacksburg.com.

Next: Virginia Tech

Michigan returns to the road and travels to Blacksburg, Viriginia to face Virginia Tech as part of the Women's Big 10-ACC Challenge at 7:00pm tonight. Virginia Tech is 4-2 with victories against Longwood, George Mason, and Elon (all at home) and Radford (on the road). Their two losses were both road games against James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth.

They have three starters who average in double figures: guard Lindsay Biggs 12.8 ppg, guard Alyssa Fenyn 10.8ppg and forward Utahya Drye (10.5ppg).

Next: Kansas

Michigan travel to Kansas today to play the 19th ranked Jayhawks at 2:00pm. After three wins at home, this should tell us a bit more about how good the Wolverines are this year - first road game and a definite step (or two) up in talent.

Michigan State's Courtney Schiffauer

Is out for the season with a torn ACL. Michigan State has had bad luck with knee injuries the past few seasons. (Hat Tip womens hoops blog.)

Michigan 91 Southern Mississippi 54

Another good win for the Wolverines as they had five players in double figures and held Southern Mississippi's leading scorer Pauline Love to 7 points.

From the Michigan Daily:

Michigan (3-0) seemed much more comfortable, and it showed right from the start in last night's 91-54 win.

Senior center Krista Phillips started strong for the Wolverines, scoring 13 points in the first half, including dropping the game's first 3-pointer.

“It comes from our teammates,” Phillips said. “When we all play well, I play well. I get my feed off them.”

Providing plenty of offensive support was freshman guard Dayeesha Hollins, who is quickly becoming a star. She led the team with 18 points and five assists and also played a game-high 31 minutes.

From mgoblue.com:

All five starters scored in double digits, led by 18 points from freshman guard Dayeesha Hollins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods), as the University of Michigan women's basketball team beat Southern Mississippi, 91-54, on Thursday (Nov. 19) inside Crisler Arena. The win moves the Wolverines to 3-0 on the season.

Also, stories in the Detroit Free Press and annarbor.com.

Next: Southern Mississippi

Michigan hosts Southern Mississippi Thursday night at 7:00pm in Crisler Arena. This is a rematch from last year, which Michigan won 61-51 in Hattiesburg. (They also defeated Southern Mississippi in the Women's NIT two years ago, 59-45).

The Golden Eagles are led by forward Pauline Love who is averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds so far this season.

Tonight is part of the canned food drive - bring a canned good and get in for only $1.00. More information here.

Marquette game coverage

From the Michigan Daily:

Sophomore forward Carmen Reynolds' third triple gave the Wolverines their first lead of the game with just under 11 minutes to go. Marquette regained the lead on the next possession before freshman guard Dayeesha Hollins responded with a three of her own to pull ahead again.

Michigan didn’t surrender the lead the rest of the game.

The Wolverines have now defeated two teams that played into the postseason last year. The wins are important for a program that won just 10 games last season and was picked to finish last in the Big Ten by both the media and coaches.

When asked if the team's early success is surprising, redshirt senior forward Ashley Jones didn't hesitate.

"No, not at all," she said. “I think that our team is really good and we’re going to make a lot of noise this year.”

Mgoblue.com:

Freshman guard Dayeesha Hollins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) scored 10 of her 17 points in the second half and the Wolverines shot 57.7 (15-of-26) percent from the floor in the second frame as the University of Michigan women's basketball team overcame a 26-20 halftime deficit with a 47-24 second-half scoring advantage to defeat Marquette, 67-50, on Monday night (Nov. 16) at Crisler Arena.

Also the Detroit Free Press, Marquette Journal Sentinel, and GoMarquette.com.

Roster Changes

Rather late on this, but in case anyone hadn't noticed Sireece Bass, LeQuisha Whitfield and Lauren Young are no longer on the team. Bass has transferred to Eastern Kentucky and will sit out a year. As has been noted elsewhere, Michigan will field a young team this year - 4 upper classmen (Phillips, Jones, McPhereson & Hicks), 3 sophomores and 6 freshman.

Michigan 67 Marquette 50

The first half was ugly - neither team shot very well and Michigan had 17 turnovers, contributing to a 6 point half time deficit. They picked things up in the second half to win by a comfortable margin. Dayeesha Hollins led the way with 17 points.

Next: Ball State

Michigan opens the season tonight at 7:00pm against Ball State of the Mid American conference. This will be an interesting season for Michigan - between graduation and other departures, this is a young team (3 seniors, 1 junior, 3 sophomores and 6 freshman). It will really depend on leadership from Ashley Jones, Krista Phillips and Veronica Hicks if they are to show any improvement over last year.

Blog Update

I have not been doing a good job of keeping this blog up to date - lots of things going on in my life right now. Now that the season is starting I will try & keep on top of it. If anyone out there who reads this would like to help out, send me a note and we'll see if we can work something out.

Schedule Released

A bit late, but the schedule can be found on mgoblue.com. The team opens against Ball State and has a fairly tough non conference schedule with games against Kansas, Marquette, Boston College, Xavier and Virginia Tech, among others. They also have a New Years Eve game against Michigan State.

Asia Boyd

Per michladyballers.com, Michigan has offerend Asia Boyd, a guard in the 2011 class. I've added her to the recruiting summary as well as removed a few players who have committed elsewhere.

Miscellania

Some items I've neglected to note:

• Former Michigan great (and all time leading scorer) Diane Dietz was inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Hame.
• Coach Borseth will be blogging on mgoblue.com - his first post can be found here.
• Jon Sanderson is the new strength and conditioning coach for both the men's & women's basketball teams, coming to Michigan from Clemson University.
• Jenny Ryan had a strong game at the BCAM allstar game
• An interview with Coach Borseth in the Wolverine Magazine online (p.30-31) - hat tip to Calvin over at umgoblue.com
  

2009-10 Prospectus Available

The season prospectus can be found here. The full schedule isn't there, but the non-conference schedule is rough:

Fri., Nov. 13 Ball State
Mon., Nov. 16 Marquette
Thur., Nov. 19 Southern Mississippi
Sun., Nov. 22 at Kansas
NEW MEXICO STATE TOURNAMENT (Field includes New Mexico State, Stephen.F. Austin, Southern Illinois)
Fri., Nov. 27 vs. Stephen F. Austin Las Cruces, N.M
Sat., Nov. 28 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M.
Thur., Dec. 3 at Viginia Tech (Big 10 ACC Challenge)
Sat, Dec. 6 at Iowa
Wed., Dec. 9 at Boston College
Mon., Dec. 14 at Xavier
Sat, Dec. 19 at Detroit Mercy

Quite a few road games in December. Offhand I'm not sure why they open the Big 10 season so early.

Skrba to play professionally in Europe

From mgoblue.com:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Former University of Michigan women's basketball player Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Canada/Langstaff Secondary School) recently inked a professional contract with Asptt Charleville-Mezieres of the French Professional League. Skrba completed her collegiate career this spring and will join the team for training camp in August.

"I am so excited to begin my professional career in Charleville-Mezieres, France," said Skrba. "Not only is it a great opportunity from a basketball perspective, but it will also provide me with an opportunity to utilize the French language skills I acquired at the University of Michigan. I am very grateful to the University of Michigan and all those that support me."

"Stephany fits the profile of your typical overseas player," said head coach Kevin Borseth. "She is tall and long, in addition to running the floor well and blocking shots. She is very versatile. It is certainly a great opportunity for her to extend her basketball career and we are very excited for her."

Michigan to play Virginia Tech in the Big 10/ACC Challenge

From mgoblue.com:

The Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conferences announced Tuesday (May 5) the matchups for the 2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge and the University of Michigan women's basketball team will travel to Virginia Tech on Thursday, Dec. 3, for a game at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

The third annual challenge will feature all teams from both conferences with the exception of Miami (Fla.). Game times and networks have yet to be determined and will be released at a later date.

The 2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge will be played Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 2-3. The Challenge kicks off with a three-game slate on Wednesday, featuring Georgia Tech at Penn State, Illinois at Wake Forest and Boston College at Iowa. The Challenge will conclude on Thursday with eight games on tap. Thursday's matchups include Michigan at Virginia Tech, Clemson at Northwestern, Minnesota at Maryland, North Carolina at Michigan State, Ohio State at Duke, Purdue at Virginia, Florida State at Indiana and Wisconsin at North Carolina State.

It will be the second meeting between Michigan and Virginia Tech. The Wolverines defeated the Hokies, 79-63, at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, during the 1996-97 season.

Michigan State gets a trio of verbals

Per michladyballers.com, Annalise Pickrel (Grand Rapids Central Catholic), Klarissa Bell (East Lansing) and Madison Williams (Detroit Country Day) have all made verbal commitments to Michigan State. Madison Williams is rated by many as the top player in Michigan for 2010.

Kay Phi Yow

Mechelle Voepel has an excellent article about Kay Yow, her players and how some are paying tribute to her:

You’ve heard/read a lot of Kay Yow stories in the last few months after her death. But as you read this one, keep in mind Gardner’s situation. Many coaches maintain good or at least decent relationships with players who excelled for them for four seasons. However, Yow cared for and remembered everyone who ever went through her program.

“Think of it, 34 years _ that’s a long span of time and a lot of young women whom she impacted,” Gardner said. “She was a mother to all of us, even those of us who had mothers and had good relationships with them. We still felt like we were Coach Yow’s kids, too.”

2009 Awards Banquet

From mgoblue.com:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball program celebrated the 2008-09 season at its annual postseason banquet on Thursday evening (April 2) in the Junge Family Champions Center. The Wolverines honored the accomplishments of its four seniors: Carly Benson (Carney, Mich. /Carney-Nadeau), Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic), Melinda Queen (Oak Forest, Ill/Carl Sandburg) and Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School). Meanwhile, seven team members took home individual honors.

Jessica Minnfield was named most valuable, Melinda Queen best defensive player, Courtney Boylan received the coaches award and Carmen Reynolds most improved.

In addition Krista Phillips was top rebounder and Veronica Hicks got the "Hustle" Award as well as the academic excellence award and

Michigan Women's Basketball on Twitter

It looks like the team has an "official" twitter feed. One of the most recent posts is a link to this photo of Krista Phillips, Ashley Jones and Jamillya Hardley reading to a class at Mitchell Elementary School.

Jenny Ryan named Miss Basketball

From the Detroit Free Press:

“It’s surreal,’’ said Ryan, a 5-feet-9 guard who has signed to play at Michigan. “It still hasn’t hit, I can’t even believe it. The other five girls are all so talented with amazing stats and to be considered is one thing, but to actually walk away with it is all together unbelievable.’’

Ryan has had an unbelievable career, totaling 1,405 points, 443 steals, 368 assists and 344 rebounds while leading Nouvel to Class C state championships as a sophomore and junior.

This season Ryan averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.5 steals. She is also No. 2 in her class with a 4.3 grade point average.

Fellow Michigan recruits Rachel Sheffer of Watervliet finished 3rd and Nya Jordan of Detroit Community finished 6th.

Ryan is the third Miss Basketball to commit to Michigan, joining Tabitha Pool (200) and Krista Clement (2003).

Samantha Arnold Update

A bit belated, but incoming freshman Samantha Arnold's team won their 4A regional final:

Michigan signee Samantha Arnold dominated, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocked shots--seven after halftime.

The lost their sectional final 70-47, though Arnold did have 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks. She was also named to the Illinois 4A All State team.

Last Season

I'm still trying to understand this past season - early on the team showed great promise with wins over Notre Dame and Vanderbilt (and to a lesser degree wins at Southern Mississippi and a close loss to Texas A&M). Ending up 10-20 (with relatively few injuries) raises many questions.

Ultimately the responsibility falls on Coach Borseth, regardless of *why* it happened. The Michigan Daily has a take on this - not sure I entirely agree, but its worth reading:

Their problem was mental. At times, it was amazing how quickly they could be taken out of games mentally. After Indiana implemented its full-court press early in the second half and turned Michigan’s 12-point lead into a six-point advantage of its own, you could almost see the Wolverines wilt.

At that point, the six-point deficit might as well have been 600.

And that problem is coachable. It's Michigan coach Kevin Borseth’s job to make sure his team is mentally ready for every game. This season, there were times it clearly wasn’t.

Go read the whole article.

Update to Last Year vs. This Year

Here are the end of year totals (updating this post). The only major change is Krista Phillip's FG % - while still below last year, it moved up a fair amount. She played quite well at the end of the season. Let's hope it carries over to next year.

	Overall FG%			Three Point %
	2008-9	2007-8	2006-7	2008-9	2007-8	2006-7
Carly Benson	.361	.405	.393	.328	.313	.353
Jessica Minnfield	.323	.421	.291	.278	.406	.237
Veronica Hicks	.379	.355		.309	.250
Stephany Skrba	.489	.535	.354	.000	.167	.000
Melinda Queen	.368	.311	.458	.268	.105	.368
Krista Phillips	.421	.468	.465	.205	.264	.400
Kalyn McPherson	.267	.313	.268	.000	1.00	.333
Carmen Reynolds	.405			.370
Courtney Boylan	.351			.333
Ashley Jones		.450	.273		.346	.000
Janelle Cooper		.389	.338		.352	.270
Krista Clement		.358	.273		.336	.269
Ta'Shia Walker		.395	.458		.200	.233
Team	.380	.419	.367	.301	.330	.274

Indiana 68 Michigan 50

Double uggh. Michigan jumped out to a 12-0 lead and led at halftime 28-26. The second half was not so good as michigan ended up losing by 18.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team was unable to overcome a 24-6 run by Indiana in the middle of the second half and fell, 68-50, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday afternoon (March 5) at Conseco Fieldhouse. U-M held a two-point lead at halftime before being outscored 42-22 in the second stanza.

Junior center Krista Phillips (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate) led the Wolverines with 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, while senior forward Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) added 11 points and senior guard Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) grabbed seven boards in the defeat.

The Maize and Blue jumped out to a 12-0 lead to open the contest. Phillips made a pair of layups, while Benson and Minnfield both converted triples to help spark the quick start as the Wolverines opened the game 5-of-6 from the field. The U-M defense held Indiana scoreless for nearly seven minutes to open the game.

Indiana

Ugh. Michigan led through much of the game (including by as much as 15 early in the second half), but couldn't stop Indiana's comeback and fell 67-61. From mgoblue.com:

Senior forward Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) recorded her 1,000th career point and became the 19th 1,000-point scorer in program history as the University of Michigan women's basketball team dropped its regular-season finale at Indiana, 67-61, on Sunday afternoon (March 1) in Assembly Hall.

U-M had four players in double figures led by 13 from Benson. Junior center Krista Phillips (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) and freshman guard Courtney Boylan (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) each contributed 12 points, while senior guard Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) led the way on the glass with a team-high seven rebounds

Michigan came out of the second half gates on fire, converting on three of their first four shots and holding the Hoosiers scoreless through the first five minutes of the half as the Wolverines extended their lead to a game-high 15 points at the 15:24 mark. The Hoosiers would not go away, however, and used a 20-6 run over a span of six minutes to get back in the game, cutting the U-M lead to 54-53 at the 7:35 mark.

The Hoosiers took their first lead since the opening minutes of the first half with a basket from Jori Davis at the 5:11 mark and the teams exchanged buckets with neither team taking a lead of more than four points, but IU hit timely baskets down the stretch and forced the Wolverines into crucial turnovers to pick up the win.

Michigan faces Indiana today in a rematch in the first round of the Big 10 tournament. Let's hope they can find a way to turn things around and keep playing a bit longer.

2009 Recruits

Today's Detroit Free Press has profiles of the six finalists for 2009 Miss Basketball in Michigan. Three of them (Nya Jordan, Jenny Ryan and Rachel Sheffer) are Michigan recruits:

Nya Jordan, 6-1 Forward, Detroit Community

College: Michigan.

Biggest area of improvement: Shooting.

Best move: Attacking the basket with a crossover dribble for a lay-up.

Favorite athlete: LeBron James.

Favorite class: Art.

Favorite book: "Ordinary People" by Judith Guest.

Top Opponent: Erica Solomon, Country Day, Notre Dame.

When my career is finished I will: "Try to open up an advertising business."

Overview: She was a solid inside player on last season's Class B runner-up. But over the spring and summer her perimeter skills blossomed and she became a national recruit. She still spends a lot of time playing inside because that is where her team needs her and she is a handful in the paint.

Jenny Ryan, 5-9 Guard, Saginaw Nouvel

College: Michigan.

Biggest area of improvement: Jump shot.

Best move: In transition, pulls up for a jump shot or uses a crossover and drives to the basket.

Favorite athlete: Cal Ripken Jr.

Favorite class: Yearbook.

Favorite book: "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown.

Top Opponent: Kellie Watson, Ionia and Notre Dame.

When my career is finished I will: "Coach basketball at the college level."

Overview: She is the ultimate team leader. She has led Nouvel to a pair of Class C state championships and is gunning for No. 3. She is a demon on defense and, between deflections and steals, she gets her hands on 12 balls a game. She has become a better perimeter shooter.

Rachel Sheffer, 6-1 Center, Watervliet

College: Michigan.

Biggest area of improvement: Ballhandling.

Best move: Takes the ball from the left wing, uses a dribble hop-step for a lay-up.

Favorite athlete: Candace Parker.

Favorite class: Media.

Favorite book: "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.

Top Opponent: Kellie Watson, Ionia and Notre Dame.

When my career is finished I will: "Become a first-grade teacher."

Overview: One of the state's best all-around athletes, she earned all-state honors in basketball, volleyball and softball. She has to play inside because of her size, but she has perimeter skills and can fill a lane on the fast break.

Purdue 70 Michigan 53

Despite a double-double from Krista Phillips (10 pts/10 rebounds), Michigan dropped another game. Michigan was outshot (44% to 36%), outrebounded (41-25) and committed more turnovers (18-14) - pretty much sealing the game.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team had three players in double figures, led by 13 points from seniors Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) and Melinda Queen (Oak Forest, Ill./Carl Sandburg) in a 70-53 loss at Purdue on Thursday night (Feb. 26) in Mackey Arena. Junior center Krista Phillips (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate) posted U-M's first double-double of the season with 10 points and a season-high 11 rebounds to lead the Wolverines on the glass.

The Boilermakers opened up a decisive 34-21 first-half lead, led by the play of senior Danielle Campbell, who was 5-of-6 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe in the first frame. Campbell ended the game with a game-high 18 points.

Purdue used a 25-7 run, which spanned over seven minutes and two halves, to jump out to a 50-28 lead -- its largest of the game -- at the 12:57 mark of the second half and never looked back, maintaining a double-figure lead for the remainder of the contest. U-M used a 13-4 run over the final five minutes of action but could not slow Purdue, which picked up its fifth consecutive victory.

This year versus last year

I've been puzzled by the team this year - my impression has been that the defense has been (generally) solid, but they have struggled to score. Last year the team gave up 57.3 points per game, this year 57.9. While worse, it isn't a big difference. Offense is a different story - last year 59.5 points per game, this year 55.5.

Why the difference? Losing Cooper, Clement & Jones doesn't help matters, but Reynolds & Boylan have contributed this season. Comparing the team to the last two seasons:

	Overall FG %			Three Point%
	2008-9	2007-8	2006-7	2008-9	2007-8	2006-7
Jessica Minnfield	.338	.421	.291	.284	.406	.237
Carly Benson	.353	.405	.393	.318	.313	.353
Veronica Hicks	.383	.355		.300	.250
Stephany Skrba	.482	.535	.354	.000	.167	.000
Melinda Queen	.355	.311	.458	.355	.105	.368
Krista Phillips	.386	.468	.465	.174	.264	.400
Kalyn McPherson	.267	.313	.268	.000	1.000	.333
Carmen Reynods	.430			.388
Courtney Boylan	.344			.321
Ashley Jones		.450	.273		.346	.000
Janelle Cooper		.389	.338		.352	.270
Krista Clement		.358	.273		.336	.269
Ta'Shia Walker		.395	.458		.200	.233
Team	.377	.419	.367	.297	.330	.274

The teams overall shooting percentage climbed dramatically last year, and has fallen this year to levels close to the 2006-7 season. The only players to improve their numbers from last year are Veronica Hicks and Melinda Queen (and Benson's 3point % has gone up a bit as well).



Was last year a fluke? Is it simply a matter of confidence? I wish I knew - but with a young team next year (3 seniors, 1 junior), let's hope it starts to turn around.

Iowa 68 Michigan 64

Yet another frustrating loss. Michigan trailed the entire game, but kept fighting back. It seemed like every time they were making a run Iowa would get a defensive stop and score (usually a three pointer). Michigan actually outshot Iowa (40.0% vs. 38.2%), but were outrebounded badly (50-32) which led to 8 more Iowa shots - enough to make the difference. Carly Benson led the way with 17 points and Veronica Hicks added 16 for the Wolverines.

Next: Iowa

Michigan hosts Iowa (17-9, 10-5) today at Crisler arena for their last home game of the season. Iowa is led by senior guard Kristi Smith (13.4ppg), senior center Megan Skouby (12.6ppg), senior forward Wendy Ausdemore (11.8ppg) and sophomore guard Kachine Alexander (9.2ppg/8.6rpg).

It is Senior Day and the team will be honoring Jess Minnfield, Carly Benson, Stephany Skrba and Melinda Queen. (Nothing official, but I assume Ashley Jones will be back next season).

Big Ten Network Highlights of MSU Loss

27 Points?

I wasn't able to attend (or even watch or listen to) last night's game. Holding Michigan State to 52 points might have been enough under some circumstances to win the game, but 27 points often isn't enough to win a football game, never mind basketball.

I'm hoping that somehow this is a hangover from the tough Minnesota loss, but with only three games left plus the Big 10 tournament, there isn't much season left to turn around.

Next: Michigan State

Michigan travels to East Lansing tonight in a rematch from January 15th. Michigan is struggling, but they do have the tools to pull off the upset - Krista Phillips has, at times, been able to keep Allyssa DeHaan and they usually play solid defense. It will come down the usual suspects - can they keep turnovers down, hit enough 3 pointers and find some balanced scoring.

Big Ten Network video of Minnesota game

More on the Minnesota game

I've been slow to write more about the Minnesota game, partly because every time I think about the game I get depressed all over again. In many ways, that game seemed a microcosm of this season - Michigan dominated in stretches, but couldn't put the game away. Not to take anything away from Minnesota, but the Wolverines had executed better (fewer turnovers, better free throw shooting), they would have won the game.

Michigan has a couple impressive victories this season, but can't seem to sustain good play, either over the course of a single game or for multiple games in a row.

From mgoblue.com:

Brittany McCoy banked in a last-second three-pointer to help Minnesota steal a 60-59 victory from the University of Michigan women's basketball team on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 15) in Crisler Arena.

The Wolverines held a 59-57 lead after senior guard Jessica Minnfield's (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) free throw with 15 seconds remaining before McCoy hit the game-winner. Freshman guard Carmen Reynolds (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) led Michigan with 14 points off the bench, while Minnfield finished with 10 points and a career-high nine rebounds.

Minnesota 60 Michigan 59

Minnesota knocked down a 3 point shot with 1.9 second left to win the game. A very frustrating loss - at times Michigan looked solid and in control, then would be overcome with bouts of sloppy play. More later, but two stats: Michigan had 22 turnovers (to 13 for Minnesota) and only shot 64.7% from the free throw line (11-17) - not horrible, but not great.

Next: Penn State

Penn State (8-13, 3-9) visits Crisler tonight at 7:30. This is pretty much a must win for Michigan - a game against another second division team at home. The Lady Lions are led by Tyra Grant (20.0 ppg) and Brianne O'Rourke (11.5 ppg).

Penn State won the first meeting of the season at State College, 76-58. Let's hope Michigan can return the favor tonight.

Northwestern 60 Michigan 57

A disappointing loss - after falling behind early (by as many as 17), Michigan came back and even took a small lead for a while, but was unable to close the game out. They missed a last second chance to send it to overtime.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team came back from a 17-point first-half deficit and had a chance to send the game into overtime down by three as the final second ticked away but could not find the bottom of the net on its final shot and fell to Northwestern, 60-57, on Thursday night (Feb. 5) in Welsh-Ryan Arena.

The Wolverines had two players in double figures, led by 12 points from senior Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic). Senior Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) was also in double digits with 10 points, while junior Krista Phillips (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Aden Bowman Collegiate) tallied a game-high nine rebounds.

Next: Northwestern

Michigan travels to Evanston tonight to play Northwestern (8:00pm Eastern time). The Wildcats are at the bottom of the Big 10 standings so this is a good opportunity for Michigan to grab a road win.

Northwestern hasn't had a lot of success this year (5-17, 1-10), they are led by one of the better players in the conference, center Amy Jaeschke who averages 15 points and 8 rebounds a game. Michigan's post players will have their hands full this evening.

More on the Wisconsin win

Michigan looked really good on Sunday - the defense was solid, players were taking (and making) good shots and the offense was balanced (5 players in double figures). How much of that was Michigan, and how much was Wisconsin struggling remains to be seen. Let's hope it is the start of a turnaround for the Wolverines.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team used a quick start and red-hot shooting to cruise past Wisconsin, 70-42, on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 1) at Crisler Arena. The Maize and Blue ended a six-game losing streak with a season-best 57.1 percent (24-of-42) from the field while holding the Badgers to 28.8 percent (17-of-59).

Mlive.com:

Making shots at a season-best rate in front of its largest home crowd of the year, the University of Michigan women's basketball team put an end to a six-game losing streak.

The Wolverines scored the first nine points of the game Sunday on their way to a 70-42 victory over Wisconsin in front of 3,688 at Crisler Arena.

With five players in double figures, Michigan (10-12, 3-8 Big Ten) snapped the longest skid in second-year coach Kevin Borseth's tenure with the Wolverines. They hadn't won since Jan. 8 against Illinois.

"Finally,'' Borseth said. "It seems like we have been in a good position a lot of times in the past couple games, and we weren't able to do it.

"Today we played really well against a great Wisconsin defense. They are tough to score on, and I thought we did a great job today on both ends of the court.''

and the Pierce County Herald:

The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team got crushed at Michigan Sunday 70-42.

It was the Badgers’ fourth straight loss and Badger Head Coach Lisa Stone sent her entire starting lineup to the bench after five minutes, when the Badgers were down 9-0.

The Wolverines went on a 15-0 run later in the half and rolled from there. Michigan shot 57-percent, as led by as much as 32 late in the game.

Wisconsin shot just 29-percent and its 28-point losing margin was the most since falling to Illinois by 30 just over three years ago.

Michigan 70 Wisconsin 42

Michigan got off to a quick 9-0 lead and never trailed. They had a very balanced offense today with five players in double figures (Hicks had 15, Skrba, Queen & Minnfield added 11 and Reynolds had 10).

Pack the House against Wisconsin

Michigan is trying to break the Women's Basketball attendance record (set last year against Michigan State) today when they host Wisconsin at 2:00pm. Come out and support the Wolverines and maybe take part in setting a record.

Ohio State 52 Michigan 44

It was a close game most of the way, but like several other games this season the Wolverines couldn't quite get the job done down the stretch. Courtney Boylan and Melinda Queen led the team with 10 points each, but it wasn't enough for Michigan to pull another upset. 2-20 shooting from 3 point range didn't help matters, nor did Ohio State getting 20 free throw attempts in the second half, compared to none for the Wolverines.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team battled Ohio State (No. 15 AP, No. 14 ESPN/USA Today) down to the wire but came up short, falling to the Buckeyes, 52-44, on Thursday night (Jan. 29) at Crisler Arena. Ohio State outscored the Wolverines 18-7 down the stretch in the second half.

U-M was led by 10 points from both senior forward Melinda Queen (Oak Forest, Ill./Carl Sandburg) and freshman guard Courtney Boylan (Chaska, Minn./Chaska).

Trailing by five points early, the Wolverines went on a 10-2 run to take a three-point lead, 18-15, with 9:23 to play in the first half. Sophomore guard Veronica Hicks (Chicago, Ill./Thornwood) ignited the burst for the Maize and Blue with an offensive rebound and put back, while senior forward Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) added four points during the stretch with a basket and a pair of free throws, and Michigan took a 23-22 lead into the intermission. The Wolverines were 8-of-11 from the free-throw line in the opening 20 minutes and held Ohio State to just a single free throw. U-M was paced by Queen with six points at the break; Jantel Lavender led all scorers with nine points for the Buckeyes.

More changes?

It appears that LeQuisha Whitfield has left the team, though I've seen no official word. I am assuming that Ashley Jones will redshirt, though again I've seen nothing to confirm it.

Even in Jones does return next year, Michigan will be a young team - 3 seniors (Phillips, McPhereson, Jones), 1 junior (Hicks), 5 sophomores (Reynolds, Boylan, Smith, Hardley, & Young) and 6 freshman (Arnold, Thompson, Hollins, Jordan, Sheffer & Ryan). They would also have four scholarships for the 2010 class available.

Big Ten Network Highlights of Michigan/Indian

Updates coming

Apologies for the lack of posts this week (and the light posting before that). Sometimes life imposes priorities ahead of blogging (or even basketball). I should be able to remedy things soon.

Last night Michigan played Ohio State tough, but wasn't able to put the game away. Melinda Queen continued to shine on offense and Courtney Boylan hit some big shots, but it wasn't enough.

Kay Yow

From the AP:

Few coaches won more, none won more gracefully

By JIM LITKE – 3 hours ago

Kay Yow was around at the start of the debate. It's just one measure of how influential she was to women's sports that three decades later, even at the moment of her passing at age 66, Yow's insistence that how you win was as important as whether you win never seemed more relevant.

She was two years out of graduate school and just beginning to carve out a career as women's basketball coach and athletics coordinator at tiny Elon College in North Carolina when the groundbreaking piece of legislation known as Title IX was passed in 1972. But to pioneers like Yow, just as important as the promise of equal opportunity was the sense of responsibility women owed one another in developing a game of their own.

Some argued in favor of following the model long provided by men, focusing on competition, skill development and winning at all costs, the faster the better. Others argued for taking the high road, stressing cooperation, character-building and slow growth.

Both by example and through the force of her personality, during her long tenure on the bench at North Carolina State and her long fight against cancer, Yow proved over and over there was a middle ground. Few coaches won more and none, arguably, exhibited more grace doing it.

Regents approve basketball practice facility

From mgoblue.com:

By an 8-0 vote, the University of Michigan Board of Regents unanimously approved a new basketball player development center for the Wolverine basketball programs this afternoon (Thursday, Jan. 22).

"I am truly appreciative of the efforts of all involved to start this project," said U-M Athletic Director Bill Martin. "I can't wait to get the shovel in the ground and get started on this project.

"It is an exciting day for both the men's and women's basketball teams."

The facility will include two basketball practice courts, team locker rooms, a video theater, spaces for strength and conditioning, athletic medicine and coaching and staff offices. Athletic resources and gifts will fund the $23.2 million project.

Additionally, this facility will provide approximately 50,000 gross square feet of new space for functional training and practice for the men's and women's programs.

Currently, the Crisler Arena basketball court is the lone practice floor. The men's and women's basketball teams have had to share the court with one team practicing in the early afternoon. This created a class scheduling problem for the team with early practice.

"The facility will give our student-athletes more flexibility in their academic schedule," said Martin.

A construction schedule will be presented to the Regents when approval is sought for the schematic design.

• Michigan Announces Plans for Basketball Player Development Center

Next: Indiana

Michigan hosts the Indiana Hoosiers (13-3, 6-1) at Crisler Arena tomorrow evening. Indiana has five players averaging in double figures, which should prove to be a challenge for Michigan: forward Amber Jackson (14.4ppg/6.5rpg), forward Whitney Thomas (13.6ppg/9.2rpg), guard Jamie Braun (11.6ppg), guard Jori Davis (11.3ppg) and forward Kim Roberson (10.3ppg).

Minnesota 52, Michigan 46

A better road effort than Penn State & Ohio State, but the results were still a loss. Michigan led much of the game, but was unable to hold on and win. Poor shooting once again spelled trouble (34.8% in the 2nd half, 14% from 3pt range). Michigan was led by 15 points from Veronica Hicks and 10 from Carly Benson.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team built a 12-point lead in the first half at Minnesota but could not withstand a strong second half by the Golden Gophers, falling 52-46 Sunday afternoon (Jan. 18) in Williams Arena. Veronica Hicks (Chicago, Ill./Thornwood HS) and Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) led the way for Michigan with 15 and 10 points, respectively, while Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) had a game-high five steals and was the Wolverines' top rebounder with six.

Michigan led by as many as 12 points in the first half before taking a 28-20 advantage into the halftime break. The Wolverines held the lead throughout most of the second half and were up 42-41 with 5:38 to play, but Minnesota outscored Michigan 11-4 in the game's final 5:30 and 32-18 overall during the second period to send Michigan to its third straight loss.

Next: Minnesota

Michigan travels to Minnesota to day to play the Gophers (4-2/12-5). Minnesota is led by guard Emily Fox (12.7ppg/4.2apg), guard Katie Ohm (11.9ppg) and forward/center Ashley Ellis-Milan (11.2ppg/8.6rpg).

The Wolverines have a tall order - they're trying to both shake off a tough MSU loss and end their road woes.

Michigan State 41 Michigan 37

Michigan had their chances last night but poor shooting kept them from pulling away when they had the lead and stymied their attempt to win at the end of the game. 22% shooting (17% from 3pt range) won't win many games.

Maize Out tonight for Michigan State game tonight

Highlights from the Wisconsin game

Wisconsin 58 Michigan 54

Michigan couldn't overcome poor shooting (32% for the game) and their comeback effort fell short. Melinda Queen and Veronica Hicks led the way with 12 points each. From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team cut a 16-point second-half deficit to three points with 14 seconds remaining, but the rally was too late as the Wolverines dropped a 58-54 decision at Wisconsin on Sunday (Jan. 11) in the Kohl Center.

With the Badgers leading by 10 points with under two minutes remaining, a three-pointer from freshman Courtney Boylan (Minnetonka, Minn./Chaska HS) coupled with a free throw from senior Melinda Queen (Oak Forest, Ill./Carl Sandburg) cut the score to 56-50 with 44 seconds remaining. After a missed UW foul shot, senior Stephany Skrba(Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) nailed a pair of free throws to get U-M within four. UW then went 1-for-2 from the line to build the lead back to five before Boylan hit a jumper to pull Michigan to within 57-54. However, Wisconsin hit one of its two subsequent foul shots to put the game away.

Next: Wisconsin

Michigan travels to Madison today to play the Badgers at 2:30pm. Wisconsin (12-4, 2-3 in the Big 10) is led by sophomore guard Alyssa Karel (13.8 ppg).

Wisconsin had a strong start to the season (10-1 in non conference), including a win over highly ranked Baylor on the road. They've struggled a bit in conference play and currently are on a 2 game losing streak.

This will be a good chance for the Wolverines to grab a road win and move up a bit in the Big 10 standings. Maybe they can capitalize on their big win last year, with Krista Phillip's 40 ft three pointer that sent the game into overtime & ultimately a win.

Michigan 52 Illinois 44

It wasn't the prettiest game, but it was a win & one that Michigan needed. Veronica Hicks led the way with 12 points, Jessica Minnfield added 11 (and 5 assists), Carly Benson had 9 and Krista Phillips add 9 rebounds.

Michigan was able to keep Jenna Smith in check (10 points) and the rest of the Illini weren't able to pick up enough of the slack.

From mgoblue.com:

The University of Michigan women's basketball team upended Illinois, 52-44, Thursday night (Jan. 8) in Crisler Arena. Sophomore guard Veronica Hicks (Chicago, Ill./Thornwood) led the way with 12 points and senior guard Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) added 11 points and a game-high five assists for the Wolverines. Lydia McCully led Illinois with 11 points.

Michigan took control early, scoring the first four points of the contest on baskets by senior forward Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) and Hicks. U-M never trailed in the opening 20 minutes.

Next: Illinois

Michigan hosts the Illini tonight at 7:00pm. Illinois (4-11, 0-4) has struggled this year with their only wins against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, Eastern Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Missouri.

They are led by 6'3" Jenna Smith (18.2ppg, 7.5rpg) and Lacey Simpson (11.5ppg, 8.5rpg). This is a game Michigan needs to win and even their record in the conference at 2-2.

Penn State 76 Michigan 58

Michigan couldn't overcome being outrebounded (50-32) and being outshot (53% - 42%). Carly Benson led the way with 21 points and Veronica Hicks add14.

From mgoblue.com:

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Senior forward Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney Nadeau Public School) was 5-of-12 from behind the three-point line and tallied a team-high 21 points for her seventh game in double figures as the Wolverines dropped a Big Ten conference game 76-58 to Penn State this afternoon (Sunday, Jan. 4) at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The Lady Lions shot lights out in the second half, finishing 17-of-32 from the floor -- good for 53.1 percent -- and 5-of-10 from behind the three-point line to put the game out of reach for the Wolverines. Penn State opened the second stanza right where they finished the first frame, and with two quick buckets, built a 12-point lead, forcing the Wolverines to call a timeout. A bucket from sophomore guard Veronica Hicks (Chicago, Ill/Thornwood) ended a 6-0 Penn State run to open the half, but the Lady Lions used a 10-2 run to take a 39-23 lead with just 4:40 seconds off the second-half clock.

Next: Penn State

Michigan travels to State College to play the Nittany Lions (6-7, 1-2) at 2:00pm. Penn State is led by junior guard Tyra Grant (19.0pts/game) and senior guard Brianne O'Rourke (11.9pts/game, 4.9 assists/game).

Penn State has struggled a bit this year, but they did beat Illinois at home and played Texas A&M close on the road (a 61-57 loss). This is a good opportunity for Michigan to steal a road win, which are tough to come by in conference play.

Michigan 66 Northwestern 54

Michigan shot 57% in the second half to overcome a 24-23 halftime deficit and beat the Wildcats. Melinda Queen had a career high 20 points and Jessica Minnfield added 17.

This was a big win for Michigan - they needed to bounce back after the Ohio Sate game and winning home games is very important both to be competitive in the conference race and to position themselves for post season play.