March 6, 2008

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Big Ten Network Recap

By STEVE HERMAN
Source: Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Kevin Borseth was too hungry for a postgame rant. Besides, this time, his Michigan Wolverines won.

Krista Phillips overcame early foul trouble with 15 points and Michigan used a 17-0 second-half run to beat Penn State 64-54 Thursday, handing the Lady Lions their 12th straight loss this season and their first opening-round defeat in the Big Ten women's tournament since 1997.

"I didn't eat this morning," Borseth, the admittedly nervous first-year Wolverines coach, said afterward. "You get that feeling in your belly. You just hope your kids are able to play well, and we earned it. They worked so doggone hard."

Borseth drew national attention last week for a postgame tirade after the Wolverines blew a 20-point lead in a loss to Wisconsin. He started his news conference by slamming his fist on the podium, then delivered an angry monologue on his team's lack of rebounding.

This time, Michigan outrebounded Penn State 39-34, and it was the Lady Lions who blew a lead in the second half.

"I think after halftime we were a little more confident," Phillips said. "The biggest thing is we talked about it, made the adjustments and got better."

Michigan had lost in the opening round each of the past three years. Now, the Wolverines (17-12), the No. 7 seed in the tournament, will play No. 2 Iowa (20-9) in Friday's quarterfinals at Conseco Fieldhouse. Michigan and Iowa split their two regular-season games this year.

"It's been a rough season and he (Borseth) wants to win and we want to win, and I think that's what's driving us right now," Phillips said.

Penn State (13-18) led 43-37 after a 3-pointer by Kamela Gissendanner, but the Lady Lions went scoreless for almost 8 minutes after that.

Carly Benson had six of her 13 points during Michigan's long run, including a basket that pushed the Wolverines' lead to 54-43 with just over 6 minutes remaining. Penn State came within 57-52 in the next 2 minutes, but Jessica Minnfield scored six of Michigan's final seven points -- three on free throws -- to put the game out of reach.

Krista Clement and Ashley Jones added 10 points apiece for Michigan.

Tyra Grant led Penn State with 18 points, while Gissendanner finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Grant said Michigan wasn't doing anything differently during the 17-0 run.

"They're a good team and they were getting their open shots," she said. "They were driving to the hoop more and their cuts were a little bit harder, but everything was working to their favor during that stretch."

The 6-foot-6 Phillips, Michigan's leading scorer at just under 11 points a game for the season, played just over 4 minutes in the first half. She had nine of the Wolverines' first 13 points but picked up her second foul midway through the period and went to the bench for the rest of the half.

Meanwhile, without Phillips in the lineup, Penn State quickly erased a 13-8 deficit and took a 22-21 lead on a fast-break layup by Mashea Williams. There were three more ties before a 3-pointer by Brianne O'Rourke gave the Lady Lions a 31-28 lead with 1:22 to go, and neither team scored the rest of the period.

First-year Penn State coach Coquese Washington, a former player and assistant at Notre Dame and a former WNBA player for the Indiana Fever, said the Lady Lions weren't attacking the basket well.

"We started settling for jump shots," she said. "And our defensive intensity kind of let go. They were able to penetrate in the lane and cause us problems."