WBB @ Nebraska game notes

Opponent: Nebraska (13-5, 5-2 B1G)

Result: Loss, 62-43

Record: 12-6, 3-3 B1G

Date:  1/17, Away

Starters: Laila Phelia, Jordan Hobbs, Lauren Hansen, Chyra Evans, Cameron Williams (same as last game)

Injuries/inactives: Elissa Brett is out for a while. KBA said on Michigan Insider on 1/16 that “we’re not sure about her return”

• Sollom was the last to play at the end of the second quarter

Offense:

• Michigan’s first bucket of the night was a Chyra Evans three. She continues to take these and hit enough of them to make defenses respect her from deep
  • This was also Michigan’s only basket until there was 1 minute left in the first quarter. Nebraska was staying in front well to prevent dribbling and Michigan couldn’t find many good shots.
•  The game got physical in the second quarter, with both teams combining for 8 fouls before the media timeout. One play that stuck out was a loose ball that both Phelia and a Nebraska player drove for. Phelia was called for the foul despite the contact being pretty even. 
  • 4 of Michigan’s starters finished the first half with 2 fouls. Hansen was the only starter with less than that at 0
• Hansen started the second half scoring with a corner three assisted by Cameron Williams passing out of the post
• Michigan’s chances at a comeback ended with a series at the start of the fourth quarter. Down 15, Hobbs missed an open three, the rebound bounced to Evans who passed it out, Taylor Woodson drove and threw up an awkward shot, then the rebound bounced to Stuck who also threw up an awkward shot, and Nebraska recovered the ball

Defense:

• Nebraska was able to get two offensive rebounds early to get out to a 6-0 lead
• Closing out on three’s continues to be a problem as Nebraska hit two to take it to 12-3. They also missed a wide open three that could have made it 15. 
  • Nebraska ended up shooting 3-17 from deep for a white-hot 17.6%
• Nebraska let Michigan hang in the game by going on a 5 minute scoring drought of their own in the second quarter, though Michigan could only close the gap to 7
• Michigan closed the lead to 6 in the third quarter until Nebraska went on a 10-1 run to push their lead to 15 to start the fourth. Five different Huskers each scored 2 points during this run. 

Notable stats:

• Michigan did not score more than 12 points in a quarter, while Nebraska get over 18 in a quarter
• Hansen produced a full quarter’s worth of scoring with 12 points on 4-8 shooting
• Evans had a decent game relative to her recent performance with 7 points, 2 assists, and 3 steals. She is averaging 5.1 points, 1.1 assists, and 0.7 steals per game this year.
• Nebraska ate Michigan’s lunch on the offensive glass today pulling down 25 offensive rebounds to Michigan’s 8

Overall: 

• On a day when both Nebraska and Michigan brought good defense, Nebraska brought enough offense to make this into a blowout despite only scoring 62 points. This came in the form of a team-oriented attack with four players scoring in double digits and offensive rebounding to make up for their misses. 

Up next: 

• 1/21: away at Rutgers (6-14, 0-7 B1G, last in B1G) at 2pm on B1G+
  • Three players are averaging double digit points per game: Kaylene Smikle (16.1), Destiny Adams (14.6), and Mya Petticord (10.2)
  • Have lost their last 9 games in a row, including a 36-point blowout to Iowa where Caitlin Clark earned her 14th career triple-double
• 1/24: home vs Maryland (11-6, 3-3 B1G) at 7pm on B1G+
  • Stars junior guard Shyanne Sellers who leads the team in points (16.4 per game), rebounds (6.1), assists (5.4), and blocks (0.8)
    • Sellers has 3 double-doubles on the season during a string of games against Niagara, George Mason, and Northwestern in late November/early December
  • Two other players averaging double digit points are sophomore guard Bri McDaniel (12.6) and senior guard Jakia Brown-Turner (10.6)
  • Diamond Miller went to the WNBA after last season
  • No wins over ranked teams. Losses to South Carolina, UConn, Washington St, Nebraska, and Michigan State

Most recent bracketology: 

• ESPN has Michigan as a 11 seed (updated 1/16)
• College Sports Madness has Michigan as an 11 seed (1/15)
• Her Hoop Stats has Michigan as an 11 seed (1/8)