WBB headed to WNIT Championship Game
For the first time ever, Michigan Women's Basketball will play for a chance to hang their first banner in Crisler Center and win their first championship.
Michigan took on Villanova tonight in the WNIT Semifinals.
Michigan led for most of the game with Villanova going on a large run of 13-2 late to make the score look closer, but this one was never in any doubt.
Katelynn Flaherty didn't have a great game but Hallie Thome stepped up and had 22 points and was 10-16 from the field.
Michigan took it, 65-61.
Michigan moves on to the WNIT Championship for the first time ever.
The Wolverines (27-9) will take on Georgia Tech (22-14).
Michigan destroyed Georgia Tech by 40 back on 12/1 in the B1G/ACC Challenge. 92-52 at GT.
Being that Crisler Center is in use on Saturday and Michigan has earned the right to host, the WNIT Championship will be played at Calihan Hall on the campus of the University of Detroit.
The game will be on Saturday at 3pm and broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
March 29th, 2017 at 10:05 PM ^
A more cynical way of looking at this is that all this shows is a continuation of the regular season: the team consistently beating mediocre opponents (with the advantage of every game in the WNIT played at home).
Everyone loves to criticize selection committees, but they left Michigan out because the team didn't beat any of the better teams on their schedule (0 top-50 RPI wins) and because the Big Ten was so lousy this season. And the performance of the Big Ten in the NCAA tourney justifies this thinking. Not one conference team made it to the Elite 8, making the Big Ten the only Power 5 conference not to have any member get that far.
I've said this before, but this team had every opportunity to clinch a bid, and they failed.
March 29th, 2017 at 10:23 PM ^
No, I think the message is that Michigan needs to build a better schedule for the WBB team now. This team seems good enough for the NCAAs but apparently played a schedule that would make a mid-major blush. KBB seems to have the team at a spot where they can play tougher teams now and we should schedule like it or we have no room to whine about being left out
March 29th, 2017 at 10:34 PM ^
RPI
vs Oakland (156)
vs Niagara (265)
vs Howard (226)
vs Western Michigan (162)
#25 Gonzaga (66)
Winthrop (345)
#10 Florida State (12)
at Georgia Tech (61)
at Xavier (207)
at San Diego State (270)
at #9 UCLA (9)
vs Ohio University (72)
vs American (185)
March 29th, 2017 at 11:42 PM ^
For them to win the NIT. But that doesn't really prove one way or another that the NCAA messed up (for the record, I think they did)
If that were the case, every NIT champion every year would bitch about it.
so many reasons to downvote this...
It was in doubt towards the end but it really shouldn't have been. There were like 4 missed layups in a row on our end at the end of the 4th quarter. Williams was left wide open on the wing in transition and took it in for the layup but came up short (she seemed shocked she was that wide open). Then, Flaherty stutter stepped to freeze her defender and flew by her only to miss that layup. Then, Thome got an assist open down low and missed. And then I think Munger missed a layup as well.
That was the point when I was sure they were going Penn State this game away. Especially when Thome got an OREB but then travelled to turn it over to Nova up 5. But they were able to hold on with a few well-timed threes and hitting their free throws.
March 30th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^
Agree with this take. Both teams had some sloppy turnovers, too. It was such an exciting game though!
March 29th, 2017 at 10:01 PM ^
March 29th, 2017 at 10:13 PM ^
I assume it's because of this previously scheduled show.
March 29th, 2017 at 11:18 PM ^
BOTH?
March 29th, 2017 at 10:08 PM ^
March 29th, 2017 at 10:14 PM ^
This kinda sucks, no? I live in Ann Arbor and definitely would have gone had it been at Crisler/EMU.
March 30th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
Even Pioneer or Huron would have been better.
March 30th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^
glad to see them stick together - i know that the seniors were very disappointed to not get into the ncaa, and it would have been easy for them to come into this tournament and flame out...that, plus kysre taking a leave of absence?
great job by them, already looking forward to next season.
March 30th, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
Any clue as why the team's third leading scorer has taken an "indefinite leave" from the team?
Aside from the ambiguous "personal reasons" already cited....
March 30th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
She's transferring. From what I've heard, it's for the best. Team chemistry is likely better now than it's been all season. Addition by subtraction.
March 30th, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^
I immediately thought, damn, I hope she's not leaving over PT or the amount of touches, but then I said to myself I was being uncharitable and it's probably a sick relative or academic issues.
March 30th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^
I assumed it was a family issue too. She seemed to fit in so well, she was starting, scoring in double-digits! If she's transferring, why leave during the tournament?
March 30th, 2017 at 12:50 PM ^
It does seem like the play of team picked up in the WNIT after Kysre left but I'm not sure how it bodes for next year if she transfers. Sierra Thompson and Danielle Williams have been filling the void and neither will be here next year.
I don't understand it. She's had a great freshman year until the tail end, really.
This program has never caught a break. What a shame. Hopefully she doesn't transfer and join her sister at MSU.
That's two highly rated guards transferring in one year if true.
They have Deja Church coming in as a freshman. She's fairly highly ranked although more of a combo guard. They could really use a pure point guard and are trying to add one late. The loss of Boogie Brozoski is really unfortunate; from what I've heard, she'd likely still be on the team if it weren't for Gondrezick's presence this season.
That's double unfortunate then, since now they both might be gone!!!
I apologize for the vagueness, but I don't think it's appropriate to post the details. More than anything, I just wanted to inform people that she won't be back at Michigan. I have multiple sources on this, at least two of whom have connections to the team, so I'm confident they know what they're talking about.
March 30th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
My 8th grade basketball coach's sister is the head coach at Georgia Tech so this is a win-win for me.
March 30th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
I'm excited to have it at Calihan. Of course I wish it could be at Crisler, but Calihan is fun. I took my son to the Detroit Mercy v EMU game at Calihan and we had a lot of fun. I'm sure Coach BA will be there!
March 30th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
Trivia: where was the first Michigan WBB home game played in 1973?
Hint: It's not Crisler and it's on campus.
IM building? A fieldhouse? Not many places where a full basketball court will fit or already exists.
also losing 4 of 5 down the stretch in BT reg season. Had the chance to beat several teams just below us in the BT standings, and failed.
It was a crime that they weren't in the tournament.
Borderline Sweet 16 team right here.