Women’s Basketball: Strong Second Half Propels No. 24 Michigan Women’s Basketball Past Marquette

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan women’s basketball team outscored Marquette, 28-13, in the third quarter to erase a four-point halftime deficit and never trailed again, knocking of the Golden Eagles, 82-76, on Thursday night (Dec. 7) inside Crisler Center.

Senior Katelynn Flaherty once again led the way for Michigan, scoring a game-high 27 points to go with three assists and three rebounds. Junior Hallie Thome turned in 17 points, three assists and three drawn charges. Freshman Deja Church scored 12 points for the third consecutive game, with junior Nicole Munger going for 10 points and eight rebounds. Senior Jillian Dunston grabbed 14 boards, scored seven points, had four assists and two steals in 38 minutes.

U-M opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run for a 36-33 lead, getting a layup from freshman Hailey Brown, a corner triple from Munger and a lefty layup from Flaherty to force a Marquette timeout just 1:50 into the frame as U-M erased a four-point halftime deficit.

Michigan continued to press the issue in the third quarter, outscoring Marquette, 28-13, in the frame to take a 57-46 lead into the fourth quarter. U-M shot 12-for-19 in the third quarter and held Marquette to just 4-for-15 from the floor to turn the game around.

U-M started the fourth quarter in the same fashion as the third, extending its lead to 16 (65-49) on a three-ball from Church with 7:49 remaining. Marquette did not go away quietly, as the Golden Eagles closed to within two points several times, the last being at the 3:03 mark (71-69).

Munger came through on Michigan’s next possession with a right-wing triple to nudge the U-M lead back to five. On the ensuing Marquette possession, Thome stood in and took her third charge of the night to give Michigan the ball back.

MU got within three with 2:03 left, but Flaherty answered with a three-point play to essentially put the game out of reach with 1:46 on the clock. The senior went 4-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch, with Munger also turning in one.

Michigan fell in an early 10-4 hole and trailed by as many as nine in the first half, weathering a 4:30 scoring drought in the second quarter to head into halftime down just four, 33-29. U-M scored the final five points of the frame on a Brown putback, a pair at the line from Flaherty and one free throw from Dunston.

The Wolverines continue their homestand on Sunday (Dec. 10), hosting Kent State at 2 p.m.