Dec. 28, 2017
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. --A 29-point first quarter for No. 19/21 Michigan was too much for the Penn State women's basketball team to overcome on Thursday (Dec. 28) evening inside the Crisler Center, as the Lady Lions dropped an 89-69 decision to the Wolverines in the Big Ten opener for both squads.
The two teams traded baskets to open the game, with Michigan (12-2, 1-0 B1G) grabbing an early 6-5 lead thanks to a pair of 3-pointers. Teniya Page (Chicago, Ill.) scored all five of Penn State's (9-5, 0-1 B1G) points to open the game, before the Wolverines raddled off 20-straight tallies to build a 21-point lead, 26-5, on a Hallie Thome layup with 3:05 to play in the opening frame.
Michigan took a 50-23 lead into the half, but the Lady Lions outscored the Wolverines in the second half, 46-39, to account for the final margin.
The loss dropped Penn State to 14-12 all-time in Big Ten openers, including 5-8 all-time in Big Ten openers on the road.
Page moved up three spots on the all-time scoring list with her 19-point effort, passing Amanda Brown (1,233; 2004-07), Kam Gissendanner (1,238; 2005-08) and Tina Nicholson (1,240; 1993-96) to push herself into No. 23 on the Penn State scoring charts at 1,248. She added three rebounds, two steals, one blocked shot and one assist in the game.
Amari Carter (Washington, D.C.) added 16 points and Jaida Travascio-Green (Lisle, Ill.) chipped in 10. For Carter, it was her 11th double-figure scoring game of the year and it was the ninth double-digit scoring game for Travascio-Green this season.
Katelynn Flaherty scored a game-high 33 points on the night, including a Penn State opponent record 10 3-pointers. Thome finished with a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Nicole Munger was the third Wolverine in double-digits with 15 tallies.
Turning Point
With 3:05 left in the first quarter
Thome bookended a 20-0 run with layups for Michigan and the Wolverines built a 21-point lead heading into the first break. During the spurt Thome scored nine points, while Flaherty added six tallies for the home team.
Difference Makers
Penn State
- G Teniya Page -- Moved up three spots on the career scoring list with 19 points, ending the night ranking No. 23 in Penn State history with 1,248 points. Added three rebounds, two steals, one blocked shots and one assist.
- G Amari Carter --Reached double-figures for the 11th time this season with 16 points. Added four steals, three rebounds and one assist.
- Jaida Travascio-Green -- Reached double-digits for the ninth time this season, scoring 10 points. Chipped in four rebounds and two steals.
- Steal City --Penn State posted its fifth game of the season with 10-plus steals, ending the game with 11 thefts.
- Turning Them Over --The Lady Lions forced Michigan into 17 missteps, while only committing 13 turnovers in the game.
- Free Throw Win --Penn State shot 80 percent from free throw line on the night, hitting 24-of-30 shots.
- Second Half Surge -- The Lady Lions outscored Michigan in the second half, 46-39.
Michigan
- G Katelynn Flaherty -- Led all scorers with 33 points -- including a Penn State opponent record 10 3-pointers. Had five assists, two rebounds and one steal.
- C Hallie Thome -- Registered a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Added two assists and three blocked shots.
- G Nicole Munger -- Reached double-figures with 15 points. Had six rebounds.
- Board Work -- Michigan held a 48-33 rebounding edge on the night, scoring 22 second change points.
- Helping Hand -- Michigan handed out 21 assists on 32 made field goals.
- First Half Rout -- The Wolverines raced out to a 29-8 lead after one quarter -- the most points in any quarter for a Penn State opponent this season -- and entered halftime with a 27-point lead.
First Quarter
The two teams opened the game by trading baskets, with Michigan grabbing the early momentum with a pair of 3-pointers and Penn State getting five quick points from Page. The Wolverines then reeled off 20-straight points to build a double-figure lead and closed the half on a 23-3 spurt to take a 21-point lead after 10 minutes. Page led Penn State with six points, while Flaherty scored 12 for Michigan. The 29 points scored by the Wolverines were a season-high for any quarter by a Penn State opponent.
at Michigan 29, Penn State 8
Second Quarter
Michigan extended its lead in the second quarter, as the Wolverines held a 21-15 scoring edge in the frame to extend the lead to 27 points at the break. Carter led the Lady Lions with six points in the second frame, while Michigan got eight from Thome and seven from Flaherty.
at Michigan 50, Penn State 23
Third Quarter
Penn State came out of the locker room and scored the first six points of the third quarter, getting buckets from Carter and De'Janae Boykin (Springdale, Md.) and a pair of free throws from Page. The two teams would the exchange baskets for most of the frame, until Penn State reeled off six-straight points to trim the UM lead to 19 points with 1:27 to play. Michigan would knock down a pair of triples down the stretch -- with only a pair of Carter freebies for PSU -- and take a 23-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Lady Lions outscored Michigan, 24-20, in the third.
at Michigan 70, Penn State 47
Fourth Quarter
The Lady Lions again held the scoring edge in the fourth quarter, edging Michigan 22-19 in the final 10 minutes. Penn State opened the quarter on a 17-8 run to trim the Wolverine lead to just 14 points, 78-64, with 4:53 to play in the game. A Hailey Brown jumper, followed by a Flaherty 3-pointer pushed the home team back to a 19-point lead. The final bucket was a Penn State opponent record 10th 3-pointer for Flaherty and gave Michigan a 20-point victory.
at Michigan 89, Penn State 69
Up Next
Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center for a Sunday, Dec. 31 matchup with No. 15/14 Maryland (12-2, 1-0 B1G) at 2 p.m. Fans who cannot make it to the game can catch all the action live on the Big Ten Network or over the airwaves of the Penn State Radio Network.