Lady Spartans Fall at Michigan, 64-55

Michigan snaps MSU’s nine-game winning streak in the series.
 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan used 12 3-pointers to defeat the Michigan State women’s basketball team for the first time since 2002 with a 64-55 victory Sunday afternoon at Crisler Arena. Sophomore Lauren Aitch pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds and senior Courtney Davidson scored a team-high 13 points for the Spartans (10-8, 2-4 Big Ten).

 

Junior forward Carly Benson led the Wolverines with a career-high 23 points and three 3-pointers. It marked the fourth time this season Michigan, who leads the Big Ten in 3-pointers, has hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game. The Wolverines (10-5, 3-2) set a school record with 13 3’s against USC earlier this season.

 

For the second straight game, sophomore guard Takeya Fortner registered career highs in points and minutes. The Flint, Mich., native scored nine points, including a 3-pointer, with four steals in 31 minutes of action. She scored five points in 16 minutes in Thursday’s win over Iowa.

 

Aitch finished with six points and nine of her 15 rebounds came on the offensive end. It was the most rebounds for a Spartan since Allyssa DeHaan grabbed 18 last season at Cal-State Northridge.

 

DeHaan, who came into the game averaging 15.6 points a game, was limited to nine points on 4-of-11 shooting and did not record a block for the first time in her career. Much of that was due to the fact that Michigan stayed on the perimeter for most of the game, as the Spartans outscored the Wolverines 32-10 in the paint. Michigan attempted 29 3-pointers to just 20 2-point field goals.

 

Trailing 29-26 at the break, the Spartans opened the second half on a 10-0 run in the first five minutes to take a 36-29 lead. Michigan responded with its own run, reclaiming the lead, 38-36, with a 9-0 run over the next four minutes. MSU tied it at 38 on a Brittney Thomas layup at the 11:30 mark, but the Wolverines led the rest of the way.

 

After a DeHaan bucket that cut the lead to one at 43-42 with 9:15 to go, the Spartans were held without a field goal for the next six minutes. Aitch scored with 3:05 left to make it 55-47, but it was MSU’s only points in the middle of a 13-2 Michigan run that put the Wolverines up 59-47 with 2:15 remaining.

 

A Cetera Washington jumper and Davidson 3-pointer trimmed the lead to six at 61-55 with 36 seconds remaining, however, Michigan hit three free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

 

MSU returns to action Thursday, Jan. 17 to take on Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., at 8 p.m. ET. The game will not be televised.