The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL with what her coach says about her. The freshman knows that Division I basketball is a whole new world compared to high school, and she's learning that on the fly. "I definitely need to improve on defense," she said. "I think I've got- ten a lot better since I got here, but I can still get a lot better. Most play- ers that come to college are offensive dominant, and that was definitely the case for me. "My game was just offense, of- fense, offense, but coming in here the coaches have really stressed defense. That's something I know I'll continue to get better at because I'm improv- ing my strength and quickness while getting used to the speed of play." Flaherty's shooting ability reminds many of former Wolverine and cur- rent NBA player Nik Stauskas. "I always tell people how good she can shoot it," Barnes Arico said. "I would put her up against anyone." Even Stauskas? "Everyone has talked about that," Flaherty said with a laugh. "If I'm shooting well that day, I'm going to say I'd win." ❑ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL REWIND: NOV. 2-DEC. 9 Overall Record: 6-2 Big Ten Record: 0-0 Best Win — 83-69 vs. Wake Forest: Senior guard Shannon Smith led all scorers and turned in a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead U-M to a 14-point home win over the Demon Deacons Dec. 3. Michigan hit five three-pointers, three by junior Madison Ristovski and two by freshman Katelynn Flaherty, and dished out 17 assists during a solid offensive perfor- mance. The Wolverines were working on defense, too, forcing 21 Wake Forest turnovers. Worst Loss — 85-55 vs. Princeton: The Wolverines suffered a 30-point de- feat on their home floor to a hot-shooting Princeton team Dec. 9. The Tigers shot 58.3 percent (35 of 60) from the field and 57.9 percent (11 of 19) from three-point land. Senior forward Cyesha Goree recorded 14 points, five re- bounds and two blocks in the loss, while Flaherty came off the bench to add 11 points and three assists. Princeton took a 43-26 lead into the half and led by as much as 34 en route to the win. MVP — Senior forward Cyesha Goree: Through the first month of the season, Goree was consistent and effective on both ends of the floor. She posted four double-doubles in just eight contests, against Western Michigan (14 points and 14 rebounds), Pittsburgh (10 points and 16 rebounds), Bucknell (14 points and 10 rebounds), and Detroit (10 points and 11 rebounds). The senior led the team in field goal percentage (.531), rebounds per game (9.8)