The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/447116
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Last year 's leading scorer, senior guard Shannon Smith, isn't being asked to carry as much of the load this season and has been much more efficient. Using her speed and quick‑ ness, she is taking better shots and shooting 45.7 percent from the floor. She has also taken far fewer three‑ pointers this season, putting up just 15 from distance through 16 games. Last year, she attempted just more than three long‑range shots per con‑ test. She was also dishing out 4.8 as‑ sists per game, up from 3.6 per con‑ test last year. Senior captain Nicole Elmblad has done a little bit of everything. She led the team in blocks (11), and was second in rebounding (5.9 boards per game), second in assists (32) and fifth in scoring (7.1 points per game). RUNNING THE SHOW Last year as a true freshman, point guard Siera Thompson led the U‑M women's basketball team in minutes played — which gave her the con‑ fidence to be the on‑court leader. A point guard has to be a coach on the floor, and head coach Kim Barnes Arico said that her sophomore is just that. "She's the leader of our team, she's a true point guard," Barnes Arico said. "She really understands the game and leads by example by play‑ ing incredibly hard. She has a pres‑ ence and a quiet confidence about her. She does a great job of running her team and is able to find open peo‑ ple and get everyone involved in the offense." The California native isn't as vocal as Barnes Arico would like her to be sometimes, but when asked about her self‑perceived role, she spoke up and MISCELLANEOUS NOTES • The Wolverines got their first win over Michigan State since Feb. 16, 2013, topping the then-No. 24 Spar- tans 74-65 Jan. 4. MSU had won three straight over U-M. • For the fourth time this year, all 14 players in uniform saw the floor in U-M's 89-53 win over Penn State Jan. 1. It also happened against East- ern Michigan Dec. 22, Canisius Dec. 19 and Western Michigan Nov. 23. • Michigan has had three players cross the 500-point plateau this sea- son in senior forward Cyesha Goree (616), senior guard Shannon Smith (612) and sophomore guard Siera Thompson (602). Senior guard Ni- cole Elmblad (705) achieved the feat last year. Michigan has had 57 play- ers in its history score at least 500 points. • Thompson leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage. Through Jan. 12, she was 32 of 33 (97.0 per- cent) from the line and had made 32 straight free throws after missing her very first one of the season. For her career, Thompson has made 118 of 129 (91.5 percent) at the charity stripe. • Michigan was 7-1 this season when it gets to the free throw line at least 15 times. At 75.8 percent, U-M ranked third in the Big Ten in free throw accuracy.