The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 2010 to be a part of the all‑freshman team. She was the third‑highest scor‑ ing freshman in the Big Ten and had scored in double figures 22 times this season. Flaherty knocked down 71 three‑pointers, good for fourth all time on Michigan's single‑season list. Senior guard Shannon Smith picked up honorable mention All‑Big Ten ac‑ colades from both the coaches and the media for the second straight year. Smith ranked second on the team in scoring for the season, but actually led the way during conference play with 15.7 points per game. Smith led the Wolverines in steals (54) and assists (143), and posted sea‑ son averages of 14.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. She scored a ca‑ reer‑high 36 points against Ohio State, marking the fourth‑highest scoring game in school history. Senior forward and team captain Nicole Elmblad also garnered honors by being named Michigan's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree for the first time in her career. Elmblad was also named to the Capital One Academic All‑America third team. SENIORS SAY FAREWELL The end of a college sports season always brings a sense of sadness for fans. For the teams, though, the feeling is even more palpable — teammates and coaches have to say goodbye to seniors who will embark on the next chapter of their lives. For the U‑M women's basketball team this season, Nicole Elmblad, Cyesha Goree and Shannon Smith are closing out their college careers. A 5‑11 guard from St. Ignace, Mich., Elmblad has been a contributor every year at Michigan. She hit her stride during her junior campaign, averag‑ ing 36.1 minutes, 11.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and she was voted a captain by her teammates. In her se‑ nior season, Elmblad was again voted team captain, and while her averages were down she contributed on both ends of the floor night in and night out. "Nicole is just a special, special kid," head coach Kim Barnes Arico said. "Last year, she was named an Academic All‑American, so she's not only driven on the basketball court but also in the classroom. She is our leader. She's just tremendous in everything she does. "She sets an example each and every single day and she plays ex‑ tremely hard. Nicole gives effort each and every single day." U‑M's season didn't go exactly how she wanted it to on the court, but Elmblad knows that the program is headed in the right direction. "I really want for Michigan wom‑ en's basketball to be able to hang some Big Ten championship ban‑ ners," she said. "Even if it comes when I'm not here, I'll still feel like I was a part of that. One of Coach's favorite things to say is that coming to Michigan isn't a four‑year commit‑ ment, it's a 40‑year commitment, and I really feel that way. "It's exciting to see where this pro‑ gram is headed. I feel like I've had some experiences so I can kind of lay that off to some of the younger play‑ ers. That way when I'm gone this pro‑