The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/641955
OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE and was third on the team with 33 points. Even with all the individual talent, Leonardi notes the team is not a col‑ lection of single pieces, but a sum of different parts. "We have all these different pieces that provide a variety of strengths and skill sets to make us what we are," he said. U‑M will compete in two more tournaments — the Wolverine In‑ vite March 5‑6 in Ann Arbor and the Arizona State Invite March 19‑20 in Tempe — before beginning the CWPA conference season. In order to qualify for the eight‑team NCAA Tournament May 13‑15 in Los An‑ geles, Michigan must either win the CWPA or earn one of four at‑large bids. There are six automatic bids given to league champions, while the four wild card teams will take part in a pair of play‑in games. "Some of the goals are to every day get better and better," Leonardi said. "But what we also want to do is be in a position where we're playing our best and peaking at the right times throughout the season." In the end, though, the goal for Michigan is simple. "Ultimately, our goal is to go to NCAAs and make a splash at NCAAs," the coach said. If the first part of the season serves any indication, they have as good of a chance as anybody in the country. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (15‑10 OVERALL, 7‑7 BIG TEN) After winning their first seven games of the season, the Wolverines won just eight of their next 18 con‑ tests through Feb. 14 … Michigan was 0‑4 on the season against ranked opponents, falling to No. 20 UCLA (86‑77), No. 8 Maryland (74‑67), No. 7 Ohio State (97‑93) and No. 17 Michigan State (85‑64) … Sophomore guard Katelynn Flaherty led the team and ranked third in the Big Ten with a scoring average of 22.4 points per game, and she was shooting 41.6 percent from three‑point range … Freshman center Hallie Thome was second on the team in scoring behind Flaherty, averaging 14.4 points per game, and had made 65.2 percent of her shots to rank second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage … Junior point guard Sierra Thompson became the 25th player in program history to reach the 1,000‑point ca‑ reer mark, crossing the barrier with a 12‑point, eight‑assist performance Jan. 24 against Nebraska … U‑M will head to the Big Ten Championship March 2‑6 in Indianapolis in hopes of making a run at the NCAA Tourna‑ ment later in the month. MEN'S GYMNASTICS (1‑8 OVERALL, 0‑5 BIG TEN) The record may not be stellar for the Wolverines, but the team was still ranked No. 10 nationally as of mid‑February … Michigan's last four losses have come against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 2 Stanford and No. 8 Cal … The team improved at its most recent tri‑meet Feb. 6 in Palo Alto, Calif., achieving season bests in floor (75.050), pom‑