Michigan rallies late, knocks off Miami in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Kim Barnes Arico and the Michigan women's basketball team won their fourth consecutive game in the state of Florida on Thursday night with a 76-64 win over Miami in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It was close throughout, but Michigan rallied late in the fourth quarter to put the Hurricanes away.
Miami hung around for the entire first half before Michigan pulled away in the fourth quarter. It was just a three-point lead for Michigan at halftime, but Emily Kiser and Leigha Brown led the way in the second half to end Miami's hopes of an upset.
Michigan scored 21 points in the first quarter, and eight of those came from Brown at the free throw line. The senior didn't make, or even attempt a field goal in the first quarter, but she was gifted eight free tries at the charity stripe, and she made all eight.
The Hurricanes made up some ground in the second half, as they outscored the Wolverines, 18-13. Miami's Haley Cavinder led the way in the second quarter with seven points on 2-4 shooting and 3-4 from the free throw line. Cavinder's efforts brought Miami to within three points at halftime.
Kiser came out of the locker room on a mission. She scored 11 third-quarter points, including an impressive 5-6 mark from the free throw line. Maddie Nolan capped off the third quarter with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave Michigan a nine-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Hurricanes couldn't recover, though. A combined effort from Kiser, Brown, Nolan and Laila Phelia kept Miami at bay as the clock inched its way closer to triple zeroes. The four aforementioned Wolverines combined for all of Michigan's 23 fourth-quarter points.
Michigan improves to 8-0 with the 76-64 win and will begin Big Ten play with an unblemished record. The Wolverines will take on Northwestern at Crisler Center on Sunday, Dec. 4. The game will tip off at 2 p.m.
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