Huskies Put Four In Double-Figures But Fall 80-73 to Michigan

Sunday, November 25

Estero, FL

2:00 PM

University of Washington

3-3

Michigan

5-1

Michigan

Washington

Photo by: Brian Morse / Washington Athletics

Huskies Put Four In Double-Figures But Fall 80-73 to Michigan

November 25, 2018 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

ESTERO, Fla. --- Amber Melgoza scored a team-high 20 points, Missy Peterson added a career-high 18 points, and Jenna Moser scored a season-best 15 but it wasn't enough as Washington lost its final game of the 2018 Gulf Coast Showcase 80-73 on Sunday evening at Hertz Arena.

The Huskies drop to 3-3 on the season with the loss, finishing fourth in the eight-team tournament. The Wolverines move to 5-1 with their lone loss coming to No. 11 Texas in the tournament semifinals.

Melgoza finished the tournament with 59 points, scoring 20 points in two of three tournament games with Peterson scoring 44 points in the three games. Against Michigan, Melgoza was 6-of-13 on the night with three steals, four assists and three rebounds with Peterson hitting 7-of-15 from the field and adding five rebounds.

Moser came alive after a slow start to her senior season, pouring in a season-high 15 points after scoring just 20 total points through the first five games. Hannah Johnson added 10 points and five rebounds for the Huskies.

The game was a close one throughout with neither team holding a lead of more than eight through the first three quarters with the game tied at 55 through three quarters. But the Wolverines came out with a 9-3 run to open the fourth quarter and never looked back.

The Huskies shot 46.4 percent in the game including connecting on eight three-pointers. But Michigan shot a touch better at 47 percent and hit 8-of-14 in the final quarter to pull away.

Washington got off to a quick start, jumping out to a 5-2 lead through the first two minutes. Mai-Loni Henson had a hand in both the Huskies' first two baskets, assisting on the first and draining a three for the second. The Wolverines would answer back with a quick 5-2 run of their own to go up 8-7 with 6:30 left in the period.

Hannah Johnson came alive after that, draining back-to-back three-pointers to put the Huskies up 15-12 at the 4:31 mark. Michigan would respond with five-straight to take back the lead with 2:30 left. Khayla Rooks ended the run with a tough layup from Henson to knot up the game with 1:40 left but the Wolverines would answer back on the next possession and hold a 19-17 lead at the end of one.

Michigan scored the first bucket of the second quarter, but the Huskies responded with a 6-0 run as Jenna Moser hit a three-pointer and Missy Peterson converted a three-point play to make it 23-21 with 7:09 left. Two minutes later, Moser drained another three-pointer to break a 25-25 tie and put the Huskies back up three at the midway point.

The Wolverines came out of the media timeout and hit a pair of free throws, which keyed a 7-0 runover a two-minute stretch and gave Michigan a 32-28 lead at the 2:50 mark. Haley Van Dyke hit one of two free throws to end the run, then after a defensive stop on the other end, Moser got an easy layup to cut it back to a 32-31 UM lead with under a minute to go. But the Wolverines would get a steal and fastbreak layup with under five seconds left to cap the scoring as the Huskies trailed 34-31 at the intermission.

Peterson opened the second half with a great rebound on one end, then drained a three on the other end as the Huskies quickly tied the game at 34-34. The teams went back and forth over the next two minutes, before Michigan broke a 39-39 tie with a 9-2 run over a 3:00 stretch to take a 48-41 lead at the media timeout. Washington got its first field goal in nearly four minutes as Melgoza hit a tough jumper in traffic to cut it back to a five-point game with 3:52 left in the period.

After a Michigan bucket and UW timeout, the Huskies defense clamped down, closing back within two points at 53-51 with an 8-3 run over the next two minutes. Still down two with under a minute to go, Moser came up with a big steal on one end, then Melgoza hit a fadeaway as time expired to tie the game at 55-55 after three quarters.
Michigan came out strong in the fourth quarter, scoring four points in the first 20 seconds. But Moser came right back down and hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one with 9:11 left. A minute later, Michigan would convert a three-point play then hit a bucket at the 6:21 mark to go back up six at 64-58. Peterson ended the run with a tough fadeaway then after a defensive stop, Melgoza hit a runner in the lane and it was quickly back to a 64-62 game with 5:00 left.

After the media timeout, the Wolverines broke the game back open, scoring five quick points to go back up seven at 69-62. Peterson got the Huskies back within five with a fastbreak layup. After a Michigan three, Johnson drained her third three of the game to cut the lead back to five only to see the Wolverines hit from deep to stretch it back to eight. The Huskies missed on their end and Michigan put the game away with a layup as the shot clock expired on the other end to make it a 77-67 game with 1:30 left. Washington would close to within six in the final minute of the contest but could get no closer as Michigan held on for the victory.

Nicole Munger led the Wolverines with 27 points while Amy Dilk added 19 and nine rebounds.

The Huskies head back to Washington State, but stay on the road for their next game, traveling across town to face Seattle U on Friday, Nov. 30 at 6:00 p.m.