The Michigan Daily-Saturday, February 18, 1978-Page 7
4-3 VICTORY FIRST IN FIVE GAMES
0 0
leers win in overtime
By BRIAN MILLER
Dan Lerg took a right wing pass from
Mike Coffman with 2:25 gone in the
overtime period and beat Colorado
College goaltender Scott Owens to give
Michigan a 4-3 victory over the Tigers
last night at Yost Arena.
The exciting overtime saw CC's Dean
Magge miss an open net as well as
Frank Zimmerman making two big
saves on the Tigers' star center Dave
Delich before Lerg sewed it up.
Dave Delich's goal at 2:15 of the third
period tied the score at 3-3 for Colorado
College and sent the contest into over-
time.
Delich's goal came with the Tigers;
shorthanded as CC's Greg Whyte was,
sitting out a two minute minor for
slashing.
The game between the fifth place
Tigers and the seventh place
Wolverines could hardly be called ex-
citing or well played and the 2,922
people who showed up comprised the
quietest, as well as the smallest, crowd
of the year.
Michigan scored the game's first goal
halfway through the first period as Dan
Hoene blazed a shot. past CC's netmin-
der, Scott Owens, after Michigan's
Mike Coffman was penalized for
crosschecking.
Bill Wheeler started the scoring play
when he picked up the puck at the
Wolverines' blue line, skated down ice
with Hoene and set up the senior right
winger in alone on Owens.
Hoene drilled the puck high over
Owens' right shoulder, giving the
Wolverines a short lived 1-0 lead.
The goal sparked something within
Colorado College, and instead of
Michigan having the momentum, the
Tigers put on the pressure. In fact, for
the next five minutes, Michigan never
got the puck out of its own zone and CC
finally cashed in on its hard work by
scoring at 14:39.
The goal, scored by Gary Reinking,
came on a shot thru a huge jam up in
front of Michigan goalie Frank Zim-
merman. Zimmerman never saw the,
bouncing shot as it barely slid by him
into the net.
Colorado College took a brief 2-1 lead
in the second period on another shot
that couldnt have broken tissue paper.
With the Tigers applying a little bit of
pressure, Whyte was able to pick up an
unsuccessful Wolverine clearing pass
and drilled a shot towards the
Wolverines' net. However, the shot hit
someone or something in front of the
net and.the change of speed on the shot
threw Zimmerman's timing off. He
missed the puck and CC had broken the
tie.
But at 15:38, Michigan tied the game
up again on the first of Kip Maurer's
two goals for.the night.
That goal, and his second one less
than two minutes later gave Michigan a
3-2 lead before Delich's goal tied the
score once more early in the third
period.
Oh boyin OT!
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. M - Hoene (Wheeler) 8:13; 2. CC -
Reinking (ReillySeguin) 14:39.
Penalties: M - Coffman (cross-checking) 3:46;
CC - Whyte (slashing) 4:26; M - Turner (interfer-
ence) 8:06; M - Lerg (elbowing) 10:39; M - Pachol-
zuk (roughing) 15:17; CC - Seguin (high-sticking o
and roughing) 15:17.SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. CC - Van (Whyte. Warner) 6:03; 4. M
= Maurer (Olver) 15:38; 5. M - Maurer (Debol)
17:24.
Penalties: M - Waymann (interference) 12:10;
CC - Ileckler (elbowing) 16:13.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6. CC - Delich (llaedrich, Knoke) 2:15.
Penalties: CC - Whyte (slashing) 1:26; CC -
Christofferson (tripping) 16:30.
OVERTIME
Scoring: 7. Lerg (Coffman, Miller) 2:25.
No penalties.
SAVES
Daily Photo by PETER SERLING
FRANK ZIMMERMAN sums up a total feeling of frustration as Colorado College slipped a puck behind him in the first
period of last night's game. Michigan had the last laugh, however, as Dan Lerg's overtime goal clinched a 4-3 win. CC's Mike
Konke (3), Ged Seguin 423) and Michigan's Ben Kawa (27), partially hidden, complete this portrait.
full court
PRESS
Not a typical season .. .
e.o. intensity a factor?
By CUB SCHWARTZ
BLOOMINGTON
THE FELLOW WITH the red sweater began to gab before we had fully
slid into our seats at Wisconsin fieldhouse.
"You guys from Ann Arbor, huh," he asked?
"Yeah, came up to cover the basketball game," we responded in unison.
"You oughtta kill us," he charged, violating any faint pretense of re-
porter objectivity.
"Why's that," Hank countered, "You think we're that good?"
"Sure, I mean after all, you're..."
"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer boomed over the
public address system, drowning out the guy in the red sweater's concluding
words. It didn't matter. What he planned to say is the same thing every other
casual observer of Michigan basketball has thought all along.
Michigan basketball is good-it's a fact of life, the reasoning goes. Why
should this year be any different than those in the past?
Thrillers and killers
Well the fact is that this year is different. Not just because Phil Hubbard
is lost for the season, not just because John Orr lost the best backcourt in the
Big Ten and not because John Robinson is gone.
Those guys were good-make that great. All of the seniors were drafted
into the NBA, and not even the most naive observer could doubt Hubbard's
ability. But the talent was replenished by an eagle-eyed McGee, a reborn
Thompson and a group of super subs opposing coaches drooled to have in
their starting lineup rather than on Michigan's bench.
So why didn't Michigan blow the Badgers off the floor Thursday night?
How have the Wolverines managed to kill Wisconsin on a Thursday in
January, lose badly to Ohio State four nights later, follow with an impressive
win over Indiana, a depressing rout by Purdue, the thriller in East Lansing,
the killer in West Lafayette and a respective win and loss to the Buckeyes
and the Spartans?
Where is the consistency? Where is the appetite to win? Where did they
lose the intensity between victories?
"This is the first time in four years we are not right up there," Orr noed
after Thursday night's narrow victory. "Everything's a little different when
you're not on to You worry about the kids' attitude-you think you're
playing hard, but ou're not."
Therein lies part of the problem. "You think you're playing hard, but
you're not."
But it's not that easy. The '77-78 Wolverines don't loaf. No sir, Orr
wouldn't stand for that type of behavior. The man demands hustle and for
the most part he gets it.
DON'T GET OUTHUSTLED the Frieder-made sign in the varsity locker
room warns. The consequences for violation of the rule are apparent. So if
everybody hustled, why did the coach say some of his troops aren't playing
as hard as they think?
I think we're talking about the percentage points over 100 that some
players can muster in a performance. A guy that gives 100 per cent on the
floor hustles. A guy that gives 110 per cent plays with intensity.
Searching for intensity
On the road to the NCAA final in 1976, the Wolverines played with
intensity. When Michigan copped the Big Ten title last year it played with in-
tensity. And this year they had it against Louisville, Minnesota, Indiana and
a handful of others.
"I didn't think we played with great intensity until we were eight points
down," said Orr in reference to the game with Wisconsin, "then I think we
played very hard."
That surge put them over the hump in the waning moments in Madison.
Apparently intensity is what Orr is searching for. He hoped to start
Mark Lozier in front of Dave Baxter, hoping the moody senior would be
helped to kick out of his slump by the added determination of avoiding the
bench.
And in Orr's own opinion, the plan worked. "I thought he came in there
and played a little better. He was more active."
Paul Heuerman's 20 minutes of playing time, giving Alan Hardy 15 on
the bench may have been tried for the same reason.
Michigan plays so well when it plays with intensity. The team is a
pleasure to watch. But on those other occasions, it can be a real disappoin-
tment. Why?
There is no easy answer, but it may be the pressure Orr has alluded to all
vear The underdn ean always bite a little harder-right Mr. Sinks?
Idle cager Johnson somber;
questions
By HENRY ENGELHARDT
Johnny Johnson doesn't say much to
the press these days. He doesn't play
very much either.
F It's hard to say what has happened to
the 6-4 freshman who hit eight of 11
from the field against Fordham and
totaled 18 points that afternoon back in
early December.
HE PLAYED 23 minutes that day and
looked like the perfect replacement for
the all-important sixth man slot, which
was left up for grabs when Dave Baxter
moved into a starting role.
The former Buffalo prep star could be
inserted at either guard or forward and
showed a flair for doing things a good
sixth man must do, like: making a
steal, hitting a couple of shots in a row
and penetrating to get things going on
offense.
Johnson played 17 minutes against
Central Michigan and had eight points.
He saw 18 minutes of action against
Toledo and had 10 points. In the Big Ten
opener against Northwestern he played
11 minutes and tallied four points.
THROUGH THE Northwestern game
he had played in all nine contests,
averaging 11 minutes and 6.8 points per
outing, while hitting 56 per cent of his
shots from the field (26-46).
In the last 12 games he has played a
isfuure a
total of 23 minutes and has taken but
eight shots, hitting two.
Where have you gone Johnny John-
son?
"No comment," says the somber
Johnson. "No comment, no comment,
no comment," he replies, no matter
what the question.
JOHNSON HAS BEEN relegated to
the bench and last minute of the game
clean up duty because, according to
coach Johnny Orr, "He isn't playing
well. He hasn't played well in a long
time. He just made a lot of mistakes
and then didn't get to play. I'm sure he
got down a little bit."
Does Johnson give 100 per cent effort
in practice? "No," says Orr, "but he's
getting much better.".
Johnson's effort has always been
questioned, both by Orr and by himself.
In the second week of November Orr
was quoted as saying/ "Defensively
he's (Johnson) not so strong, and we
would like him to work harder."
That same afternoon Johnson said
"Defensively I have to think and hustle.
I'm lackadaisical." But he has always
known that hustle, especially in prac-
tice, is something the Michigan coaches
look for. "It's not like high school,".
Johnson said after just the first prac-
tice of the season. "You can't quit or
t Michigan
you won't play."
TODAY JOHNSON'S displeasure at
lack of playing time is evident in his ac-
tions. During timeouts, while the rest of
the bench huddles around those cur-
rently in the game while listening to
Orr's words, he can be seen, arms
folded, scouting the crowd or needling
Mike Robinson.
And at the end of one practice Orr had
the players line up single file and run
the length of the court. Orr would feed
them a bounce pass which each player
would take and slam, twist or un-
derhand through the hoop with great
flair. Johnson attempted the simplest of
layups.
In the Orr system, where the five
starters get most of the playing time, a
bunch of people have to lose out. John-
son, who averaged over 30 points and 15
rebounds a game his senior year in high
school, finds sitting so much difficult,
just as Joel Thompson, Alan Hardy and
Dave Baxter did for years.
BUT ORR has not given up on one of
last year's recruiting prizes.
The usually articulate Johnson an-
swered but one question with a reply
other than "no comment." He was
asked whether he would return to
Michigan next year. "Who knows?" He
wondered aloud.
1 2
Zimmerman (NI)........... 1! 8
Owens (CC) ................ 9 i
31
9
9
OT T.
2 29
2 25
Johnny Johnson
Home bodies
Cagers after first road win at IU since 1966
By HENRY ENGELHARDT
Special to The Daily
BLOOMINGTON-Remember when
policemen were callel the fuzz? How
about a war in Vietnam and the draft?
What about the last time .Michigan
defeated Indiana here?
1966 was the eventful year.
Since Cazzie Russell's senior season
the Wolverines have been turned back
by the Hoosiers nine times on IU's
home court. However, Michigan does
have a one game Bloomington win
streak going, as they downed Holy
Cross in first round NCAA playoff ac-
tion at Assembly Hall last year, 92-81.
The starting time of today's contest
has been pushed back to 4:00 p.m., to
accommodate TV. The Big Ten's game-
of-the-week can be seen on Channel 4
locally.
The Wolverines should not feel too
bad because nobody but the Hoosiers
wins consistently in Bloomington.
This season Indiana is 10-1 at home
after beating the likes if Notre Dame,
Alabama, Purdue and Michigan State,
and would like nothing better than to
add Michigan to that list.
"Indiana may be the best team in the
Big Ten at home," said Johnny Orr.
A win would tie Indiana with
Michigan for fourth place as the
Wolverines stand 8-5 and IU is 7-6 in the
conference.
Michigan must win to stay alive in-the
fight for an NCAA berth and unfor-
tunately for its chances, the Wolverines
are running into a sizzling Hoosier
squad.
Since Michigan beat Indiana 92-73 in
Crisler a little over three weeks ago the
Hoosiers have won 5 of 6, losing only at
Michigan State.
They have done it by moving to a
smaller, quicker lineup than the
Wolverines faced last time. The Big,
Ten's third leading scorer, Mike Wood-
son (19.2 ppg), has moved from guard
to forward as has burly Wayne Rad-
ford. Jim Wisman and Tommy Baker
now start at guard. Ray Tolbert, a
terrific rebounder, remains in the
pivot.
SPORTS OF THE DAILY
Women cagers travel to MSU
Michigan played one of its best
games of the year the first time the two
teams met. The front line of Mike
McGee, Alan Hardy, and Joel Thom-
pson tallied 51 points that afternoon.
Mark Lozier had a season high 12 points
in a relief role.
It is unclear at this junction whether
Lozier will get the starting nod over
Dave Baxter as he did Thursday night.
Lozier played the first five minutes
against Wisconsin before Baxter
replaced him and he never returned to
the action.
Orr made a similar move three years
ago when he brought Steve Grote, then
a sophomore, off the bench instead of
using him.as a starter. Grote responded
as the coaches wish Baxter would, with
some of the best basketball of his life.
The rest of the Wolverine lineup
remains intact: McGee, Thompson and
Hardy up front with Tom Staton, who
will most likely have the chore of
covering Woodson, at guard.
WOLVERINE TALES: Baxter needs
only 10 more assists to become
'Michigan's single season leader in that
department. Dan Fife currently holds
the record with 139. . . Orr is 4-9 against
Bobby Knight . . . even en route to
Wisconsin and Indiana, one cannot
escape thoughts of MSU star Earvin
Johnson, as there are numerous
restaurants along the way sporting his
last name. Perhaps Howard is a
relative.
Pistons popped
By SCOTT M. LEWIS
Special to The Daily
DETROIT - The Pistons playoff
drive continued in reverse gear last
night, falling to the New York Knicks,
128-108 at Cobo Arena.
THE LOSS dropped Detroit's record
to 25-31, and left them four games
behind Los Anotf ntorn h
By BILLY NEFF
They were nipped by the number six
team in the nation by one point on its
own floor and in its own tournament
(Queens College). They lost to eventual
Big Ten Tournament champion Ohio
State by a mere five points, a quintet
that destroyed Michigan, 94-47.
Who is this highly rated power? It is
none other than arch-rival Michigan
State whose women's basketball team
stands in the way of Gloria Soluk's
Michigan squad this Saturday at East
Lansing. "They are one of the finest
teams in the state and in the country,"
Soluk said.
AND WHAT DOES Michigan 'State
expect from the Wolverines' women's
basketball team? "Not much! I saw
them play in the Big Tens and was not
impressed; we're not taking them too
heavily. We'll have to plan a little
special attention to Abby Currier,"
related Spartan mentor Karen
slots, forwards Abby Currier and Terry
Conlin and center Natasha Cender.
After the Blue cagers fight their
uphill battle against the 13-5 Michigan
State group, they must confront two
teams that have already upended MSU
this season, Western Michigan and Nor-
thwestern. "If we come away from
these games with one or two wins, I'd
be so happy," Soluk concluded.
Synchro's swim
Michigan's synchronized swimming
team ends a long layoff today as they
host a five-team routine meet at
Margaret Bell pool.
THE SYNCHROS, who last competed
in early January, will be facing defend-
ing NCAA champion Ohio State, as well
as Michigan State, Western Michigan,
and Youngstown.
The Wolverines, runners-up to Ohio
State last year, want to prove to the
the nation as they defeated the Blue
grapplers 31-11 last night at Crisler
arena.
Even with four wrestlers (including
158 pound Big Ten champ Lee Kemp)
out with the flu, the Badgers dominated
Michigan, winning in seven of the 10
weight classes.
SENIOR CAPTAIN Karl Briggs (150
- decision), NCAA champ Mark
Churella (158 - pin) and sophomore
Steve Fraser (177 - draw) were the
lone winners for the Blue. Briggs, com-
peting in his last dual meet for Michi-
gan, topped the night's excitement with
a last-second, come-from-behind vic-
tory.
"I knew I could beat the guy (Wiscon-
sin's Paul Lawinger). It was just a mat-
ter of time. I'm really elated to win in
my last meet. It gets me going and
ready for the Big Tens."
Churella, who was supposed to
wrestle the Badger's Kemp in "the
matchonf the nigit" insead easil nin-