SPORTS
Tuesday, January 13, 1981
Page 10
The Michigan Daily
Bodnar buzzer shots
Mr.*C
By SCOTT M. LEWIS
Michigan had the ball with seven
seconds remaining, trailing Minnesota
by a single point. The Gophers have
received instructions from their coach,
Jim Dutcher: 'Whatever you do, don't
leave McGee open. And watch Johnson
from the key.'
Most of the 17,297 fans who packed
Williams Arena figured the ball would
go to Mike McGee, Johnny Johnson, or
Tim McCormick. Those three
Wolverines had provided much of the
scoring punch Saturday night, and in
the fateful few seconds, one of them
was certain to attempt the winning
basket.
OR SO THEY thought. '
i Running alongside Johnson and into
the forecourt was Marty Bodnar. Prior
to the find 'five seconds, Bodnar had
scored only six points, hitting two of
seven field goals. But when Johnson
passed to Bodnar near the top of the key
some 20 feet away, there was little
doubt where the ball was headed next:
toward the basket. And in.
Michigan had survived two overtimes,
and a series of improbable Minnesota
shots to chalk up its first Big Ten win of
the season, 68-67. The victory evenedr
the cagers' conference mark at 1-1 and
lutch:*
upped their overall record to 10-1. And
for the third time in his college career,
Marty Bodnar had won a game with a
shot at the buzzer.
"IT FELT GOOD when it left my
hand," the 6-3 guard recalled yesterday
after practice. "I didn't shoot well the
whole night. Some days you know your
shot is just not there. That's the way it
was for me Saturday.
"But then I hit a shot in the first over-
time, which raised my confidence. I
made two free throws in the second
overtime. So I was feeling fairly con-
fident when I took the last shot."
When Bodnar is unmolested by
defenders, his outside shot - a two-
handed push - is one of the deadliest in
the Big Ten. Two years ago, in fact, he
led the conference in field goal percen-
tage (.603)
BUT HIS shooting accuracy tends to
decline when he is forced to put it up on
the run. Saturday night, Bodnar was
harassed by three Gophers and was
moving away from the basket when he
unleashed a one-handed effort.
"People told 'meafterward that it
(the shot) looked pretty strange," he
said. "Idon't know. It felt comfortable
when I released it. I didn't do anything
*I
net Blue c
special. After a while, you learn what
shots you can make and ones you
can't."
Coach Bill Frieder admitted that the
final play Saturday wasn't designed
with Bodnar specifically in mind. "I
can't sit here and tell you that was the
exact play," he said. "We had to react
to what they did defensively. We were
going to run a play to McGee's side, but
they had him covered. We told Tim to
stay low in case of a missed shot, but to
come out for the jumper if we needed
it."
WHAT WAS THE coach's reaction
when he realized McGee was well
covered? "We wanted Marty to have
the ball," he remarked. "He's a great
clutch player who works well with the
ball. If he drives and gets fouled, he's a
great free throw shooter. And from that
spot on the court (around the key), he's
as good as anybody."
Still, the deciding. shot appeared to
rest in the hands of Johnson. When
Johnson is left relatively unguarded
from 25 feet and inside, he usually does
not hesitate to shoot. Saturday,
however, he dished the ball off to Bod-
nar, who decided that the shot HAD to
be taken.
ager wins
"There was some time left, but I
figured it was just as good a time as any
to shoot," said Bodnar. "I knew I
should put it up at around five seconds.
That way, we have a chance for a
second shot."
THE SENIOR, an economics major
who plans on attending law school when
he graduates from Michigan, has stood
out in both conference games this
season. In addition to clinching Satur-
day's heart-stopper, he was near-
perfect from the field last Monday
against Purdue in scoring 16 points. For
the season Bodnar is averaging 6.2
points and 2.3 assists per contest, and
carries a 59.8 percent field goal average
entering Thursday's home contest
against Indiana.
In this season, as in his previous two
as a starter, Bodnar has proven himself
a steady Big Ten performer, a vital cog
in the Wolverine backcourt. As Frieder
says, he's not the flashiest player you'll
find, but he'll get the job done.
"Dependability. That's the number
one thing about Marty," said his coach.
"You can count on him' for doing the
right things at the right time. He's just
a super kid and a great clutch player."
* '*
.
~,
F'
r"0
Wolverine guard Marty Bodnar brings thre ball up the floor. Bodnar hit the
winning shot at the buzzer to lead the Wolverine cagers to their first Big Ten
victory of the season over Minnesota last Saturday night. This marks the
third time in his career that Bodnar saved the Wolverines at the buzzer.
University of Michigan Applicants
to the Physical Therapy Curriculum
for Fall Term 1981
This is a reminder that supplementary applications
for the Phys-ical Therapy Curriculum must be com-
plete and filed by January 15, 1981.
Pre-Physical Therapy students who have attained Sophompore
status or above may pick up applications at:
Undergraduate Admissions Office
1220 S.A.B. (Behind LSA Building)
8:30-12:00 and 1:00-4:30 After Dec. 1, 1980
h t . 4 S.
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