The Michigan Daily-Friday, January 21,.1983-Page 11
FRESHMAN PLAYING THE POINT
Lilly blossoms as cager
y JIM DAVIS
Basketball is never put out of my
life," said 5-8 guard Orethia Lilly.
And, for the Michigan women's
basketball team and coach Gloria
Soluk, it's a good thing it isn't.
LILLY, a freshman from Cleveland,
has been guiding the struggling
Wolverines from the point-guard
position since moving into the starting
lineup early in the season. Consistent
lay has kept her there, as evidenced
her five rebounds and 13.1 points per
game. She also has 37 assists on the
season.
"She is the best athlete we've ever
had at Michigan," said Soluk. "She's a
team player. I really like her at the
point-guard because she can control the
play."
Lilly moved into the starting lineup in
he fifth game of the season and has not
udged. "In the early part of the
eason, the coach was trying to find the
ght combination (of players)," said
Lilly. "Now we just have to start
working together."
LILLY'S ROLE in that combination
s as the team's quarterback. Thus, she
' faced with the mission of replacing
the graduated K.D. Harte; which is no
mall task for a freshman. Add to that
the fact that Lilly played forward and
enter in high school, not at guard, and
he task becomes greater.
So far Lilly has been successful as the
ourt general. "She's done a tremen-
dous job," said Soluk.
But Lilly realizes there is plenty of
oom for improvement. "I have a lot to
.arn," she said. "I have to work on my
all handling."
And now she has a better idea of what
is expected of her.
"Coming in as a freshman, I didn't
expect to be playing the role that I am.
one of the leadership has been put on
y shoulders," she said. "Now I'm
rying to make the adjustment of
laying that role. I think I'm capable of
ndling it because I had to do it in high
chool."
IN HIGH SCHOOL, Lilly was very
uccessful as East Cleveland Shaw 's
riving force. In her sophomore season
he team made the Class AAA State
emifinals. In her next two seasons she
ed them all the way to the finals. Not
ad for a girl. who "didn't really get
rious about basketball until the ninth
rade."
I
,.
4.
Daily Photo by JEFF SCHRIER
Freshman point guard Orethia Lilly prepares to pass off in an early season
contest against Cleveland State. The Vikings' Carlotta Davis defends on the
play.
During her senior season, Lilly was
heavily recruited by Soluk, who atten-
ded most of Lilly's games late in the
season. Said Soluk, "Every time she
played I sat behind the bench," to let
Lilly know how badly Michigan wanted
her.
When decision time came, Lilly chose
to be a Wolverine, citing academics and
Soluk as the primary factors in her
decision. Illinois, Cleveland State, and
Kent State also recruited Lilly.
It was a big game for Lilly when
Cleveland State came to Crisler Arena
earlier this season. Lilly knew the CSU
coach and had played against many of
the Vikings' players in high school. The
Wolverines, however, lost to the
Vikings, 71-68, despite a season-high 21
points from the freshman. "It was a
heart-breaker," said Lilly.
The Wolverines, only 3-11 on the
season and 1-3 in the Big Ten, have
dropped several such close games. And
the schedule gets no easier this
weekend as the Wolverines face Ohio
State tonight and Indiana on Sunday.
Both games are at Crisler Arena.
The Buckeyes are 11-2 on the season
and undefeated in the conference.
"Ohio State is probably the toughest
team in the league," said Soluk. Game
time is at 7 p.m. tonight and at 2 p.m. on
Sunday when the Hoosiers visit Ann
Arbor.
Exhibition meet to test tracksters
By JOE EWING
Believe it or not, the Michigan's
women's track and field team doesn't
stand a chance of winning its own
Michigan Relays tonight. But that, of
urse, is only due to the fact that no
scores will be kept.
The Wolverines, however, do stand a
chance of winning many individual
crowns this evening as they play host to
Central Michigan, Toledo, Hillsdale,.
Ferris State, Marquette, DePaul and
Western Michigan at the Track and
Tennis Building at 6:30 p.m.
"The meet will be a chance for us to
do work on some tactical
ings ... Like pacing, sprinting, and
pecially baton passing," said
Michigan head coach Francie
Goodridge. "It will be mostly a relay
meet with no team scoring, so we will
have the opportunity to race without the
pressure of scoring."
With no team pressure on them, the
women should be able to concentrate on
their individual events, and also on
breaking records. Last Friday, the
Michigan women rewrote one varsity
nd three fieldhouse standards enroute
dumping Canadian power Western
Ontario and Saginaw Valley, 66-45-20.
One of the events Michigan will again
be bidding for is a record in the mile
relay. Last week the team of Joyce
Wilson, Darlene Fortman, Martha
Gray and Brenda Kazinec surpassed
the fieldhouse record by posting a time
of 3:52.27. Unfortunately, their time
was only good enough for second place.
behind non-collegiate London
Western's 3:51.72.
This week Sue Frederick-Foster, who
bettered the fieldhouse and team marks
in the mile last Friday with a time of
4:47.12, will replace Gray and add even
more kick to the team.
"We don't look to see really close
competition," said Goodridge of the
event. "But we're certainly going to run
against the time and for a school record
again."
Last week's other fieldhouse record
went to Melanie Weaver, who posted a
16:29.44 in the three-mile run.
Frederick-Foster and Weaver will not
have a chance to continue their assault
on the record books tonight, though,
because their events are not on the
agenda.
The Wolverines are also looking to do
well in the distance medley relay as
Frederick-Foster, Wilson, and Weaver
will team up with freshman sensation
Sue Schroeder, who also broke the
fieldhouse mile record last week,
crossing the line second in 4:50.44. In
addition, the Michigan women hope to
pull out wins in the shuttle-hurdle and
two-mile relays.
In open events, Lorrie Thornton and
Kazinec will try to repeat their one-two
finish in the 60-yard dash and junior
Lisa Larsen will make her first start of
the season and vie for the two-mile title
after returning from an injury.
The field events, which will be run in
relay style with-the scores of the two top
competitors from each team added
together to determine the winner, will
also be a strong area for the
Wolverines.
In the high jump, Michigan will
receive a boost from team record
holders Joanna Bullard, Dawn
Rich and Melody Middleton. In the long
jump, varsity record holder. Thornton
should be the Wolverines' big hope.
In addition, Middleton will try to take
top honors in the pentathlon.
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