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Page 10- The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 2, 1987
Women should

By SHELLY HASELHUHN
The women's basketball team
finally won - it won the battle for
last place in the Big Ten. Michigan
needs something to drag itself out
of the conference ditch after. its 2-14
season. I have taken it upon myself
to suggest some options:
-Apply for bowling
scholarships.
-Check into Heartbreak Hotel for
a pity party with their male
counterparts on the wrestling squad,
who also are enduring a
disappointing season.
-Convince head coach Bud Van
De Wege to support use of the
three-point play next season.
Suggestions one and two are
self-explanatory, but allow me to
explain my reasoning behind option
three.
The men's basketball games are
exciting and attract enough fans to
turn on all the lights at Crisler.
This is not the case for the
Michigan women cagers. Maybe

the athletic admini-stration figures
it can conserve energy at the
expense of the 500 or so fans who
bother to show for the women's
games.
With sagging attendance, the
three-point field goal could shoot
some life back into the women's
hoop scene. Yet there are other
reasons besides enter-tainment for
considering my option.
First, one of Michigan's main
problems is getting the ball inside
to shoot. The use of the three-point
play would add a new dimension to
women's basketball by pulling out
the defense to guard the perimeter,
leaving more inside- as well as
outside-shooting opportunities for
the Wolverines.
Second, the adoption of the
three-point field goal will better
allow teams to come from behind=
to gain a victory.
Before, a team could force its
opponents' poor foul shooters to
the line for one-and-one attempts.

Now, coaches k
hands of their
shooters, who a
attempts to steal
awardedl two sho
point play, team
cut into a leadi
force the team
scoring.
Last, a three
de-emphasize1

adopt thr
eep the ball in the If the 6-9 Stoyko can hit three-
r top free-throw pointers in game situations (he did
re often fouled in against Northwestern), then sharp-
the ball, and then shooting woman guards certainly
its. With the three- should be able to do so as well.
ns will be able to In an effort to set common rules
much quicker and for men's and women's basketball,
n ahead to_ keep the NCAA will survey coaches
about the three-point rule for
-point play would women's basketball at the men's
pure height and Final Four basketball meeting on

E

Pon
~e-pbin
basketball wa a must, but beyond
that, "Leave the game alone."
"It's hard enough to get the
women to take good selective
shots," said Michigan State coach
Karen Langeland.
Also standing in the skeptics'
corner were some from the men's
basketball team. They said that the
men's strength advantage allows
them to shoot from that distance
more consistently than the women.
"They would miss more than they
would make," said Steve Stoyko.
Resistance to change is probably
the biggest reason for not wanting
to adopt a three-point field goal.
The theory "if it isn't broken don't
fix it" seems to control the
thinking of coaches and athletic
directors.
Adds excitement
Where better to look for support
of the three-point play than the
men's collegiate and pro games?

t play
The three-point play is just the
element to add new dimension and
excitement to a dull game.
Superhumans such as Larry Bird
are able to showcase their abilities
with the NBA's three-point line.
Collegians such as Garde
Thompson have increased their
worth to their teams. Thompson
has always been a great shooter
with only near-average ability in
other basketball skills. Now he is a
legitimate threat as a three-point
shooter and an integral part of the
Wolverine offense.
But don't just listen to me.
Listen to the players who must live
with the change.
"(The three-point play) would be
great for our team," said Michigan's
Lorea Feldman, a consistent shooter
from the perimeter.
Teammate Mary Rosowski was
enthusiastic about the rule.
"(Feldman) would be averaging 35
points a game," she exclaimed.


K

THE SPORTING VIEWS

mmmwmwg

strength. Even in the women's
game, post play has been reduced
from a game of finesse to a game of
size as teams' zone defenses pack in
around the "Big Man".
By moving the ball out to 19'9"
and giving the shorter woman three
points if she makes the shot, size is
no longer the only important factor.

March 27-29.
Observers
skeptical
Many coaches seem to be
skeptical of the proposal. Van De
Wege said the addition of the shot
clock in both men's and women's

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