0i f . f" i' Men's Basketball vs. Northwestern Tomorrow, 4 p.m. Crisler Arena SPORTS Hockey vs. Lake Superior State Tonight and Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m. Yost Ice Arena The Michigan Daily Friday, January 6, 1989 Page 12 k 4 i I } t 4 r Big weekend on tap for Blue faces Cats in Big Ten opener IY DOUG VOLAN After devouring the first half of its cupcake schedule, the Michigan basketball team puts its 12-1 record on the line tomorrow (4 p.m. Crisler :Arena) against Northwestern in the Big Ten season opener for both teams. "This is an important game because Northwestern will be a second division club and we're playing them at home," Michigan head coach Bill Frieder said. "We need to win this game, and the next one against Minnesota, and be 2-0 heading into Illinois where we haven't won in eight years." The Wolverines fell to seventh in the latest AP poll after being upset by 'Alaska-Anchorage last week in the Utah Basketball Classic. Frieder appeared boncerned by Michigan's third-place finish in that tournament. "WHETHER IT WAS exams, or we were tired of our competition, we pave not played as well since Western Michigan (on December 10) as we did before," Frieder said. In addition, several Wolverines are suffering from nagging injuries. Point uard Rumeal Robinson has a bruised knee, forward Terry Mills strained his rib muscles, and reserve guard Rob Pelinka chipped one tooth and had a Iecond one knocked out. "When you have disruptions (the injuries and suspensions of Sean Higgins, Kirk Taylor and Demetrius Calip) it detracts from your team," Frieder said. "We've got to get back to our routine, and get everyone healthy, eligible, and ready to play." Northwestern (7-3) is certainly ready to play, after getting off to its best start in Bill Foster's three years as the Wildcats' coach. Northwestern has already matched last season's victory total, despite the graduation of Shon Morris, their scoring and rebounding leader the last three years. THE NEW STAR of the Wildcats is forward Walker Lambiotte, a transfer from North Carolina State, who is averaging over 19 points per game. Lambiotte has scored at least 20 points in the last five contests. Indeed, the Wildcats are sporting a new look, with three new starters this season. Joining Lambiotte in the front court is junior center Bryan Ross (6- foot-11, 234 pounds), who adds some bulk to the team. Point guard Rob Ross played in the first three games a year ago before tearing cartilage in his knee and sitting out the rest of the season. Northwestern also has plenty of experience, with four starters returning, including Jeff Grosse, who led last year's squad in free throw percentage (.851) and three-pointers (50), and was second on the team in scoring average (13.9). This year, Grosse is coming off the bench as the team's sixth man. In the Wildcats' victory over Navy on Tuesday, Grosse sparked the team with 16 points, including four three-pointers. ALSO RETURNING as starters are seniors Brian Schwabe and Phil Styles. Schwabe is averaging 15 points and 7.1 rebounds per game from his forward position. Styles led the Wildcats in assists last season. Besides Grosse, the Wildcats have received strong bench play from junior bon Polite, a starter at forward last season, and Lucis Reece who missed most of last season for academic reasons. Reece, however, could start against Michigan as the Wildcats are also lagued by injuries. Bryan Ross is questionable for the game with an Achilles tendon injury, and his backup, Larry Gorman is hampered by a bad back. Northwestern has already lost highly recruited rookie Kevin Nixon for the season with tc linitis in his knees. _L . 9140 Top-ranked Iowa r. next for women :e BY LORY KNAPP The University of Michigan women's basketball team will travel to Ioyo today to open its Big Ten season against the seventh-ranked Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes, currently in first place in the Big Ten, will be quiq,,a challenge for the 6-4 Wolverines, who are coming off a win against Flor i A&M in the consolation game in the Old Dominion Tournament last weekend. "Iowa has a clear-cut chance to win the league because they're so deep head coach Bud VanDeWege said. "They have an excellent chance to win e national championship. "We need to force them to play a perimeter game and the tempo has to pe a slow, a halfcourt one," he added. "We have to have a combination of these factors exactly as we need them." Iowa is known for its quick, fast-paced offense and baseline to baseline play. The Wolverines could be forced into too many errors if they can't sit down Iowa's speedy style of play. The Wolverines will be making the road trip without starting forward Lorca Feldman. Feldman, is facing academic ineligibility for the second tipe in her Michigan career and her status for the rest of the seasong-s questionable. There is some good news for Michigan, though. Senior center Valerie Hall will be returning to the team since she regained eligibility at mid-seasp Hall, at 6-foot-3, will add an extra depth at center that the Wolverines need0 compete with the better teams like Iowa. "We're excited about getting her back, especially with Lorca not playing'' VanDeWege said. . Michigan hopes to improve upon its performance against better tea s with a victory in Iowa City. Previously, the Wolverines lost 74-55 to t University of Auburn which is currently ranked No. 20 nationally. " a Michigan to wrestle, nation s best teamrn in Virginia Duals' ROBIN LOZNAK/Daily Rumeal Robinson makes a bounce pass around an Eastern Michigan player in a recent game at Crisler Arena. The basketball team opens the Big Ten season at home agianst Northwestern, tomorrow at 4 p.m. Icers to host NCAA champion Lakers BY MIKE GILL With national champion Lake Superior State coming into mown for a two game weekend set, it's pretty easy to forget about your past accomplishments -- namely a sweep of the Laker's earlier in the season and last Friday's Great Lakes Invitational championship. "They really enjoyed their first taste of tournament success. That's fine," Michigan coach Red Berenson said of the GLI win. "As a coach, that's over, and we got to get on with the business at hand." With Lake Superior, it's not too hard too do. First, the Laker's after a slow start, have now risen to second place in the CCHA with a 10-5-3 record; trailing only Michigan State. Second, with another sweep of the Laker's this weekend (7:30. Yost Ice Arena, Friday and Saturday) Michigan could move into a tie for second with the Lakers, provided Illinois-Chicago loss twice to the Spartans. But it'll be tough. "They're playing on top of their game" junior forward Rob Brown said. "They got it all back together, and are playing at 100 percent. Earlier they were still riding on the high of the national championship. Their coach (Frank Anzalone) knocked them down quite a bit, and now they're building up to where they were before." For those attending this weekend's action, an added sideshow is Laker coach An- zolone. He's known for his highly volatile, spirted actions on the bench, which gives extra incentive to his opponents. See Lakers, Page 14 BY STEVEN COHEN This weekend the top wrestling teams in the country will be in Virginia Beach, Va. to do battle in the prestigious Virginia Duals tournament. The top 16 teams in the country from the previous season are invited to the Duals. The Wolverines earned the right to appear by finishing sixth nationally last year. Oklahoma State, Arizona State and Penn State, the nation's top three teams, will also be there. Michigan needs this tournament to gain the confidence and experience necessary to unseat these teams at the NCAA tournament in March. The Wolverines' training schedule is designed so that the team "peaks" for four events during the season. These events are the Las Vegas Classic (Michigan finished fourth), the Big Ten tournament, the national championships, and the Virginia Duals. IN PREVIOUS tournaments, individuals have peaked, but not the team as a whole. "We need consistency through all weight classes," said 134-pounder John Fisher, who is ranked No. 1 nationally. "We can't just have a few individuals do well each week Aid others do well the. next. As tIt season progresses we need to coie together as a team and improve a'ffa team.""- "In a tournament like this, it's not just your best three or four guys wpb are important but everyone," Mibl- igan coach Dale Bahr said. "You l only as strong as your weakest link." At last year's Duals, the Wol- verines lost two matches by fewer than six points. Michigan's forfeit of the 150-pound weight class cost the team all six points because Zac Pease injured his knee and Sam Amine wasn't eligible yet. Ironically, this year the 150-pound weight class may again cause some problems. Amine has been chal- lenging Joe Pantaleo in the 158= pound weight class. Pantaleo i ranked No.1 nationally at 158, but he is getting all the challenge he can handle from his teammate. BAHR WOULD like the loser of the challenge match to move down. If the loser can't get down to 150 pounds, than either Pease or E ~CALL TtOLFREE 1-854-1234 DESTINATION DAYTONAI Convention and isitor' Bureau of the Worlds Most Famous Beach, your official hotine to the Daytona Beach Resort Area. NEED TO DOCTOR YOUR MCAT SCORE? If your MCAT score needs a shot in the arm, come to the experts in test preparation-Stanley H. Kaplan. Our test-taking techniques and educational review will help you be in top condition test day.We'll not only sharpen your scientific knowledge, but your read- ing, problem-solving, and essay-writing skills too. Summer courses are registering nowSo call the best in test prep-Kaplan. And get an MCAT score that you deserve. q See Dual s, Page 13 (t rnS k I Q ANN ARBORS 'S BEST SELECTION OF ACCESSORIES AND JEWELRY 325 e.liberty, 995-4222 a1 ,:. , I KAPLAN STANLEY N. KAPLAN EDUATIONAL CENTER LTD. DON'T COMPETE WITH A KAPLAN STUDENT-BE ONE *p~ W HAT'S f4 W A HAPPENING' t 'I. RECREATIONAL SPORTS a. 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