The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 4, 1989 - Page 9 MICHIGA 80 SETO HALL 79 THE VICTORS!" National Championship, it was just another night Continued from Page 1 It didn't matter that Michigan was leading by five, Rumeal Robinson had scored 14 points and Rice was on a pace to set his record. Just as any other game, a second half of basketball remained. The Wolverines started the second half with a rush but it didn't matter. The Hall did not intend to be something walked through by hungry Wolverines, and the door swung shut at least temporarly. Rice scored his eighteenth point with a three. While the fans yelled and sceamed the athletic director only shook his head. Two minutes later Robinson scored a 9.8 with an electrifying slam. Suddenly the athletic director did more than shake his head - he stook up and cheered.. What everyone missed was Rice breaking the tournement scoring record. It happened innocently enough - Rice launched a three point bomb to put Michigan up five. But the only things fans recognized was that Seton Hall had come back to take a lead with less than two minutes to play. With Michigan down back came Rice. You knew he had to set the Big Ten scoring record and he did with a trademark three. The athletic director was up for good with a grin running from ear to ear. Security officers armed with walkie talkies moved into position to keep fans from rushing the court. Sean Higgins sunk two free throws but the Hall came back with a three. The post game celebration waited. A Michigan time-out gave ample opportunity for everyone's blood pressure to rise. The band played the fi'ght song to get the Michigan fans going as if the Michigan faithful really needed the extra inspiration. The clock was in single digits - a familiar sight to these Wolverines. But this time was different. Rice's shot clanked off the rim and for the first time since 1963 the NCAA championship had gone into overtime. Michigan fell behind quickly and it looked like the Pirates would sail away. But the Wolverines had not lost an overtime game all year and last night was not going to buck the trend. Michgan down by one. Three seconds on the clock. Robinson at the line. Memories of Wisconsin passed through everyone's mind. But history did not repeat itself. Robinson sank both shots. The Pirates had one more shot to win the ball game but it was not to be. The true blue had come out on top. Sean Higgins even gave the floor one big kiss. Rice and Robinson embraced. There were tears in some of the players eyes. But with regards to the new coach, nothing had changed. Bo Shembechler would still not say whether he had reached a decision. Michigan had come out a winner. But then again they had done that 29 times this year. For the first time ever a national championship basketball trophy was coming home to Ann Arbor. But last night it was buisness as usual. Rumeal clutches and puts down Seton Hall Continued from Page 1 After four lead changes in the extra period, the Pirates took a three point lead with 2:40 on a Morton three pointer. But the Hall failed to capitalize and increase their lead as Morton and Greene failed on the front end of a one and one with the lead still at three. Terry Mills scored on an inside jumper with 55 seconds remaining to set up the Morton miss with 10 seconds and subsequent-clinching free throws. Seton Hall called time out to ice Robinson, but to no avail. The six-foot junior point guard, a 72.7 percent foul shooter in the final four minutes of games, decided that last night was going to be "Meal time" for the Wolverines, who ended their season at 30-7. Michigan, who set a record for victories with 29, is 28-2 in games in which they score 80 or more points. The Wolverines jumped all over the Pirates at the start of the second half, taking 44-35 lead at the 17:43 mark before the Hall, 31-7, called time out. Mills started it all with a swat of a Daryll Walker layup just 30 seconds into the half. He followed that block with an assist to Vaught in a two on one situation. The first half was notably different from the Illinois-Michigan first half in which both teams were able to use their transition offenses. The Pirates A pep rally will be held today at 5:30 p.m. in Crisler Arena. No admission fee is required. bottled up the Wolverines' fast break attack and caused seven turnovers in the first 20 minutes. Michigan led 37-32 at the intermission, led by 14 points from Robinson and 13 from Rice. Rice's points included a quarter court length pass from Robinson that he turned into an acrobatic slam dunk to give the Wolverines a 12-8 lead at the 14:39 mark. The Wolverines extended their lead to six, 20-14, with 9:28 remaining in the half before a 12 point run from the Hall over the next two and one half minutes gave the Pirates a 26-20 edge. The run was led by Morton, who scored six points during that stretch. "First of all Michigan is a great basketball team," Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "They played a little bit better than we did and deserved to be the national champion. When it came down to it, they made a couple of big shots and they made some enormous free throws and we missed a couple. They shot 87 percent from the free throw line and I think when two good teams play, a lot of times that can be the difference." Joining on Rice on the all-tournament team were Robinson, who finished the night with 21 points and 11 assists, Greene and Morton from Seton Hall and Duke's Danny Ferry, who tallied 29 points in Saturday's semifinal game. 'They played a little bit better than we did and deserved to be the national champion.' - Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo A'ssecdo~ed Press I knew it would come down to the wire. I didn't want to leave a loser. I told the guys when I came here I wanted to leave with an NCAA championship.' - Michigan Forward Glen Rice Spinning some stupendous stories from Seattle 's Show BY ADAM SCHRAGER AND STEVE BLONDER Happy B-day Bo: Saturday was athletic director Bo Schembechler's 60th birthday. Asked what he wanted as a gift, Schembechler replied, "a national championship. Wouldn't it be exciting if we win this thing?" Michigan has not won a national championship since the men's gymnastics team accomplished the feat in 1972, See-Saw: Saturday's game had 33 lead changes and 7 ties. P.J. has a point: Carlisimo on Steve Fisher coaching for Bill Fried- er: "I understand how overrated a head coach's role is. If I couldn't coach tomorrow, our (assistants) could do the job just as well. I'm not belittling what Steve's done at all. To handle the pressure and do the things that he's done, that's been the hard part." Sweet Dreams I: Sean Higgins on trying to get some rest after Saturday's game: "I tried to get some sleep, but someone kept calling my Australian native Andrew Gaze on why he chose Seton Hall: "It was just that Seton Hall was the only one that expressed any interest in me." Loy was geeked up: Loy vaught on playing for national crown: For me I grew up thinking about playing in this game. You watch the game every year and you dream about being in it. At the same time, I don't want to end it on a sour note. I feel as long as we've come this far, I want to go out a champion." What a r.flL JU tia"ly Michigan fans at Pizzeria Uno celebrate a successful play by the Wolverines during their tournament drive. Fans go crazy after victory bread," as students poured out of the bar and onto Big Cheeses: Schembechler, Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke and Michigan's presi- dent James Duder- stadt all visited the lockerroom after Seattle's games. Deja Vu: Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo's father (Pete) served as di- rector of the NIT in 1984, the year Michigan won that tournament's title. 'M' in the finals: Last night's MICHIGAN (80) Rice 12-25 2-2 31. Mills 4-8 0-0 8. Vaught 4-8 0-0 8. 0-0 0. Robinson 6-13 9-10 21. Higgins 3-10 3-4 10. Hughes 1-1 0-0 2. Calip 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-67 14-16 80. SETON HALL (79) Gaze 1-5 2-2 5. Walker 5-9 3-4 13. Ramos 4-9 1-1 9. Greene 5- 13 1-3 13. Morton 11-26 9-10 35. Cooper 0-0 0-0 0. Avent1-2 0- 0 2. Volcy 0-0 0-2 0. Wigington 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 28-65 16-22 79. Halftime - Michigan 37, Seton Hall 32. End of Regulation - Michigan 71, Seton Hall 71. 3-point goals - Michigan 6- 16 (Rice 5-12, Higgins 1-4), Seton Hall 7-23 (Morton 4-12, Greene 2-5, Gaze 1-5, Walker 0-1). Fouled out - None. Re- bounds - Michigan 45 (Rice 11), Seton Hall 36 (Walker 11). Assists - Michigan 19 (Robinson 11), Seton Hall 14 (Greene 5). Total fouls - Michigan 20, Seton Hall 17. Attendance - 39,187 Griffin 0-0 feeling!: Mills: "The way coach Fisher jumped off the bench reminded us of that Toyota commercial." F Fisher still hopeful: "Bo told the team that he is committed to find- ing the best coach in America for the Michigan basket- ball team. So I'm hopeful that I'll be there, but I have no control over that." BY LORY KNAPP SPECIAL TO THE DAILY The clock showed zero and the place erupted like Nothing anybody had ever seen before. Thanks to guard Rumeal Robinson's two free throws in overtime, the fans at Dooley's were treated to a unprecendented University of Michigan celebration. There were flying pitchers of beer, a decorative canoe being lifted from its hooks accompanied by the -sound of breaking glass everywhere as hundreds of Maynard street. As soon as the game finished, suddenly Maynard Street was filled with what looked like the Boston Marathon. Led by a student carrying a maize flag with that big blue 'M', hundreds of students took off on their marathon down Williams Street, destined for who knows where. But the post-game celebrations were far from the whole story. The scene inside Dooley's during the game was just as crazy. Filled to capacity and then some, Dooley's was the game was Michigan's third-ever ap- pearance in the NCAA finals. In 1965, Michigan lost to UCLA (91- 80) and in 1976 the Wolverines lost room. I played back the shot in my head last night, and it felt good to hit the winning bucket. My face is still a little sore from coach Fisher Long road back: Seton Hall guard Gerald Greene on being 18 points down against Duke on Saturday: "I thought it was all over at one point. It was like a disaster