,,Sprts Monday Trivia Who was the MVP of Super Bowl I and what restaurant chain did he start? (For the answer, turn to the bottom of page 6) 11 s i "S 6 t s V a a 'M' Sports Calendar 2 AP Top 20 2 Griddes22 'M' gymnastics coverage 2 Get Rich Quick 3 Q&A 3 'M' men's basketball coverage 4 'M' swimming coverage 5 'M' track coverage 6 'M' ice hockey coverage 7 Rumeal' s heroics steal the show For a basketball team which has seen six of its seven *conference opponents either lead them or trail them by one or two points in the final minute, close games are standard fare. But Saturday's game had a new wrinkle which set it apart from many of Michigan's previous close encounters. Michigan found itself in the unfamiliar position of coming from behind. Normally, the Wolverines opponents spot them a 15 or 20 point lead, then chip away to tie or lead in the late going. The Spartans weren't so courteous. They led by seven early in the second half and were in the process of proving they are in the Big Ten race to stay. What little they lack in talent they make up for in chemistry. The Wolverines were not going to outclass them. They challenged Michigan to either wake up or be brushed aside as a Big Ten also-ran. Michigan answered the challenge. Rumeal Robinson - three-pointer. Robinson - passes up the open jump shot to drive and stuff. Terry Mills - a fade away turn-around. Robinson - lay-up. Michigan 48, Michigan State 48. The Wolverines showed resolve. Just as Iowa had done to them last week, they scored on second and third efforts. Sean Higgins had a shot blocked, but Robinson shoveled up the loose ball, drove and scored to tie the game again at 55. Two possessions later, Robinson and Higgins each missed shots. But there was Loy Vaught - tip, tip, tip, and finally in. 59-57, Michigan. This was the gutty basketball that any team, no matter how talented, needs to play to win the Big Ten. After the game a reporter asked Michigan coach Steve' Fisher "is this a case of being luckier than good?" Normally Fisher is reserved in press conferences, pausing before answering questions, then speaking methodically. This time he spoke quickly and with conviction. "No," he said with finality, almost before the question was finished. "We played hard. We played hard." See RESOLVE, page 4 by Mike Gill Daily Basketball Writer Right before Saturday's tipoff, Michigan State's star guard Steve Smith told Sean Higgins, "It's money time." Call it a challenge to all the Wolverines. Put up or shut up time at Crisler. But in the end, Rumeal Robinson answered Smith's call with a right hook, knocking the ball into the basket and the life out of the Spartans. Michigan proved its money's worth with a 65-63 win over the upstart Spartans. As Robinson would later say about Smith's words, 'Talk is cheap." And Robinson proved another cliche: Let your actions speak louder than words. With the score tied 63-63 and 5.4 seconds left in the second half, Higgins inbounded the ball to Terry Mills, who quickly dished to Robinson. As time ticked away, Robinson sped towards the basket and as he drove to the hoop, sent a right hook over 6-foot-10 center Mike Peplowski before falling out of bounds. It fell. Robinson fell. The clock struck zero. Michigan coach Steve Fisher tried to maintain his composure as he ran to shake Jud Heathcote's hands while Higgins celebrated on the press table. "We run it a lot in practice where you throw to the side and I get the ball in the middle," Robinson said. "The big man didn't cover Terry so I was able to get it and get a shot off. "I saw it go in. I felt it was going to go in because it left the fingers like it was supposed to." A week ago to the day, Michigan lost to Iowa when Robinson missed almost exactly the same shot as the one he made against the Spartans. "The result wasn't the same," Robinson said. "That's important." The Wolverines moved into a second place tie in the Big Ten at 5-2 in the conference and 15-3 overall. The Spartans fell to 16-4. Purdue leads the Big Ten with a perfect 7-0 mark and face the Wolverines Wednesday at Crisler. Robinson's shot only capped a final 20 seconds which had more strategy twists than Generals Lee and Grant matching wits. Fisher called a timeout with 20 seconds left to set up the final shot. But Spartan coach Jud Heathcote tried to out-maneuver the Wolverines by fouling Demetrius Calip after the inbounds pass. Calip missed the front end of a one-on-one and Michigan State had a chance to win it with a final shot. See SPARTANS, page 4 Rumeal Robinson stuffs the ball in Saturday's game. Robinson's three-point basket at the first half buzzer tied the game, and his hook at the second half buzzer won it. J 0 I Wolverine left-winger Ryan Pardowski prepares to shoot in Saturday evening's contest versus Ohio State. During Friday's game at Columbus, Pardowski scored a clutch second period goal. *Icers disappointed by weekend draws by Steven Cohen Daily Basketball Writer "Born to be Wild" - Sport Magazine "Enigmatic underachiever"- Los Angeles Times "Heartbreak Hotel" , Dow Joneser- Dick Vitale "Will the Real Sean Higgins Stand Up?"- Chicago Tribune Sean Higgins' critics have made themselves heard during his three years at Michigan. And though his steady play and improved overall game have quieted his detractors a notch, the 6-foot-9 forward has had trouble changing the image that others have of him to one he feels they should possess. "What are they insinuating?" Higgins bewilderedly asked after being informed of the Chicago Tribune's comment, written after his 32 point outburst against Duke. Though he may understand the implications - that he is an erratic performer whose attitude contributes to the inconsistency- he feels they are inaccurate and unfair. Michigan coach Steve Fisher agrees. "Sometimes it's like (NCAA president) Dick Schultz says, 'It's Wrestlers pound out victory over NU by Matt Rennie Daily Sports Writer EVANSTON - Michigan's dual wrestling meet with Northwestern Saturday should have come with a warning for people with heart conditions. After falling behind, 20-15, with only two matches to go, the Wol- verines needed victories from both 190-pounder Fritz Lehrke and heavy- weight Phil Tomek to beat the 12th- ranked Wildcats. HOT Sean Higgins just asks to be understood SHOT not who you are but who they perceive you to be,"' Fisher said. "He (Higgins) is a good kid, a good person, who wants his team to be successful." "If I can give a little advice to people, it's to stop being so quick to judge people by what you read or hear," Higgins said. "Just like I can't judge people because I don't know them." Teammate Terry Mills added: "I think you have to meet him up front, meet him as a person off the basketball court to see what he's really like." Off the basketball court Higgins, nicknamed "The Dean," has become less visible. He lives by himself in an off-campus apartment and is somewhat of a home-body who enjoys listening to his music, which ranges from Luther Vandross and George Benson to the rapper Special Ed. So why has Higgins received all this unflattering attention? A possible reason is that people equate his on-court theatrics, done to pump himself and the crowd up, with an off-court wildness. See HIGGINS, page 3 Women upset Spartans InOT by Phil Green Daily Basketball Writer As Leslie Spicer calmly sank both ends of her one-and-one, huge smiles appeared across the Michigan women's basketball bench. Sixteen seconds later, the horn sounded, overtime was complete and an ec- static Wolverine team raced onto the court in celebration. Final score: 71-65, Michigan ov- er Michigan State. Michigan (11-6 overall, 3-4 Big by Peter Zellen Daily Hockey Writer It's an old adage in hockey - but nonetheless applicable to the Wol- verines' weekend series against Ohio State: "You have to play 60 minutes of hockey if you want to win," as Michigan coach Red Berenson put it. So went the story of how Mich- igan (16-10-4 overall, 12-10-4 in the CCHA) came away with 6-6 and 3-3 ties this past weekend against Ohio State (9-16-4, 9-11-4). The Wolverines, who are fourth in the CCHA, went into the series looking to put some distance be- tween themselves and the sixth-place Buckeyes. However, because of their inconsistency Michigan ended the side with key scores by rookies Mark Ouimet and David Roberts. Ouimet scored the second of his two goals off goalie Jim Fanning's deflection of an Alex Roberts shot. That tied the game at 4-4 with just under two minutes to go in the sec- ond period. All game long the Wolverines were capitalizing off of rebounds and deflections. "Coach Berenson is always tell- ing us on the bench that if we don't work hard we won't win," Ouimet said. "It's that second effort after the shots that will do it." In the third period, leftwinger David Roberts was able to bring the Wolverines back twice with clutch - .. ,,, .. .:. .. Wi n .