The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 5, 1993 - Page 11
Women
,cagers
ipe for
victory
by Rachel Bachman
Daily Basketball Writer
It sounds like the contents of a
g oliday fruit basket you'd send to
our worst enemies.
"It would be one of those apples
that looks shiny on the outside, but
you bite into it and it's all mushy
inside," junior forward Shimmy
Gray said.
She was describing not a fibrous
treat, but the Michigan women's
basketball team's season thus far.
"I say it's a lemon, 'cause it's
Ohighty sour," senior guard Stacie
McCall said.
While stated in good humor, the
Wolverines' remarks reflect the
frustration of a 1-17 team, a team
which is still searching for its first
conference victory.
"It's very difficult for a team to
go out and play hard and still not
win," Michigan coach Trish Roberts
said. "But we've got 10 more gamnes
go, and we're going to improve in
each one."
The capers' latest chance at in-
provemncnt comes tonight in Chamn-
paign as Michig~an (0-8 Big Ten, 1-
17 overall) takes on Illinois (2-6 , 7-
10). Since the Illini have only posted
two conference victories, the
Wolverines also hope to come away
with a "W".
~"(The 1llini) beat us last year, so
is year I think they'll be overcon-
fident," Gray said.
With freshman Robbyn Preacely
(15.1 points per game) leading the
way, Illinois is a relatively young
team. U~nderclassmen, such as 6' 1"
freshman center Anti Clifton,
comprise a majority of the starting
lineup.
The Illini have several ties to
4ichigan. Roberts was an assistant
coach at Illinois during the 1984-85
season, and the Illini's senior point
guard Jill Ester hails from nearby
Plymouth, MI.
With 498 career assists, Ester has
a chance to join the elite in the Big
Ten tonight. If she dishes off nine
more, she will become Illinois' all-
time leader in that category.
Having defeated Wisconsin and
*hen 20th-ranked Purdue in the past
two weeks, Illinois has proven that it
can contend with the Big Ten's best.
A contributing factor to the
team's success has been its re-
bounding, a category in which it
ranks second in the conference with
44 per game. Defensive rebounding
is one area where Michigan wants to
improve tonight.
"We've got to box out," coach
oberts said. "We can't give teams
20 and 25 offensive rebounds."
With improvement strategies out-
lined, the players still keep a sense
of humor about the season.
"Our team is like a green ba-
nana," sophomore guard Carrie
Stewart said. "We'll be ripe next
year."
Blue hopes for deja
vu as it hosts Purdue
by Ken Davidoff
Daily Basketball Writer
When we last left the Purdue Boilermakers, they were riding sky high on
the throes of an impressive 9-0 preseason, only to have their morale deflated
by the Michigan Wolverines.
Now, just about a month later, Purdue (4-4 in the Big Ten, 13-4 overall)
faces a crucial test when it visits Crisler Arena Sunday to battle those same
Wolverines (6-2, 17-3). If the Boilermakers fall to Michigan, they will have
a losing conference record at the halfway mark of the season, a foreboding
sign considering they still have to play at Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
After Purdue's 62-57 victory at Ohio State Wednesday night, Coach
Gene Keady expressed frustration with his team's inability to seal a victory.
"We just can't learn to put people away," Keady said. "We've just got to
learn to play with more poise."
If the Boilermakers want to maintain a lead on Sunday, they might con-
sider grabbing it early. Michigan displayed tremendous tenacity at Michigan
State Tuesday night, never trailing despite allowing the margin to shrink to
as low as three points.
"You have to credit Michigan's defense," Spartans' coach Jud Heath-
cote said. "They're a much better defensive club than people give them
credit for."
The Wolverines held the Spartans to a .391 shooting percentage, marking
the sixth time in the last 12 games and the 10th time overall that Michigan's
opponent shot less than 40 percent.
As for the Boilermakers, superstar sophomore Glenn Robinson has lived
up to his preseason billing. He leads the conference in scoring (22.6 points
per game), ranks third in rebounding (9.6) and can be found among the Big
Ten leaders in steals (1.9), blocked shots (1.5), free throw accuracy (.820)
and even dunks (26 total).
Michigan coach Steve Fisher will be going for his third consecutive vic-
tory over the Boilermakers after dropping his first five contests.
PrurdueatMcin
...Tm : I24 -pmJ ET
r t r
nzA n
PaweT ::A
..... ... : ::
Ray Jackson slams one home in the Wolverines'victory against Michigan State. Jackson and the rest of the
Michigan basketball squad takes on Glenn Robinson and the Purdue Boilermakers at Crisler Arena Sunday .
Softball
team gets
early notice
'from staff reports
As the warm Ann Arbor weather
hints at spring's arrival, the women's
softball team has received some
good news that makes it anxiously
await the new season even more.
The NCAA Division I Softball
Preseason Coaches Poll has ranked
Michigan No. 11. Moreover, the
Wolverines have been selected as
the top squad in the NCAA Division
I Mideast Region Poll.
Coach Carol Hutchins' squad
will open its season on Feb. 21
against California Poly-Pomona. It
will then take on No.2 Arizona in a
Feb. 23 doubleheader in Tucson.
Defending champion UCLA
maintained its No. 1 ranking, with
Arizona, Fresno State, California
and Cal-State Fullerton rounding out
the top five.
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Feb. 5 and 6 Films From M411W
BLADE RUNNER-8:00 PM
A dark, futuristic thriller starring Harrison Ford as a
detective who specializes in the extermination of
genetically-engineered human "replicants". This is the
director's cut, featuring additional footage. In 35mm.
' .