SPORTSMonday Trivia What was the last Big Ten team other than Iowa to win the Big Ten wrestling championship? (For answer, see page 2) 0 cat M cbluflan tilu A Y M N Albany Times/Union Hockey Poll AP Top 25 Results Athlete of the Week SPORTSMonday Calendar Q&A Blame it on Niyo Basketball Hockey Wrestling Men's Track D 2 2 2 2 3 3 5 8 Cagers deny State overtime pay Webber, Howard paint Fisher an OT victory In hindsight, it really was an easy decision. Michigan had just finished two halves of intense basketball, only to un- ceremoniously be forced into five more minutes of perspiration. The score- board read 76-76 and the outcome of the game was far from certain. So many storylines were yet to be finished. It was Ryan Michigan-Michigan State, an intra-state battle that goes Herrington beyond the notion of a "friendly rivalry." Both teams would sooner suffer through a root canal than lose to the other. Yet the regional ramifications were paltry compared to what was at stake nationally. The Wolverines, cam- paigning for a No. 1 seed in the show of shows - the NCAA tournament - needed another victory to help smooth their path out West. The Spartans were simply . hoping that the tournament's bubble maker would re- T R member them come selection time, especially if they Factor__could pull off a road win - moreover, one on national TV. So many people affected by five minutes in Ann Arbor. Both coaches took the time between the end of regulation and the begin- ning of the extra stanza to map out their strategy. For Michigan's Steve Fisher, however, the plan of attack had already been decided for him. Back to the basics - get the ball in the paint. It had been the goal of both teams from the opening tap to establish the inside game. For the Spartans, it required a strong performance from their center, Mike Peplowski. For the Wolverines, it meant once again calling on the services of sophomores Juwan Howard and Chris Webber. And once again Howard and Webber answered the call. With Jalen Rose being the lone perimeter player who was on his game, Fisher had few alternatives coming down the stretch. Possession after pos- session he called on Howard and Webber to help recapture what was at one See BASICS, Page 5 Blue cagers need OT to finish MSU, 87-81 by Andy De Korte Daily Basketball Writer If a dispute about the best bas- ketball team in the state had arisen after 40 minutes of basketball, the next five minutes erased all doubts. Yesterday, No. 4 Michigan (13-3 Big Ten, 24-4 overall) outscored Michigan State (6-10, 14-11), 11-5, in overtime to seal a 87-81 victory. While needing the extra stanza may have disappointed Michigan fans, no Wolverines expressed sur- prise at the Spartans' comeback. The cross-state rivalry often brings out the best in both teams and the game probably represented the Spartans' last chance to salvage a NCAA tour- nament berth. "We knew Michigan State was going to come in here and give their all and they played well," Michigan forward Juwan Howard said. "The winner of the game fought a lot har- der in overtime." Shooting 50 percent going into overtime, Michigan State proceeded to miss its first 10 shots as Michigan went on a 7-0 run. While Howard laid in the lone Wolverine field goal attempt, nine of 14 shooting from the charity stripe buried the Spartans. "You score first, and you gain an obvious advantage," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said. "Then they missed some easy shots and we were able to get an early lead." A swarming perimeter defense made the Spartans force their of- fense. MSU guard Kris Weshinsky continually drove into the lane only to find no shot when he got there. Growing defensive pressure in the paint from Howard and Chris Webber kept Spartans Dwayne Ste- phens and Mike Peplowski from making some high percentage shots even on second and third chances. "We didn't get as many open shots (in the second half and over- time) as we did in the first half," Weshinsky said. "That probably hurt us. They stepped up their defense a little bit in the second half." The Wolverines' most important defensive effort came after Webber knotted the game at 76-76 by hitting one of two free throws with 1:26 remaining. After calling a timeout, the See CAGERS, Page 5 KRISTOFFER GILLETI Opposing centers Juwan Howard of Michigan and Mike Peplowski of Michigan State stretch for a loose ball in yesterday's contest. 'M' tankers race to eighth straight title at Indy by Brett Johnson Daily Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS - If the "Cajun Man" from Saturday Night Live was doing a commentary on this weekend's Big Ten men's swimming and diving champi- onships, he would only have two words to say. "Meechegon Domination." Yes, the Michigan men's swim- ming and diving team came to Indianapolis as the overwhelming favorite, and it did not disappoint. The Wolverines won all but three swimming events (two individuals and one relay) on their way to their eighth consecutive Big Ten crown. Michigan coach and Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year Jon Urbanchek felt things went as expected. "Coming into this meet we thought we could win every race but the 100 back and 100 fly and the short sprint freestlye relay," Urbanchek said. "So, actually every- thing fell into place." The 788 points that the team amassed was the second highest in Big Ten championship meet history, behind Indiana's total of 851 points in 1974. The Minnesota Golden Gophers won a close battle for sec- ond by totaling 477.5 points to Iowa's 457.5 and Ohio State's 436.5. "We felt that (Saturday) was our best day," Minnesota coach Dennis Dale said. "We felt confident (Friday night) that if we came in and swam well (we could win). We felt we were definitely in the driver's seat." The large team victory was com- prised of of many outstanding per- formances. The Wolverines landed seven swimmers on the All-Big Ten conference team. Topping that list was sophomore Marcel Wouda. Wouda was named 1993 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year for his record- setting performances. "It was really nice (being named Swimmer of the Year)," Wouda said. "I didn't really expect it. I ex- See TANKERS, Page 8 Wouda N ull loom EVAN PETRIE/Daily Wolverine champion Sean Bormet, here flipping runner-up Josh Robbins, paced Michigan's strong showing in Columbus lastweekend. Bor met leads wrestlers to fifth-plach by Paul Barger - Daily Sports Writer COLUMBUS - If one were to look up determination in the dictionary, they may find a picture of Sean Bormet. After a season of ups and downs, along with persistent health prob- lems, Michigan's 158-pound wrestler was crowned Big Ten Champion Saturday afternoon. Bor- met's performance topped the Wolverines fifth-place showing. Iowa finished first for the 20th straight year with 128.00 points, Penn State was second with 123.50, the host Buckeyes placed third with 95.50, Minnesota was next with 80 and the Wolverines finished fifth with 75.50. Bormet's championship match it- self was a rematch of a contest that took place on Jan. 16. On that day Bormet fell to Penn State's Josh eshowing first period. Early in the second, Bormet got one additional point and then got in his defensive mode. "I let up a little in the third period which kind of pisses myself off," Bormet said. "I've got to be more aggressive and intense in the third period. I was slowing up and going on defense a little. I almost blew it by giving away points." "Sean had control of the match through the whole thing," Michigan coach Dale Bahr added. "I think he got pretty conservative in the last period. I guess it's human nature the closer you get to something you re- ally want the more you shut down on things." Along with Bormet's champi- onship, Michigan had three third- place finishes, one fourth, one sev- enth and three eighths. Senior Lanny Green and juniors Brian Harper and Steve King were by Ken Suguira Daily Basketball Writer You think you have a good handle on him. Yup, Jalen Rose, just another crazy Fab Fiver. He's the funny one. And then he throws Madd Lute at you. He says he wants to own a record studio before he's done. "The name of it's gonna be Madd Lute Productions," he declares. The writer, expecting something ordinary (bad idea), is caught off-guard. "Mad Loop?" he asks. "Madd Lute." Rose spells it out, and then is asked the meaning. "Madd Lute? You know what loot is? Money," he says. "And Mad. Just crazy money." "Oh, loot," the writer replies, relieved he has finally tapped into Rose's mile-a-minute mind. "Isn't it L-0-0-T? "You can spell it either way, but see, I know that's how everybody spells it," Rose says. "So I will spell it like that," he says, pointing at the "lute" on the writer's notebook. "But for the naner you nrobably want to put it One-of-a-kind Rose matures into role body makes only one person. There's enough in him for two or three interesting people. It does not do him justice to call him the average team joker/superstar. That would be putting a label on him. Even calling him unique would be too confining. After all, other people are unique, too. The only fitting term for Jalen Rose is Jalen Rose. Only Jalen Rose has Jalen Rose's toughness, only he has his silly giggle and grin, his upbringing, his relationship with Perry Watson, his confidence, his love for life, his intelligence and his ability. What Rose, point guard for the No. 4 ranked Michigan basketball team, is, is a man whose remarkable basketball talent is matched only by his vibrant personality. "He's a 19-year old kid who loves life," coach Steve Fisher says. "He's fun to be around. Our kids enjoy themselves and smile and laugh more when Jalen's in the room." That life began on a January day in 1973, when not-yet-born Jalen decided that being delivered in a hospital was very unoriginal, '