The Michigan Daily- Sports Monday- March 8,1993 - Page 5 A,,; Blue fans show restraint in rematch Crisler student section rowdy, but feared racial, obscene epithets are avoided by Adam Miller Daily Basketball Writer Before yesterday's Michigan- Michigan State men's basketball contest at Crisler Arena, won by the Wolverines, 87-81, many in the community expressed concern that the Michigan students would retali- ate for the excessive taunting and name-calling bestowed on the Wolverines by the Michigan State student section - "Jud's Jungle" - in the teams' earlier meeting. The Spartan fans peppered their cheers with obscenities and racial epithets, and three weeks after the contest the Presidents of each school issued a joint letter of condemnation of the fans' behavior. others that he said were perhaps un- called for. "The students should be able to have fun amongst themselves with- out it being excessive," Heathcote said. "Some of that "Fat and Slow, Fat and Slow" and "C - B - A!, C - B - A!" - well ... all the taunting, and name calling, let's cut that down." The cheers Heathcote referred to were aimed at Spartan center Mike Peplowski, who, depending on which scout you talk to, is either an NBA prospect or an out-of-shape big man. The CBA is the Continen- tal Basketball Association, a profes- sional basketball league for those whose talents are not up to NBA standards. Heathcote implied that the vulgar teasing is new, but player-specific taunts are not. He recalled for the media his coaching days at Montana, where he served from 1971 to 1976. BASICS Continued from pageI time a 10-point Michigan lead. In five of the last seven trips down the floor for the Michigan offense in the second half, the ball made its way to the big men in the middle. First, it was Howard, who with three seconds blinking on the shot clock hit a soft nine-footer over Pe- plowski. Then a jump hook from Webber found the bottom of the net. Both players tugged, pulled, bum- bled, and pushed Spartan defenders for position on the low blocks, rem- iniscent of a Michigan-Michigan State football game as opposed to a battle on the hardcourt. Gary Moeller and George Perles would have been proud. Intent on converting from the floor or going to the line, the combi- nation of Howard and Webber scored seven of the last eight points for the Wolverines, yet there was still work to be done. Overtime beckoned. With Webber planting himself in the low post and Howard at the foul 'All the taunting and name calling, let's cut CAGERS Peplowski Ili In a pleasant surprise, nothing of the sort materialized yesterday. While the Michigan students were vocal, and began the afternoon with the oft-used "State Sucks" chant, their cheers did not sink to the level of obscenity used by some of the Michigan State fans. Instead, the highly-vocal and visible bunch - whose visibility was increased by the distribution of some 5,000 yel- low pompons before the game - concentrated on cheering for Michi- gan, and attacking Michigan State's record. "Both sides cheered hard for their team, and that's the way it's sup- posed to be," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said. "And I think for the most part, that happened." The Spartans (6-9 Big Ten, 14-10 overall) came to Michigan needing to sweep their final three games - at Michigan, at Indiana, and home hai down. - Jud Heathcote Spartan basketball coach The raucous student section, the "Montana Zoo," rode players rou- tinely, he said. "It was funny - well, it really wasn't funny, I guess - the 'Zoo' would pick out a guy in warm-ups, and every time the guy would get the ball in the game, they'd ride him, shout at him, 'Double, double, double,' and all that," Heathcote said. Outside of the lack of obscenity, the crowd's most noticeable asset may have been its visibility. All lower-bowl ticket holders, as well as all in the student section, found a bright yellow, Ho Lee Chow-spon- sored pompon on their seats when they arrived at the game. The color was a switch from the usual two- tone pompon the athletic department normally distributes. Every time the Wolverines play at Breslin, they are greeted by an arena full of solid colored pompons as well, as alternate sections wave solid green or solid white. Fisher has called this an "ocean of green" in the past, but had no comment on whether or not yesterday's showing constituted an "ocean of maize." Fab Five forward Ray Jackson knifes through the lane for a rebound in yesterday's 87-81 overtime victory over Michigan State. Jackson finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Continued from page 1 Spartans worked the ball around the three-point line for a shot. Tied up by Wolverine defenders, Stephens launched a triple with 39 seconds left in the game. After the miss, Shawn Respert grabbed the Spar- tans' first offensive rebound in almost 12 minutes. Another quick timeout yielded no immediate results for Michigan State - the Spartans could not turn huddle plans into points. When a frustrated Weshinsky traveled into the lane, Webber and Howard blocked him. The ball car- omed to Stephens; Weshinsky crash- ed to the floor. Stephens quickly went ahead with the shot but Webber swatted the ball , grabbed it in mid air and called a time out with five seconds remaining. Jalen Rose missed a chance to end the game in regulation with a shot in heavy traffic from the top of the key. "I had my eyes open (to make a pass) certainly, but I ain't second- guessing myself," Rose said. "That's a shot I have to make." Rose, along with Webber and Howard, led the team in scoring with 20, 21, and 19 points, respec- tively. "It's a disappointing loss. We line, the duo stood firm against the ,Spartan challenge. No other Wolverine shot the ball in the first three and a half minutes, when Michigan went on a 7-0 run to all but eliminate Michigan State from NCAA consideration. The scoring summary told the de- licious tale for the Wolverines. Howard: 19 points, seven re- bounds. Webber: 21 points (team-high), 14 rebounds (game-high) "It doesn't matter how man, points I score, as long as we win," Webber said following the hard- fought victory. While it might not have mattered to Webber, the offensive production he and Howard supplied certainly mattered to Fisher and the rest of the Wolverines. The tandem proved that they are the go-to players for Michi- gan come crunch time. If Michigan finds itself in a close game in the NCAA tournament, the squad can look no further than yes- terday and realize the decision is easy. Back to the basics - get the ball in the paint. had our chance at the end of the game," MSU coach Jud Heathcote said. "We thought Stephens got fouled on the attempt (with five seconds left). They hung in there. They have the ability to turn it up and that's what makes them a great team." Respert, after scoring seven points the last time he played against Michigan, led the Spartans with 27 points. MICHIGAN STATE (81) FG FT Rob. Min. M-A M-A O-T A F Pts.. Stephens 35 3-13 1-2 5.6 1 4 9 Miller 24 3-7 1-1 1-4 0 3 7 Peplowski 39 6.8 1-4 4-13 2 2 13 Resperl 42 12-25 0-0 4-7 2 3 27 Snow 42 1-3 3-4 0-4 12 4 5 Weshinsky 32 5-12 4-4 0-2 1 5 16 Brooks 7 1-2 2-3 1-1 0 2 4 Beathea 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Nicodemnus 1 0- 00 0000 0 Totals 22531-7012-1818-41 18 23 81 FG%-.443. FT%- .667. Three-point goals: 7- 11,* .636 (Respert 3-5, Stephens 2-3, Weshinsky 2-3). Turnovers: 17 (Peplowski 4, Respert 3, Snow 3, Ste phens 3, Brooks 2, Weshinsky 2). Blocks: 2 (Miller, Weshinsky). Steals: 2 (Respell, Snow. Technical fouls: none. MICHIGAN (87) FG FT Rob. Min. M-A M-A O0-T A F Pts.. Webber 37 6-13 9-16 8-14 2 4 21 Jackson 32 4-10 5-8 1-7 4 1 13 Howard 37 8-13 3-4 3-7 2 5 19 Rose 42 7-13 5-6 1-4 2 2 20 King 41 2-10 2-2 1-4 2 1 6 Pelinka 13 0-1 0-0 0-2 1 1 0 Riley 15 1-2 0-0 2-3 0 3 2 Voskuil 4 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 3 11le 4 1-2 M 0.000 0 0 3 Totals 22530-6524-3616-4213 17 87 FG%/- .462. FT%- .667. Three-point goats: 3- 8, .375 (Rose 1-1,Voskul 11, Talley 1-2, Pelinka 0-1, Webber 0-3). Turnovers: 11 (Rose 4, Webber 3, Howard 2, King, voskuil). Blocks. 5 (Rose 3, King, Webber). Steals: 5 (Howard 2, Rose 2, Jackson). Technical fouls: none. Michigan State....... 43 33 5 -81 Michigan.........46 30 11-87 At Crisler Arena; A-13,562 against Penn State - to clinch a NCAA tournament berth. Having lost yesterday, they are probably headed to the less-prestigious Na- tional Invitational Tournament (NIT), a fact that was not lost on the Michigan students. Thirteen minutes before tipoff, as the teams came out for their final pre-game warm-ups, a resounding chorus of "N - I - T!, N - I - T!" came forth from the "Crisler Cra- zies," as ESPN-analyst Dick Vitale refers to them. It was the first of many instances this chant was uti- lized by Wolverine fans. But the real NIT-picking came from the signs that dotted the arena. A sign hung over the tunnel read: "Moo U, watch the NCAA on CBS," and a group of six students at center- court had a series of signs that read, "Hey State, Can You Spell NIT?" Michigan State coach Jud Heath- cote said these particular cheers did not bother him, but he singled out PRESS Sadly, Semor Night loss Ins fitingen ding for cagers by Rachel Bachman Daily Basketball Writer If fairness were clothing, all five of them would have been standing in the middle of Crisler Arena naked. In reality, the seniors of the Michigan women's basketball team (Trish Andrew, Nikki Beaudry, Stacie McCall, Jen Nuanes, and Sherell Stanley) were clothed in maize uniforms Saturday, but for the last time on their home court. Neither the farewell bouquet of flowers nor their parents and relatives by their sides could make up for the bitter taste in their mouths left from the season of 1992-93, the one that was supposed to have been their grand fi- nale. This was a class that in 1990 reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, a class that was part of Michigan's second winningest women's basketball team ever. In 1993, the same core group finds itself a part of the worst team in Michigan women's basketball history, and perhaps even in the history of Michigan athletics. Who said life was supposed to be fair? "With it being Senior Night, I really thought that the seniors would come out and probably have one of their better games," Michigan coach Trish Roberts said after a 40-point stripping by Northwestern. On any other team, Roberts' theory would have held up. But on a team which played its last road trip with seven players, two of whom rarely have more than a four-minute break from the bench, conven- tional wisdom does not hold. Forward Trish Andrew, who is second on the Michigan women's all-time scoring list and averages 20 points per game, scored just four in the first half against Northwestern. What did she expect, at least an average performance for her last home game ever? To do so would be to upset the pattern of injustice that has be- fallen the Wolverines this year. Why should things go right for a team that lost both members of its freshman class to season-ending injuries just two weeks into the season? Despite all the mishaps, misfortune, and missing players, the outgoing quintet hoped and wished that for just one game, just 40 minutes, their team could turn the oddsmakers on their ears and go out with a win. fnt erne to histnry the shnts didn't fall. The hoards weren't clenned. Home finale ends in nightmare Women cagers lose to Illinois, Northwestern by Mike Hill Daily Basketball Writer Would you like an understate- ment? How about this: The Michigan women's basketball sea- son has been less than stellar. But for seniors Jen Nuanes, Stacie McCall, Sherell Stanley, Nikki Beaudry, and Trish Andrew, the campaign reached its most disap- pointing point with lopsided losses in their final home outings. After dropping a 92-70 contest to Illinois (7-8 Big Ten, 12-12 overall) Friday night, the Wolverines (0-16, 1-24) suffered their worst defeat of the season, 98-58, to Northwestern (12-4, 18-7) Saturday evening. "With it being senior night, i re- ally felt that the seniors would come ouf i probably have one of their betty ;unes," Michigan coach Trish Rob s said. "But they came out with a very slow start. And that just threw us completely out of sink. It seemed like nothing worked for us. I have to give Northwestern credit though. They're a very good team." Maybe the credit should be given to Wildcat guard Nancy Kennelly. Center Patricia Babcock led the way for Northwestern with 20 points on eight-for-nine shooting, but was the beneficiary of the precise passing of Kennelly. With eight assists, Kennelly picked apart the Wolverine defense, seemingly able to find an open teammate at any time. "Nancy Kennelly is just a great point guard," Northwestern coach Don Perrelli said. "She can find people. She can pick them out before they're open. And it's nice for me to have someone like that." The Wildcats' performance was all the more imnressive considering "I look at (Michigan's) games against Michigan State," Perrelli said. "And they were very good bas- ketball games. We're just coming off of a Michigan State game where we had to fight for our lives to win. We were concerned that we would come out flat. " Andrew led the Wolverines with 17 points, but scored most of her points when her team trailed by 40. Though she passed Antoine Joubert and Roy Tarpley on Michigan's men's and women's combined scoring list, Andrew perhaps had her toughest weekend of the season. She scored just eight points, 12 below her average, against Illinois and fouled out with three minutes to play. With Andrew spending most of the Illinois contest on the bench, Nuanes and Beaudry stepped up their games. The two combined for 43 points. Beaudry added 10 boards and Nuanes, who had missed the previous three games while spending time with her ill father, played as though it were the NBA Finals. "Today, I just kind of had a feel- ILLINOIS (92) FG FT Rob. Min. M -A -A O-T A F Pts. Dupps 34 8-14 0-0 0-8 1 2 16 Platt 22 7-9 3-5 1-5 0 2 17 Clinton 25 3-4 4-4 1-1 1 4 10 Cuningham 27 5-11 8-10 1-6 3 0 20 Estey 31 3-6 2-2 0-1 3 0 8 Dilger 20 2-2 0-0 3-9 0 0 4 Preacely 16 4-8 0-0 1-2 1 2 8 Booker 10 2-4 1-1 0-1 0 3 5 Hanna 8 0-1 4-4 1-1 0 2 4 Inman 3 0-1 0-0 0-2 0 0 0 Ruholl 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Henderson 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 Totals 200 34-61 22-26 7-38 10 15 92 FG%- .557. FT%- ,846. Three-point goals: 2-7, .286 (Cunningham 2-5, Booker 0-1, Dupps 0-1). Team rebounds: 2. Blocks: 0. Turnovers: 15 (Estey 3, Clinton 2, Cunningham 2, Dupps 2, Platt 2, Booker, Dilger, Henderson, Preacely). Steals: 8 (Clinton 2, Estey 2, Cunningham, Platt, Preacely,_Ruholl). Technical fouls: None. ing I was going to have a good game," Nuanes said. "I told my fa- ther, he asked me to play real hard for him. So I just wanted to come out and play as hard as I could for him." Michigan trailed at the half, 51- 43. And early into the second stanza, Nuanes converted a three-point op- portunity to cut the lead to five, 53- 48. But Illinois shut out the Wolverines for a four-minute stretch. During that span; Illinois scored 11 points to build a 76-56 lead with 8:56 to play and start a high pitched chorus from large women sitting in the Crisler rafters. The Wolverines have two more games to salvage what's become the worst season in Michigan history. "We lost our confidence some- where down the road," Nuanes said after the Illinois loss. "I don't really know where we all went wrong. It's not over. We still have three games. I definitely don't want to come out of here not winning a Big Ten game. That's not something a senior wants." NiYo Continued from page 3 That, obviously, won't happen. When McCallwas a freshman she was part of a team that went to the NCAA tourney. One and 24 - and likely 1-26 after next weekend - is a painful conclusion to her college career after such a successful start. Roberts, though, can only hope that the opposite happens for her at Michigan. Awful start, great ending. While that won't be easy, Perrelli says he knows she is up to the task. "She was put here to turn the program around," he said, before offering his three-step plan on how one spins straw into gold. "It takes some hard work - which she'll do," Perrelli continued, noting that Roberts is known among the coaching ranks as someone who is tremendously devoted to her work. "Some super players," he said, explaining that Northwestern went from a decent team to a nationally- ranked one only after an infusion of talent. Players like Michelle Savage, a senior last year, and Nancy Ken- nelly, on the verge of her fourth Big Ten assist title, helped Perrelli ele- vate the Wildcats to another level. "And some luck," Perrelli concluded. "You need some luck. "It's all got to fall in place," he said. "You recruit a Fab Five ... and your team could be turned around in a season." Hard work. Super players. And some luck. Roberts says she is looking for- ward to next season. Three recruits were in town for the weekend. One gave a verbal commitment. The other two are close. "I just hope they still want to come here after seeing that," Roberts joked after Saturday's game. She does have a lot to sell them on, though. A great school. Top NORTHWESTERN (98) FG FT Iob Min. M -A -A Cook 33 7-12 0-0 M. Kennelly 31 3-9 5-6 Babcock 21 8-9 4-6 05 2 N. Kennelly 27 2-3 0-0 Holohan 23 7-12 1-4 Groh 20 3-10 1-2 2-7 Ertel 14 1-3- 3-4 4-5 Swift 12 2-2 3-4 267 Braden 10 2-2 1-2 Nolan 9 1-5 0-0 Rob. O-T 0-5 1-8 0-5 1-5 1-4 2-5 4-9 2-8 0-0 1-1 A 2 6 a o 0 0 0 F 1 0 2 2 3 2 5 Pts. 19 13 20 4 16 7 5 7 5 2 _ 1 u I l Totals 200 36-67 18-28 12-51 19 18 98 FG% .537. FT%- .643. Three-point goals: 8-17.,.471 (Cook 5-8, M. Kennelly 2-6, Holohan 1-3). Team rebounds: 3. Blocks: 1 (Babcock). Turnovers: 14 (Eel 3, Braden 2, Groh 2, M. Kennelly 2, Nolan 2, Babcock, N. Kennelly, Swift). Steals: 8 (Holohan 2, M. Kennelly 2, Babcock, Braden. Ertel, Groh). Technical fouls: None. MICHIGAN (58) FG FT Rb.