4 - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, January 24, 1994 'M' favorite of networks Continual down-to-wire endings provide excitement By RACHEL BACHMAN DAILY BASKETBALL WRITER CHAMPAIGN - The networks must love Michigan. Every week, the Wolverines provide them with a nail-biting, barn burning conclusion to a game, no matter how lopsided the previous 38 minutes were. The team overcame a double-digit deficit against Iowa when Jimmy King nailed a three-pointer with under 10 seconds remaining. The feat was almost repeated at Minnesota, but the absence of Jimmy King and Juwan Howard was too much, and the team fell to the Golden Gophers, 63-58. Yesterday was what coach Steve Fisher called, "the flip of what we had at Minnesota." After being up by 20 in the first half, Michigan let Illinois creep back. The Wolverines won by just four points. Before yesterday, Michigan had the smallest scoring margin of any winning team, just 1.6 points per game. Does his team's acrobatic finishes upset Wolverine scoring leader Jalen Rose? "It doesn't really bother me," Rose said. "Just like we may blow a lead, a team may blow a lead against us. That's the game. Basketball is a game of runs. The key is (to not) turn a 10-point run into a 20-point run." Fisher shared Rose's philosophy, pointing to Michigan's ability to draw the line when Illinois came from behind. "I think the important thing for us was that when they took a lead, they never were able to get a two-possession lead," Fisher said. "From a psychological standpoint, that was really significant to us." Dugan Fife went along with his coach's and teammates' cool hand approach to Michigan's escape from Illinois in a squeaker. "In this case, (blowing a lead) doesn't worry me," Fife said. "We're at Illinois and they're a good team. You knew they were going to make a run. We just held on to it." Still, Fife said, "We definitely got worried." Michigan wouldn't have to come back, critics say, if the team maintained its leads in the first place. In such a talent- packed Big Ten conference, though, that may be nearly impossible to do. On Michigan's first-half run, Rose said, "I was hoping it would last. But I knew sooner or later, espe- cially at home, that they were going to get off nine points. I didn't think we were going to beat 'em 50 to nine." Although the circumstances against the Illini were opposite those in the game against Minnesota - Michi- gan trailed almost the entire game - the driving force was the same. "It's easier when you don't have to play catch-up," Fife said. "But also, you get a lot of emotion when you catch up to a team and that carries over." While emotion has propelled Michigan to late-game victories, it is experience that has taught the Wolverines just how far is too far to come back. "When Indiana was coming back, we didn't get the basket we needed," Fife said. "Today we did." None of the players could explain their tendency to produce down-to-the-wire games. Nor did they seem con- cerned about it. Perhaps at worst, the comebacks produce high ratings for Michigan's televised games. Regardless of the game's bumps, Rose was pleased with his team's performance at Illinois, for the same reason anyone would be. "We just found ways to win, and that made me happy," Rose said. And as long as Rose is happy, you can bet the executives at CBS are, too. S 0 EVAN PETRIE/Daily Junior Jalen Rose controls the tempo of yesterday's 74-70 Michigan victory at Illinois. BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK Fife excellent 'fo the neck up,' says Fisher By RACHEL BACHMAN and CHAD A. SAFRAN DAILY BASKETBALL WRITERS CHAMPAIGN -He was originally not expected to do much after playing so little his first season with Michigan. Yet, Dugan Fife has become an integral part of the success of the Wolverines this season. The sophomore guard scored 10 points (4 for 7), including two three- pointers, while' dishing out two assists and swiping two steals. Entering yesterday's contest with Illinois, Fife was tied for second (with Wisconsin's Michael Finley) in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 2.4 in each of the Wolverine's five conference games before the Illini "Fife stepped up big," Michigan's Juwan Howard said. "If I had to give out a most improved player award, I would give it to Dugan Fife." And with freshman sensation Kiwane Garris guarding him, Fife turned the ball over only twice. He shutdown Garris, who had scorched Illinois' previous two opponents for 31 (Ohio State) and 33 (Iowa), respectively, to 2- of-9 from the field and 11 points overall. Fife's efforts have not been lost on Michigan coach Steve Fisher. "I thought Dugan Fife, from the neck up, did a terrific job" Fisher said. "He's played extremely well all season, especially the Big Ten season." BACK IN FRONT: When Michigan opened the game with Howard's 14-foot jumper, the Wolverines were in the lead, 2-0. While that might not seem like much, it was the first time since early in the second half of its game against Indiana that the Maize and Blue was out in front. In its previous contest, with Minnesota, Michigan never led and tied the game only once. IT'S GOOD: Jalen Rose was able to break out of his two-game shooting slump with a solid, 9-for-14 performance against the Illini. He hit a trio of three-point bombs, including one from NBA range at the 7:10 mark of the first half. Rose, who had hit only 12 of his last 41 field goal attempts, nailed all seven of his free throws as well, for a game-high 28 points. Rose knew it was time to pick up his game once again. "I wasn't playing in my same flowing groove like I usually play in," said Rose, who was named CBS' Michigan player of the game for his efforts. "I was kind of rushing my shot and trying to draw the foul instead of just looking to put the ball in the basket, just trying to focus on the rim and put it in." GLass CLEArs: For the fifth time in six conference games, the Wolver- ines lost the rebounding battle, 30-29, against the Illini, who lead the Big Ten in rebounding margin (11.8) and are second in rebounds (44.5 rpg). Unlike past seasons, Michigan is looking up at the leaders in those two categories. As of Jan. 21, the Wolverines were ninth in rebounding, averaging 32.4 and tenth in rebound margin (-6.4), just ahead of Northwestern. The aggressive play on the boards helped Michigan hold Illinois, the highest scoring team in the conference, to its second lowest output of the season. The 70 points trail only the 65 the Illini scored in their loss to Marquette. This was the second time in as many games that the Maize and Blue has held its opponents to 70 points or less (63 vs. Minnesota) SAFRAN Continued from page 1. demanding position on the court? No more than a handful at best - and those are the superstar players. "He's a warrior," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said. "We are hopelessly beaten if we didn't have Juwan for this game." Yet, for some unknown reason, Howard is never mentioned in the same breath as the players deemed the best middlemen in college basketball - North Carolina's Eric Montross and Bryant Reeves of Oklahoma State. While these two centers are traditional, 7-foot, back-to-the-basket players, Howard provides the Wolverines with something more. "He's as strong as I am, plus he's got good fundamental skills," said the Illini's behemoth center Shelly Clark who stands 6 feet 9, 262 pounds. On one particular play yesterday, Howard was able to back Clark in before hitting a turnaround swish from 10 feet. The only time Montross and Reeves play more than seven or eight feet away from the goal is when they are on defense. Hook shots are easy when you are seven feet tall, but when you are Howard, who is small by comparison to these two at 6 feet 9, you must do something different. "He has a very high elevation on his shot," said Illinois' Deon Thomas, who is incidentally a close friend of Howard's. "When you attempt to block it, it's already gone." While he may possess the best short jumper in college basketball, Howard has a heart that makes him spectacular. Imagine how immensely frustrating it must be to watch your team lose when you can do nothing about it, as Howard and fellow. chicken-pox-stricken teammate Jimmy King were forced to do Thursday. There the game was. Right in front of them. And all they could do was sit and stare. "I felt terrible. I was sweating bullets," Howard said. "I've never been so excited to be back playing college basketball (against Illinois)." His excitement showed throughout the contest, as Michigan surged to a 20-point lead in the game's early going. Howard hit his first three field goals, and despite not garnering a rebound the entire first half, gave the Wolverines the inside presence they lacked against the Gophers. "He would have pounded knots on my head had I not started him," Fisher said. The only thing Howard pounded was his opponents into submission, as both Thomas and Clark ended the game with four fouls, ultimately affecting the aggressiveness of the Illini inside game. He gave Michigan inside strength, intimidation, solid defense. The list is as long as the Wolverines' shorts. He also gave them an offense. No longer could Illinois key solely on Jalen Rose for the Wolverines' scoring threat. Illini coach Lou Henson knew that Howard would be a force in the paint scoring- wise, thus opening up the floor for Rose, Dugan Fife and the rest of the Maize and Blue. The Chicago native knew he had to play. "I have to fight through it and do what ever's best for the team," Howard said. "Coach knows the toughness, physically and mentally, that I have." Former Notre Dame coach- turned-broadcaster Digger Phelps has deemed Howard, "the silent force." For such silent force, Howard sure makes alot of noise. But he still needs to make more commotion, especially in the late going. While he was physically drained as the contest reached its back-and-forth last minutes, Howard made no field goals down the stretch. He needed the ball more. His last points of the game came at 13:27 of the second half. When both Clark and Thomas left the game at the 6:31 mark for a brief rest, Howard never touched the ball near the basket on those two Michigan possessions. The Wolverines need to put Howard at the foul line if they are to win more close games, like the one against Illinois. The only reason the Illini came back was because they connected on 22 of 26 free throws. How many chances did Howard have from the line? He made both. Two opportunities from the line? He should be getting 10. Steve Fisher should not worry if his co-captain Howard is sent to the line in a pressure-packed situation (i.e. every Big Ten game) to make a pair of free throws. Good teams and players get to the line often. Great ones make free throws. Howard would swish them. EVAN PETRIE/Daily Freshman Makhtar Ndiaye drives for a layup against Illinois yesterday. ASSOCIATED PRESS Cuonzo Martin scored a season- high 25 points and Glenn Robinson had 24 as No. 12 Purdue routed Ohio State 101-63 Saturday. The Boilermakers (16-1, 4-1 Big Ten) broke the game open with an 18- 1 run in the first half. Ohio State (9-8, 2-4) held a 29-28 lead before rebound baskets by ROUNDUP A"E "PLAYED JAN. 22,1994 Iowa 81, Penn State 70 Kenyon Murray scored 17 points Saturday and Iowa frustrated Penn State with its press as the Hawkeyes posted an 81-70 victory and averted their worst Big Ten start in 76 years. Iowa (7-7 overall, 1-4 Big Ten), which hadn't opened conference play with five straight losses since the 1917- 18 season, also got 16 points from Robinson, Martin lead Purdue over Ohio State Indiana 81, Northwestern 76 Damon Bailey scored seven straight points in the closing minutes and Alan Henderson had a season-high 26 Satur- day night to lead No. 8 Indiana over Northwestern 81-76. The nation's longest homecourt winning streak of 38 games appeared to be in jeopardy before Bailey's run, which began with a 3-pointer that gave Indiana a 73-71 lead with 2:24 to go. Indiana (1-3, 4-1 Big Ten) had to come from behind one more time to defeat Northwestern for the 22nd con- secutive time in Assembly Hall and the 12th consecutive time overall. The Hoosiers remained tied for the Big Ten lead. ILLINOIS Continued from page 1 managed to hold Deon Thomas, the Illini's leading scorer on the season (20.4 ppg), to just six first-half points. However, Michigan's fairy tale game ended as the Iini woke up in the second half. "You don't play teams as good as MICHIGAN (74) MIN M4A A 0. A FPTS Howard 36 9.17 2-2 0-2 4 3 20' Jackson 34 2-6 2.3 2-5 4 1 6 Ndaiye 17 2-4 2-2 0-1 2 5 6 Rose 40 9-14 7-7 0-5 3 2 ,*281 Fife 37 4-7 0-0 -1-4 2 2 10j Derricks 17 1.4 0-0 2-5 1 3 2 Crawford 4 0-0 0.0 0-0.0 0 0 Saint-Jean 13 1-3 0-0 3-4 0 5 2 Bossard 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 Totas 200 29.55 13.14 10.29 14 21 741 Q%. .509 Fr- .929 Thf..pelnt goals: 5-9 .556 (Rose 3-3, We 2-5, Ndaiye 0-1). Bloks: 4 (Ndaiye 2. Derricks, Fife). Turnovots 13 (Rose 5, d .-r-_r..N. -r . h 0 ......