Men's Basketball
vs. Purdue
Sunday, 2 p.m. (Ch. 7)
Crisler Arena
S
Hockey
vs. Bowling Green
Tonight, 7 p.m.
Bowling Green
Title on the line against Purdue
'M' could raise Big Ten banner with win over Boilermakers
By CHAD A. SAFRAN
DAILY BASKETBALL WRITER
It has been eight seasons since the
Michigan men's basketball team has
had the distinction of being able to
hoist a Big Ten Champions banner
toward the Crisler Arena rafters.
Although the Wolverines have gar-
nered a national championship and two
Final Four appearances in that time, the
conference title has eluded them. That
all could change Sunday (CrislerArena,
2p.m., Raycom) when No. 3 Michigan
(12-3 Big Ten, 20-5 overall) can clinch
at least a tie for the Big Ten title with a
win over No. 9 Purdue (124, 24-4).
"The Purdue game will be a big
game, a huge game for both teams, no
doubt," Michigan coach Steve Fisher
said. "We want to be ready to come
out and play hard."
The season's initial meeting was
indeedahard-fought, memorablegame,
it least for the Wolverines. Overcom-
ing a second-half, double-digit deficit,
Michigan came away victorious, 63-
62, when Juwan Howard hit a short
jumper with 21 seconds left. The Boil-
ermakers had several opportunities to
regain the lead but failed, as Glenn
lobinsonleftalay-upshortasthebuzzer
sounded.
Unlike in the previous encounter
with Gene Keady's club, the Wolver-
ines are coming off a loss, entering
their biggest game of the season.
Michigan's nine-game winning streak
came to a shrieking halt as Wisconsin
crushed the Maize and Blue, 71-58,
Wednesday. It was Michigan's first
defeat since succumbing to Minne-
sota and the chicken pox, Jan. 20.
"We didn't do things we character-
istically have done as late, such as play-
ing good defense," Fisher said of his
club, which allowed the Badgers to
shoot 54 percent from the field. Going
into that game, the Wolverines led the
conference in field goal defense.
And the task of shutting down an
opposing offense does not become any
easier when facing the Boilermakers.
Most of that has to do with a 6-foot-8
forward from Gary, Ind. who answers
to the name of Glenn Robinson.
The junior All-American leads not
only the conference in scoring but the
nation as well, averaging over 29
points per game. Robinson, a finalist
for both the Naismith and Wooden
Awards, grabs over 10 rebounds per
game, which tops all others in Big
Ten play. If he leads the conference in
both categories at the end of the sea-
son, he will become the first player to
do so since Minnesota's Mychal Th-
ompson in 1978.
When Purdue and Michigan met
Feb.1 in West Lafayette, Robinson
totalled 36 points, one of 13 30-plus
point efforts this season. However, he
launched 29 shots, making 13, and
could only connect on a measly 50
percent of his attempts from the free
throw line (7-for-14).
Although he did register a high
point total, only 13 of those came in
the second half because of Fisher's
decision to have Jalen Rose, instead
of Howard, defend Robinson for the
final 15 minutes of the game. Yet
Fisher said that he plans to open the
game with Howard on Robinson, but
Rose "could guard him some."
"(Robinson's) going to get his
shots," Fisher said. "You've got to
make sure you do a good job on the
others, even though no one knows
who they are."
While Robinson may be the big-
gest reason for Purdue's success,those
"others" have contributed mightily to
the Boilermakers' bid for their first
conference crown since the 1987-88
season. Junior Cuonzo Martin is sec-
ond on the team in scoring (16 ppg)
and leads the club in three-point shoot-
ing percentage.
Guard Matt Waddell also provides
additional outside scoring punch (11.1
ppg) while connecting on 48 percent
of his treys for the season.
Yet when all is said and done, the
game will come down to rebounding
and defense.
"We blistered them the first time on
the boards (52-40)," Fishersaid. "We've
got to be ferocious on the glass. They're
physical and aggressive."
And either of them could be Big
Ten champions.
Robinson
Michigan's Jalen Rose stares down Purdue's "Big Dog," Glenn Robinson.
Cagers face best hope
for first conference win
By SCOTT BURTON
OAILY BASKETBALL WRITER
The Michigan women's basket-
ball team (0-14 Big Ten, 3-20 overall)
is not battling for the Big Ten title or
a playoff spot. But the Wolverines are
fighting for something just as pre-
4ious - their first conference win.
:With only four Big Ten games
remaining on its schedule, Michigan
tnay have its best shot for victory No.
i in this weekend's road trip to Illi-
nois. The Wolverines face the un-
spectacular Fighting Illini (3-11, 8-
15) tomorrow night at Assembly Hall,
and an underachieving Northwestern
team (6-8,14-9) at Welsh-Ryan Arena
Sunday.
"We're feeling good about this
road trip, more than any other road
trip," Michigan coach Trish Roberts
said. "With Amy Johnson and Jenni-
fer Kiefer from the state of Illinois,
we're hoping that they are going to
have their best game."
Although the Illini soundly beat
Michigan, Feb. 4 at Crisler Arena, 77-
62, nobody confuses them with the
conference elite. Other than junior
Kris Dupps (17.0 points per game)
and senior Mandy Cunningham (16.6
ppg), Illinois does not have many
other offensive options.
"They were two people who hurt
us when they played us here, and their
offense is geared toward those two
players," Roberts said. "If our guards
See BASKETBALL, Page 12
JONATHAN LURIEDaily
Michigan defenseman Chris Frescoln battles Miami's Enrico Blasi for a loose puck at Yost Ice Arena. The
Wolverines will try to win their first contest since beating the Redskins, 4-3, Feb. 18.
'M' tries to slam it In reverse
Team hopes to change ways against Ferris, BGSU
Harriers ride
emotional
track toward .
Campionships
By TOM SEELEY
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
When the Michigan men's indoor
track and field team takes to the start-
ing blocks this weekend at the
Silverston Invitational, it might feel a
little strange.
Michigan is in a position that isn't
so familiar to them. Tomorrow at noon
when they enter the Track and Tennis
Building, the Wolverines carry the
title - Big Ten champions.
The team lays claim to this title
after capturing the conference crown
last weekend for the first time since.
1982.
However, while the euphoria of.*
the victory might still be pretty strong,
the squad must now shift its focus to
the NCAA Indoor Championships, a
week from now in Indianapolis.
Tomorrow's meet - named after
Michigan's longtime head timer
Harold Silverston - will be the last
opportunity for those who are not yet
eligible for nationals to get a qualify-.
ing mark under their belts.
With most of the team not having
an opportunity to go to nationals, a
Big Ten title" was its main goal. And
with that goal now in hand, Wolver-
ine assistant coach Ron Warhurst said
See TRACK, Page 1
m - - -- UM
M' Aloha
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State Theatre
On State Street at liberty
Adults $5.00: Students $3.00
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By PAUL BARGER
DAILY HOCKEY WRITER
The Michigan hockey team is go-
ing in the wrong direction at the wrong
time. With only two games remaining
before the start of the CCHA play-
offs, the Wolverines are on a three-
game losing streak.
The squad has the opportunity to
get back on track tonight when it
heads to Bowling Green to face the
Falcons. Tomorrow, Michigan (23-
4-1 CCHA, 28-5-1 overall) meets
FerrisState(l1-16-1,12-21-1)atYost
in its final regular season game of the
season.
Bowling Green (15-11-2, 17-14-
2) has played Michigan extremely
well this season. The first meeting,
Oct. 29, marked the beginning of the
CCHA season and the teams played
to a 5-5 tie. The second matchup, Jan.
25, brought the Wolverines a 2-1 vic-
tory in a game that could have ended
the other way.
"It's a pretty good matchup,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said.
"They've been scoring more lately.
The teams are similar in that they
have both had good contributions from
their freshmen. The only difference is
that our goalie is a senior and their
goalie is a freshman."
That difference was rather evident
in the team's second meeting of the
year. Michigan goaltender Steve
Shields had one of his best perfor-
mances of the season, stopping 36 of
37 Bowling Green shots.
"It is difficult to score goals on
Shields," Bowling Green coach Jerry
York said. "He is so quick and big that
he can cover the net. He is our first
and foremost problem."
See HOCKEY, Page 12
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