71.H'D ilg When was the last time the gMichigan women's basketball team won two games in a row? (Answer, page 2) I AP Top 25 Wrestling Q&A Bach's Score Men's basketball Women's basketball Hockey Men's swimming NFL playoffs 2 2 3 3 4-5 4-5 6 7 8 *Women cagers end Big en woes By RAVI GOPAL Daily Basketball Writer The Michigan women's basket- ball team opened up the new year with a bang as it defeated Michigan State and Northwestern this past eeekend. Friday, the Wolverines (2-2 Big Ten, 7-7 Overall) edged the Spar- tans, 80-75. The momentum from the victory carried Michigan through yesterday's matchup, as the Wild- cats (1-2, 5-8) were crushed, 74-55. Michigan State (0-2, 6-5) gave the Wolverines a tough fight, and the outcome of the game was in question until the final seconds. ,qpartan guard Christine Powers drilled a 3-pointer from the right side to make the score 77-75, Michi- gan, with 12.8 seconds to play. After a Michigan State timeout, Wolverine freshman Akisha Franklin was fouled. Franklin split a pair at the line and the Spartans had one last chance for victory. Michigan State's leading scorer, isha Kelley, had fouled out min- tes earlier, after suffering through an 8-for-21 performance from the field. Since Powers had scored all 16 of her points in the second half, she got the ball once again. But this time her 3-point attempt clanged off the rim. The ball bounced out to Michigan's Silver Shellman, who subsequently was fouled by Powers. Shellman's two *ree throws iced the'game for the Wolverines. The win was Michigan coach Trish Roberts' first confer- ence win in Crisler Arena. The Wolverines seemed destined for a fall, however, as Michigan State was able to rally from numer- ous deficits. The Spartans' last lead of the game was 19-18 with 7:04 to go in the first half, but Michigan *.ever led by more than eight. With the score 66-63 and Michi- gan State surging, Amy Johnson, the Wolverines' leading scorer, was poked in the eye by Kelley. Johnson had to leave the game for several minutes and Michigan's prospects for victory seemed dim. Junior Jennifer Brzezinski brightened matters almost immedi- ately. She fed Tiffany Willard on a ast break for an easy lay-in and converted a 3-point play seconds later. The sequence gave Michigan a 71-63 advantage with 4:03 to play, See WOMEN, Page 4 Amaechi soars over Blue Michigan's 15-point first half leads to loss By RYAN WHITE Daily Basketball Writer UNIVERSITY PARK - After going oh-for-Arizona earlier in the season, the Michigan basketball team is working on going oh-for- Pennsylvania as well. The Wolverines, who lost to Pennsylvania on Dec. 13, were de- feated yesterday by Penn State, 73- 63, in front of 7,452 at Recreation Hall. Michigan (1-1 Big Ten, 7-6 Overall) lost to Arizona State, at the Maui Classic on Nov. 22, and to Arizona at the Great Eight Basket- ball Festival on Nov. 30. Michigan dug itself a hole in the first half, shooting just 21 percent from the floor and getting in serious foul trouble, and was never able to find its way out. Wolverine senior co-captain Jimmy King opened the game with a lay-up that gave Michigan a 2-0 lead. That basket was almost the extent of the Wolverines' offense in the first half, and it would prove to be the Wolverines' only lead of the game. In fact, at the end of the half, Michigan had 15 points and 14 turn-. overs. A Ray Jackson three-pointer with 3:44 to go in the first half finally broke the double-digit bar- rier for the Wolverines. Nittany Lion center John Amaechi led Penn State with 9 first- half points. But more importantly, he was the major contributor to the Wolverines' Mahktar Ndiaye and Maurice Taylor each picking up three personal fouls in the half. Both would leave the game early in the second half, Ndiaye with 9:18 left and Taylor about a minute later with 8:14 to go. "It was real frustrating because I had some early fouls and Mak had some early fouls," Taylor said. "We didn't think they were all legit fouls." "We didn't have any inside game today," King said. "All of our big boys fouled out." The Wolverines' foul trouble was particularly a problem down low because they were forced to leave freshman Maceo Baston in Ann Arbor due to academic problems. Baston had a grade that had yet to be turned in because he still had work to complete. The absence of Ndiaye and Tay- lor in the second half turned Recre- ation Hall into Amaechi's private playground. Amaechi knocked down 17 in the second as Penn State was able to go inside to him at will. The senior center finished with 26 and 14 rebounds. The Wolverines biggest prob- lem, however, was not Amaechi, but their shooting. Michigan finished the game shooting just 33 percent from the field. King was 5-for-14, Willie Mitchell made just 5 of 14 and Jerod Ward 3 of 12. Michigan has only shot over 50 percent from the floor twice this season. "Today was just one of those days when the shots weren't fall- ing," King said. "It was like there was a lid on the basket." The Wolverines did manage to cut the Penn State lead, that was as much as 18, down to eight, but the Nittany Lions' Pete Lisicky hit a three-pointer to push the lead to 11. Michigan cut the lead to under 10 again when Ward hit a three- pointer, and was fouled. The four- point play cut the lead to 47-38. On Penn State's next possession, however, Amaechi was left wide open underneath the basket for a dunk, and the Nittany Lions never looked back. Ray Jackson, who led the Wol- verines with 24 points, said that Michigan's poor offense was nobody's fault but its own. "We didn't swing the ball like we should have," he said. "And as a result we took poor shots.' It was the first Big Ten road game for Michigan's freshmen, and it wasn't made easy by a raucous Penn State crowd. According to Mitchell, though, the crowd wasn't a factor in Michigan's play. "We just didn't come out and play hard from the beginning," he said. "It was the first time on the road for the young guys in the confer- ence," King said. "We just have to learn from this." The Wolverines' first shot at ap- plying the lesson will be Wednes- day night when they face Iowa at Crisler Arena. Penn State center John Amaechi led all scorers with 26 points. Icers drop exhibition contest Sacka injured as Team Canada defeats Wolverines / By MELANIE SCHUMAN Daily Hockey Writer Saturday night, the Michigan hockey team lost a game. Players were injured and national pride was damaged at the sticks of Team Canada in this disappointing 4-2 decision. The loss came in a grinding, feisty atmosphere similar to that of a playoff game, and the only consoling thought is that this was just an exhibition. Even with the loss, Michigan coach Red Berenson believes that this game was beneficial for every possible rea- son, especially conditioning, except if it should cost Michigan three play- ers. After throwing a check midway through the first period, Ron Sacka was helped off the ice suffering a strained groin and is listed as doubtful for next weekend. Rick Willis (shoul- der) and Jason Botterill (back) both have contusions and are listed day-to- day, but are expected to play next weekend. In addition, sophomore Mike Legg (flu) did not dress, leaving the Wolverines with nine forwards for most of the last 40 minutes. Michigan's shorthanded lineup battled its way to a 2-2 tie at the end of two periods, but failed to provide that same support in the third when Canada scored the go-ahead and insurance goals. The first two Canadian goals in the contest came on point shots de- flected down low in front of the net, both of which Michigan goaltender Marty Turco did not see. The third goal was the ultimate fluke - liter- ally. As he often does, Turco came out of the net to play the puck. With his team shorthanded, he saw all the players along the boards and shot the puck up the middle. What he didn't see was Michigan defender Tim Hogan in the crease. The puck hit Hogan's ankle and slid out to the hash marks where Canadian center Mark Kaufmann recovered it and scored a power-play goal. Michigan didn't recover and let up a three-on-none shorthanded goal after Team Canada had been whistled for too many men on the ice. "When we went to a wedge forecheck I thought we took away their ability to counter-attack and really when we started to do that, I thought the game was pretty much in hand for us," Team Canada coach See EXHIBITION, Page 6 TONYA BROAD/Daily The Michigan hockey team fell to Team Canada in an exhibition game Saurday. Pigskin Classic awaits *Wolvennes next season Captain of dedication Gymnast Brian Winkler started late but came on strong By CHAD A. SAFRAN Daily Football Writer The 1995 Michigan football season got one game longer Friday when the National Association of Collegiate Di- rectors of Athletics (NACDA) reached agreement with the University ath- 4tic department to serve as host of next season's Pigskin Classic on Aug. 26. Disneyland sponsored the game for the previous five years but concluded its sponsorship after 1994's Ohio State- Fresno State matchup, ending a five- year contract. The contest, one of two sponsored by the NACDA, continually lost money in its stay at Anaheim Sta- dium (home of the Freedom Bowl and *os Angeles Rams). Thus the decision to move the game to an on-campus site. "We feel that an on-campus site will bring the pageantry normally associated with a collegiate football game, and what better venue to than By JULIE KEATING For The Daily perfect 10. Oprah's new dress size? Well not exactly. It Aepitomozes the very top, and the very best that a gymnast can strive for. In the 1984 Olympics, Mary Lou Retton scored an unprecedented perfect 10 on the vault, with the men's team following suit to also capture the gold. That very same year, 10-year old Brian Winkler was just one of the thousands of aspiring young gymnasts who watched America's team with respect and admiration. Winkler, a senior and co-captain of the men's gymnastics team, credits the Olympics as one of the many forces that helped him cruise down Victory Lane. He stopped only when he had to, and avoided any "accidents" along the way. From the time he was old enough to qualify for the Junior Nationals, his career was full speed ahead. Coming to Ann Arbor all the way from Bradenton, Fla., Brian chose Michigan because of the Engineering program, along with its strong tradition in Big Ten gymnastics. While living in Florida, Brain barely had time to lay in the sun, as his parents Walt and Ginnie encouraged him from the very beginning to stay with gymnastics, to do the best he could. He began gymnastics at the age of went to classes every day until about three, then went home to get in his two hours of studying before he had to head off to the gym. He drove the familiar 45-minute drive to and from the gym, sometimes returning as late as 10 at night. As a member of Culbertson's Gym, Brian was a four-time Florida State Champion and three-time Southeast Regional Champion. While he greatly enjoys wind-surfing and the beach, he found little time to participate in these sports as his summers were filled with traveling and participating in various camps. He attended a camp in Pennsylvania each year, and was selected as one of the few to practice at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for rigourous training and the best in gymnastics coaching today. As a three-time returning letter winner, Brian will be taking on the responsibilities of being co-captain and one of the highest ranked gymnasts in the country. As a freshman he won the NCAA National Championship in floor exercise; which happens to be his favorite event. He qualified for the vault, the rings and the all-Around competition as well. In his second season, Brian was forced to do something he was not used to doing, and that was sit back and take time off. He unerwent back surgery in January, which kept him from competing until mid-March, when the season was alraedy half over. He fared extremely well, placing sixth on the -ob o -- Roberson local business establishment expressed their concerns to Athletic Director Joe Roberson about somehow getting an- other game in Ann Arbor. In the past Michigan has hosted as many as eight home games, but in recent years, that