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The Michigan Daily - Friday. December 6. 1996 -17
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Michigan women to
be tested by Central
Chippewas to serve as
By Richard Shin
Daily Sports Writer
If the Big Ten is the big test for the
lichigan women's basketball team this
season, then Sunday's 2 p.m. game at
Central Michigan will be a cram ses-
sion.
With only three games left on the
non-conference schedule before
Michigan's first conference matchup
against Ohio State on Dec. 28, the
game against the Chippewas is one of
the last chances for Michigan to fine-
tune its rapidly improving game.
The Wolverines are riding high after
a runner-up finish in the Hawaiian Air
Wahine Tournament in Honolulu over
Thanksgiving break. Michigan fell in
the -finals to top-ranked Stanford, 77-
74, in the waning moments of the game.
In pushing the Cardinal to the limit
before succumbing, Michigan gained
"ational recognition, and along with it,
votes in both the USA Today/CNN and
j.EI1e:Associated Press polls.
A"I think that's great for the program,
Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "I
thizik for us to get a few votes in both
polls, it shows us that people are look-
ing at us and maybe giving us a tiny bit
of respect. It's a start.
"You've got to crawl before you
sprint."
The Wolverines will look to sprint
past a Central Michigan team that is
in a transition of its own. This season,
Chippewas have a new coach,
I-ran Voll. Under Voll, Central
'Michigan opened the season 0-2, los-
ing most recently to Michigan State
on Nov. 30. The Chippewas are led by
senior guard Tracy Renkin, who aver-
aged 10.9 points per game last sea-
son. Although Central Michigan is
winless, Guevara is not-underestimat-
ing the Chippewas.
"I think Sunday is going to be a big
*t for us, because it's not Stanford
we're playing," Guevara said. "The
,:hallenge for this team is to play with
that type of intensity every time you
tune-up for Big Ten
walk out on the court, regardless of who
you're playing."
The key for Michigan against the
Chippewas will be defense. Michigan
has been strong so far this season, giv-
ing up an average of 61 points per game
while scoring 75 points per game.
Michigan has held almost all of its
opponents to under 40 percent shooting
from the field, while many times
Michigan has been able to shoot better
than 40 percent from 3-point range.
"(In Hawaii), I was very pleased,"
Guevara said. "We played better every
single game, and we played a better
team with every game. Voll has (the
Chippewas) playing very hard. They
have been getting more scoring from
their inside game.
"I want to shut down their inside
game."
On the inside, Central Michigan has
looked to juniors Ebony Rainge and
Denise Didley to provide the scoring.
Against the Spartans, Rainge led the
team in scoring with 16 points while
Didley chipped in with 10 points.
The Wolverines will counter with the
very productive duo of Pollyanna Johns
and Tiffany Willard. The two have
helped Michigan to out-rebound all six
of its opponents so far this season.
Johns leads the team in rebounding,
averaging 10.2 per contest, while
Willard is second with a 7.2 average.
Michigan's offensive juggernaut is
led by Johns in the interior and fresh-
man guard Stacey Thomas. Johns leads
the Wolverines, averaging 16.0 points
per game, while Thomas has con-
tributed 14.5 points. From the arc,
Michigan has connected on nearly 40
percent of its 3-point attempts for the
season.
All of this could make it hard for the
Chippewas to avoid starting the season
0-3.
"To beat Central Michigan, we have
to play good defense and run the floor,"
Guevara said. "We have to be mentally
prepared to play this game."
WARREN ZINN/aIy
Michigan captain Brendan Morrison was involved in a rare physical altercation against Western Michigan on Wednesday. He received a 10-minute misconduct.
SRapid col e 1g ore orM
By Jim Rose
Daily Sports Writer
Ah, life in the CCHA.
Not only does the conference sport some of the
best college hockey in the nation, but it also pro-
vides the opportunity for glamorous weekend get-
aways to places like ... Ferris State.
Big Rapids. Big yawn.
That's right, the Wolverines will spend their
Saturday evening on the other, less interesting side
of the state this weekend, when they take on the
Bulldogs at 7 o'clock at Robert L. Ewigleben Ice
Arena.
The Wolverines (7-1-1 CCHA, 14-1-1 overall)
have won five straight since tying Bowling Green,
3-3, on Nov. 16. But since that game, all of
Michigan's games have either been at Yost Ice
Arena or Joe Louis Arena. Now the Wolverines
will hit the road to face a Ferris State team coming
off two victories over Notre Dame last weekend.
The Bulldogs are 4-8, 7-10-1.
And in addition to playing in an unfamiliar
arena, the Wolverines will be without at least two
regulars. In Wednesday night's 3-1 Michigan vic-
tory over Western Michigan, defenseman Peter
Bourke suffered a separated shoulder. Michigan
assistant coach Mel Pearson said Bourke will be
out at least until late in the month. Defenseman
Bubba Berenzweig is out of action for academic
reasons until after Christmas, and forward Sean
Ritchlin is possible with a bruised knee.
Knowing all of that, does Ferris State have a
chance on Saturday?
Probably not.
Last season, the Wolverines blasted the
Bulldogs three times by a combined score of 19-6.
And to hear Pearson tell it, Michigan has added
incentive because this weekend's game is a confer-
ence matchup.
Although the Wolverines are the top-ranked
team in the nation, they are in fourth place in the
CCHA. Miami (Ohio), Lake Superior and
Michigan State are all ahead of Michigan in the.
league standings.
"It makes the games more important," Pearson
said. "It's good for us as coaches that we're
behind, because we can make the games impor-
tant.
"Otherwise, the team sometimes takes a team
like Ferris State lightly, but with every (CCHA)
game being important for us now, it's a good situ-
ation. We were in the same situation last year."
Last year, the Wolverines trailed Michigan State
for much of the season.
The Bulldogs are led by preseason Hobey Baker
candidate Andy Roach, who has 27 points through
18 games this season. But in last season's meet-
ings, the defenseman managed just one goal in
three games against the Wolverines.
Ferris State junior Jeff Blashill entered the season
as a two-year starter in net, but he has been pushed
for minutes by freshman walk-on Mike Szkodzinski.
Szkodzinski has taken the team lead in virtually
every statistical category between the pipes.
For Michigan, Warren Luhning's two-goal per-
formance against Western brought the senior
winger back to the foreffont on the offensive end.
Luhning had struggled of late before breaking
through on Wednesday.
Pearson said the coaches met with Luhning on
Monday.
"That was probably Warren's best game in a
while," Pearson said. "Whether it was the talk
(that made a difference) or not, he had a good
game. Warren definitely showed up (Wednesday)
night."
The bus driver will make sure Luhning and the
rest of the Wolverines show up in Big Rapids on
Saturday, but after that it's up to the players.
Michigan defenseman Harold Schock said it
will be good to get out on the road. Even if it
means going to Big Rapids.
"Just the fact that we are traveling and getting
out of Ann Arbor, going to Big Rapids - the team
is going to be sitting in the hotel and guys will be
thinking of the game," Schock said. "There will be
(fewer) distractions there."
'AmytJohnson will try to weave through some Chippewas this weekend.
U I'
Attention graduate students:
Rackham Graduate School
is pleased to announce
EXTENDED
STUDY HALL
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