The Michigan Daily - SPORTSWednesday - January 8, 1997 - 3B Women cagers prevail over break BARRY SOLLENBERGER Sollenberger in Paradise By Richard Shin Daily Sports Writer With its 97-90 victory over Northwestern on Jan. 3, the Michigan w en's basketball team won consecu- t Big Ten games for the first time since the 1994-95 season and surpassed last season's conference win total of one. The Wolverines, 2-1 in the Big Ten and 10-2 overall, dropped their Big Ten opener to Ohio State, 78-55, but rebounded to defeat Minnesota, 82-63, in their first game of the season at Crisler Arena. Against the Wildcats, Michigan used 1 run to take a 33-20 lead behind 3- pointers by Ann Lemire, Molly Murray, Stacey Thomas and Tiffany Willard. In the second half, Michigan went on a 10- 0 run to finish off the Wildcats. "Against Northwestern, it was a total team effort," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "I was pretty pleased with the team." Center Pollyanna Johns led Michigan, scoring 26 points and grab- b* 14 rebounds. - Thomas added 22 points, while Willard finished with 19. In Michigan's victory over Minnesota, the Wolverines were sparked by senior Silver Shellman and junior Akisha Franklin, who combined to sc.ore 31 points. Michigan outscored theGolden Gophers by 18 in the second half to take home the victory. Before Michigan's game against Northwestern at Crisler, the Wolverines 1i spent more than a month on the and had won four of their previous five games. The lone defeat came at the hands of the Buckeyes. The Wolverines shot an abysmal 37.3 percent from the field - including one of 17 from 3-point range - in their 78- 55 loss to the Buckeyes. Michigan entered the game riding a three-game winning streak and lost for only the sec- ond time this season. The Wolverines were led by Thomas, who scored 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. "We had a little letdown against Ohio State," Guevara said. "Still, the team welcomed the challenge of a long road trip, and I think that they deserve a lot of credit (for going 4-1 over break)." Against Eastern Michigan on Dec. I1 and Houston on Dec. 22, Michigan reached the century mark in scoring as it defeated both opponents by identical 100-75 scores. Against Eastern Michigan, the Wolverines shot a blister- ing 60 percent from the field, torching the Eagles for 55 first-half points. Houston did not fare much better, as the Wolverines connected on 57 percent of their shots for the game. Michigan is off to its best Big Ten start since 1981-82, when it won two of its first three games in the conference. Michigan's fast start may be attributed to vast improvement in play from the four returning starters. "It's the same team with better play- ers," Guevara said. "As each player improves, the team as a whole improves, also.' Michigan finished its nonconference schedule with an 8-1 record, losing only to then-No. 1 Stanford. JEANNIE SERVAAS/Daily The Michigan women's basketball team won four of Its five games over break, defeating Eastern Michigan, Houston, Minnesota and Northwestern to raise its record to 10-2 overall. The Wolverines are 2-1 in the Big Ten. Devils enjo y magica season dspite dtefeat MPE, Ariz.-The people of this college desert teen are in a state of mourn- S ing. It's as if their favorite son recently traveled to some far-off war in some far-off country. And they have just received notice that he's dead. Indeed, there is a sense of tremendous disappointment in this city right now. The Arizona State football team - Tempe's beloved Sun Devils -went off to battle in Pasadena last Wednesday against Ohio State iv the Rose Bowl and did not return victorious. The Buckeyes brought Arizona State's storybook season to an end, 20-17. How could this have happened? Weren't these Sun Devils, only two years removed from a 3-8 season, destined to erase mighty Ohio State (just as they had mighty Nebraska) to complete their first 12-0 season since 1975? Wasn't Arizona State destined to win its first natiol championship ever? This city sure thought so. It brimmed with confidence all of last month. You couldn't go anywhere with- out hearing talk of ASU this or ASU-that. And when the Sun Devils' brilliant quarterback, Jake (the Snake) Plummer, slithered 11 yards against the Buckeyes for a touchdown with 1:33 left for a 17-14 lead, the state of Arizona shook from south Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. But just when it seemed that Arizona State had completed a fourth-quarter comeback for the fourth time this season, a local boy dealt the Sun Devils a crush- ing blow. Quarterback Joe Germaine, who grew up in nearby Mesa, led the Buckeyes on an .improbable 65-yard, game-winning touchdown drive in the game's final two minutes. With just 19 seconds left, the Sun Devils didn't have enough time for another comeback. What made the loss most difficult to stomach for Arizona State fans were the events that transpired the following night. Third-'ranked Florida destroyed top- ranked Florida State in the Sugar Bowl last Thursday, meaning the Sun Devils would have won the national championship if they had survived Ohio State. But in the end, they came up 90 seconds short. Ninety seconds short of a Rose Bowl victory. Ninety seconds short of a national championship. This city is still in a state of shock. Every Arizona State fan is obsessed with the Rose Bowl's last 1 1/2 minutes. Why didn't the Sun Devils put more pressure on Germaine? Why didn't they come up with the big play like they had all season long? But as the saying goes, time heals many wounds. And Arizona State's 1996 sea- son will be remembered as a stunning success, *ot a shocking disappointment. After winning their first two games of the season, the Sun Devils hosted then- No. I Nebraska, which had won 26 straight arnd was gunning for a third straight national championship. A year earlier in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers hmd annihilated the Sun Devils, 77- 28, in a game in which they could have scored 100. Arizona State; a 24-point underdog this season, didn't have a chance. Or so it seemed. In an improbable upset, the Sun Devils blanked the Cornhuskers, 19-0, marking only the second time in Nebraska coach Tom Osborne's 284 games that his team had been shutout. Afterward, the Sun Devils jumped from No.. 17 to No. 6 in The Associated Press poll. They were 3-0 for the first time since 1982. And the college football world took notice. Two more Arizona State victories set up bank-to-back matchups with UCLA and Southern Cal. The Pac-10's road to the Rose Howl goes through Los Angeles both See DEVILS, Page 6B M' cagers face tough Big Ten season ahead By Sharat Raju Daily Sports Writer While most of us were at home having visions of sugarplums dance in our Ws, the Michigan women's basketball team started the Big Ten portion of its season. Considering that the Wolverines are 194-373 in their 23-year history, have never won a conference title and have never had a player selected to the All-Big Ten first team, expectations are higher than usual for Michigan this season. Thanks to a 10-2 start and first-year coach Sue Guevara's new attitude, the f can think big. Last season, under Roberts, the Wolverines finished second-to-last with a 1-15 conference record, 7-20 overall. This season may prove to be different, however. Michigan proved that it can play with any team in the country after losing by three in a heartbreaker against then-No. I Stanford earlier this season. Michigan can also boast that it has more returning letter-winners from last season (13) than any other Big Ten oppo- nent. The Wolverines are 2-1 in the con- ference, having dropped their season- opener to Ohio State and defeating Minnesota and Northwestern. Here's a quick look at the rest of the Big Ten competition this season: Last year, Iowa took first place in the confer- ence, finishing 15-1 in the Big Ten, 27-4 overall, in coach Angie Lee's first sea- son. Led by 6-foot-4 center Tangela Smith (13.6 points per game, seven rebounds per game) the Hawkeyes have four returning starters and are favored to finish first in the Big Ten again. Michigan visits Iowa City on Jan. 26. Having three straight 25-win seasons and three Big Ten titles in the last four years, Penn State has been the dominant force in the conference. Last season, Penn State finished second (13-3, 27-7), but won the Big Ten tournament over Purdue. The Lions have all-Big Ten first team forward Angie Potthoff (18.5 ppg). The Wolverines will square off with the Lions at University Park on Feb. 7 and in Ann Arbor on Feb. 14. Wisconsin finished third in the Big Ten last season, 12-4, 21-8. For the Badgers to make a run for the this year's conference title, they must find a way to fill in for Barb Franke, who graduated after becoming Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer. Among the four returning starters for the Badgers are seniors Keisha Anderson (195 assists and 124 steals last season) and Katie Voight - one of the top backcourts in the Big Ten. Michigan hosts Wisconsin on Jan. 24. Purdue's first-year coach Nell Frontner has a daunting task ahead of her - only three players remain from last season's 11-5, 20-11 squad; which advanced all the way to the Big Ten championship game. The Wolverines head out to West Lafayette on Friday and host the Boilermakers on Feb. 9. On the other hand, Michigan State has the luxury of having all five starters returning from last season. The Spartans finished fifth (9-7, 18-11) and are led by last year's Big Ten freshman of the year forward Nicole Cushing, who was sec- ond in the conference with a .599 field goal percentage. The in-state feud will take place in East Lansing on Jan. 19. Last season was Illinois' most suc- cessful in nearly a decade, finishing at 6- 10, 13-15. The Illini are led by forward Ashley Berggren, who was the Big Ten's leading scorer last year with 24.6 ppg. The Illini visit Ann Arbor on Jan 10. Indiana looks to improve on last year's 5-11, 14-13 season by relying on tower- ing 6-foot-5 center Quacy Barnes. She led the Big Ten with 2.8 blocks per game. ndiana travels to Michigan on Jan. 17 and plays host on Feb. 2. With this slate of foes ahead of them, the Wolverines will try to break into the upper division of the conference for the first time ever. "The Big Ten is such a strong confer- ence, I would be real pleased if we fin- ished in the middle of the pack," Guevara said. ., INTRAMURAL SPORTS' PROGRAM BASKETBALL OFFICIALS NEEDED!! " No Experience Necessary.. Get a Free T-Shirt!! Officials are Paid for All Games Worked!! /I' INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM UPCOMING ACTIVITIES ICE HOCKEY Entries Taken: Weds 1/8 11am - 4:30pm IMSB(ain of) Entry Fee: $375.00 por team Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Thurs 119 6pm IMSB Play Begins: Sun 1/12 at Yost Ice Arena (state street) BASKETBALL Instant Scheduling: Tues 1/14 11am - 5:30pm IMSB Entry Fee: $65.00 per team Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Weds 1/15 6/9pm IMSE a ! Play Begins: Thurs 1/16 at IMSB and Sports Coliseum B TEAM RACQUETBALL -A TEAM BADMINTON lI n nstant Scheduling: Tues 1/14 11am - 5:30pm IMSB Entry Fee: $35.00 peer team Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Weds Play Begins: Thursday 1/16 at aMSB 1/15 7:15pm Entries Taken: until Thurs 1/310 4:30pm IMSB (Main Office) Entry Fee: $25.00 per team Manager's Meeting (Mandatory: Thurs 1/30 6pm IMSB Tournament Date: Saturday 2/1 at NCRB (2375 Hubbard) The deadline for SWIMMING and DIVING entries is Wednesday February 5. \. i