10A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 27, 1997 Minnesota celebrates first conference title since 1982 3 By Danielle Rumore Daily Sports Editor The Golden Gophers pranced around Crisler Arena like they owned the place. After their 55-54 win over the Wolverines, they had every reason to celebrate. When Bobby Jackson was fouled with 2.9 seconds remaining and sank one free throw to seal the game, the Gophers clinched the Big Ten championship - their first since 1982. And then they cut down the nets. "We weren't going to lose this game," Jackson said. "This team is about playing together as a unit. This is the second of three goals that we've accomplished." The Gophers, now at 25-2 overall and 14-1 in the conference, are almost guaranteed a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tourna- ment. Minnesota coach Clem Haskins, adorned with Big Ten championship T-shirt and hat and one one of Crisler's nets hanging around his neck, discussed cutting down the nets on the road. t "My (athletic director)S came over to me and said, ' 'It's OK, Coach, to cut the nets down,"' Haskins said. "I think there's a right way and wrong way to do. things. I try to show class in defeat, and I try to show class the same way when we win." The only goal left for Minnesota to accom- plish this season is winning the NCAA title, according to Haskins. The Wolverines, on the other hand, have more modest objectives. They've dropped four straight. They have three games left on their regular-season schedule and will almost certainly have to win all of them to receive an invitation to the NCAA tournament. THE STARTING LINEUP: Junior forward Maceo Baston started in place of Jerod Ward - Baston's first start for the Wolverines since the Dec. 21 game versus Arizona at the Palace. It was the second straight game Ward began on the bench. Baston finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, leading the team in both cate- gori es. UNCHARITABLE CHARITY: Yesterday's game went down to the wire, but there's a good chance the Wolverines may have been on the other end of a one-point game had they been more successful at the free-throw line. Last night, Michigan sank just 7 of 18 free throws - bad enough for 38.9 percent - its worst showing of the season. Prior to last night's loss, the Wolverines ranked sixth in Big Ten free-throw shooting percentage at 69.1 percent. Bullock leads the league at 90.7 percent, and last night he was perfect at the line, sinking both of his attempts. "When you look at the stat line, 7 for 18 from the free-throw line was a crucial stat that creeps up at you," Fisher said. No Mo' Mo: Michigan forward Maurice Taylor suffered a broken nose against Wisconsin on Feb. 6 and has worn a protective mask to protect his nose since the incident. Last night, a few minutes into the first half, Taylor removed the steamed-up mask and kept it off for the entire game. He finished with just six points and fo rebounds - his worst performance since0 started wearing the mask during the Feb. 8 game against Penn State. DEJA VU: The Wolverines hold a 45-16 record against the Gophers in Ann Arbor, including a 26-2 record against Minnesota in Crisler Arena. The last time the Wolverines fell to the Gophers, prior to last night, was on Feb.'25, 1982, the same year Minnesota won its last Big Ten title. Badgers closer to NCAA bid MADISON (AP) - Ty Calderwood's 3-pointer with seven sec- onds left gave Wisconsin a 49-48 vic- tory over Iowa last night and assured the Badgers of their first winning Big Ten record since 1974. Wisconsin (10-5 Big Ten,17-7 over- all) is riding a six-game conference winning streak for the first time since 1951. Duany Duany hit two straight 3- point baskets to cap a 13-3 Wisconsin run to tie the game, 36-36, with just under nine minutes remain- ing. Cal derwood pulled the Badgers CONIFERENCE Roud u Roundup ADVERT I SEMENT V-VARSITY C-CLUB WINTRAMURAL m = UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN' N oD 1 MEN'S SWIMMINGN AT BiG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS INDIANA UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S GYMNASTICSN AT UTAH:: 7:00 PW WOMEN'S SWIMMINGN LAST CHANCE INVIT CANHAM NATATORIUM MEN'S GYMNASTICSN AT SANTA BARBARA INVIT, 7:00 PM MEN'S TENNISN VS. VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH MEN'S BASKETBALL/V AT ILLINOIS, 2:00 PM WOMEN'S TENNISN AT SAN DIEGO, 1:00 PM MEN'S HOCKEYN AT MIAMI, 7:00 PM WOMEN'S CREWN GOVERNOR'S CUP REGATTA TAMPA, FL MEN'S BASEBALL/V AT STETSON, DELAND, FL, 7:00 PM MEN'S TRACK & FIELD/V SILVERSTON INVIT. TRACK AND TENNIS BUILDING WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD/V SILVERSTON INVIT. TRACK AND TENNIS BUILDING 2 WOMEN'S SWIMMINGN LAST CHANCE 1' CANHAM NATATORIUM . WOMEN'S TENNISN AT PEPPERDNE, NOON MEN'S HOCKEYN AT OHIO STATE, 1 00 PM WOMEN'S CREWN GOVERNOR'S CUP REGATTA TAMPA, FL MEN'S BASEBALLN AT STETSON, DELAND, FL 1:00 PM to within two points on a driving layup with 17.2 seconds remaining. Wisconsin got the ball back with 14.8 seconds left on Iowa's inbounds play under the Badger basket, as the ball came loose and Mike Kosolcharoen dove to get it, then called timeout. Iowa (9-6, 18-9) had one last chance to win the game, but Andre Woolridge's last-second shot bounced Big Ten Standings Team Conf. Overall Minnesota 14-1 25-2 Purdue 11-5 16-10 Wisconsin 10-5 17-7 lowa 9-6 18-9 Illinois 9-6 19.8 Indiana 8-7 21-8 Michigan 7-8 17-10Q Michigan State 7-8 14-10 Ohio State 5-10 10-14 Penn State 2-14 9-16 Northwestern 2-14 7-20 off the rim. Woolridge led the Hawkeyes with 17 points. MICHIGAN STATE 67,0OHIO STATE 65 Jason Klein's only shot of the second half, a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left, provided the winning basket as Michigan State beat Ohio State 67-65 last night. The loss doomed Ohio State (5-10, 10-14) to its fourth straight losing season - the first time that's hap- pened in the school's 98 years of the sport. Klein, who finished with 13 points, hit his big bucket after taking a pass from Thomas Kelley, who passed the ball out while driving the lane. Antonio Smith later added a free throw, with Ohio State's Damon Stringer closing the scoring with a 50- foot 3-pointer at the final buzzer. Ray Weathers led the Spartans (7-8, 14-10) with 21 points, hitting 8 of 12 shots from the field including 5-of-8 3- pointers. The win assured Michigan State of a winning record, and improved the Spartans' chances of an NIT bid. PURDUE 72, NORTHWESTERN 61 Chad Austin scored 20 points and Jaraan Cornell added 15 to give Purdue its third straight victory last night, a 72-61 decision over Northwestern. The victory kept the Boilermakers in second place in the Big Ten, a half- game ahead of Wisconsin. Northwestern (2-14, 7-20) fought back to tie the game at 52 and again at 54. But a pair of free throws by Mike Robinson sparked an 8-0 Purdue run, and the Boilermakers (11-5, 16-10) sank 10 of 12 free throws in the final 2:02 to seal the victory. The Boilermakers, who entered the game averaging 43 percent from the floor, shot just 36 percent (9 of 25) in the first half. LET YOUR NIKE STUDENT REP KNOW THE TIME AND LOCATION OF YOUR EVENTS FOR NEXT MOCNTH REACH HER AT JEN UNDER@NIKE C2ON Spring Studeni C mmencement jumps toNB LEXINGTON, Ken. (AP) -lRo Mercer, the Kentucky forward w ho leads the SEC in scoring, is giving up his last two years of eligibl aty after the season to enter the N1A draft, The widely anticipated decision comes with No. 3 Kentucky approaching postseason play, and coach Rick Pitino has said that Mercer's announcement wol remove a distraction from the teami. "Certainly Ron Mercer has ben soncone special for us the past two years," Pitino said. "He helped us win a championship last year. He's been a humble, hard-working play- er since the day I met him." Merccr, a finalist for playe(, of the year awards, is averaging l8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a game and is expected to be one of thet selections in the June draft. The 6-foot-7 sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., recently took out an insurance policy that would pay him $500,000 in case of a careera ending injury during the rest of the season. Mercer's teammate, Derek Anderson, sustained a season-end- ing knee injury Jan18. "The thing that happened Derek made me think what cou happen to me," Mercer said. Mercer said he talked with his parents last week about turning pro. He said his mother wanted hit to get his education. "She told me to take some time out and think about it," Mrer:;' said. FANS Continued from Page 8A and watch. "There's only so much the fans can do," Abramson said. "In the end, the good teams usually come out on top, and tonight, that was Minnesota" And back to coaching the Wolverines and not the fans for Fisher. But Michigan students may get to see their Wolverines on the Crisler hardwood again this season. 0 Michigan may host a first-round NIT game. BUMBLED Continued from Page 8A Jackson for Big Ten player of the year honors. Jackson had18 points, nine rebounds and three steals yesterday and helped hold Bullock to 12 points on of-1 I shooting. 1 Michigan staked a 17-6 lead after con- secutive 3-pointers from Conlan and Bullock with 8:46 left in the first half. But Minnesota reeled of a 14-0 run of is own to take a 20-17 lead. But the Wolverines came back with an 11-3 spurt to take a 31-25 lead into half- time. The Gophers got as close as one in the early stages of the second half, but Michigan never trailed before a John Thomas jump hook with 5:57 left g Minnesota a 48-47 lead. MINNESOTA (55) FQ FT RE MIN MA M-A OT A F PTS James 27 1-2 0-2 0-4 2 1 2 Jacobson 21 1-4 2-3 0-1 2 4 9 Thomas J. 22 35 0.0 2-5 2 4 6 Jackson 37 7-13 34 1-9 0 2 18 Harris 33 4-9 34 01 7 0 12 Winter 15 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 3 0 Lewis 18 3-7 0-0 23 0 2 Tarver 17 0-0 0-0 01 0 2 Thomas C. 10 0-1 2-2 0-1 0 2 2 Totals 200 21-4610-156-301320 55 FG%: .457. FT%: .667. 3-point FG: 3-12, .250 (Harris 1-3, Jackson 1-4, Jacobson 1- 4, Lewis 0-1), Blocks: 1 (Jackson). Steals: 6 (Jackson 3, Harris, James, Thomas J.). Technical Fouls: none. C tSpeaker rEntries The Office of University Relations is making a Call for Entries for a Student Speaker at Spring Commencement Saturday, May 3, 1997 9:30 a.m. Michigan Stadium The student speaker must be receiving a bachelor's degree during Winter Term 1997 or Summer Term 1997 Submit " Curriculum Vitae (or resume) highlighting U-M scholarship and campus leadership " Typed draft of speech (no more than 5: miniitP., in lanothl SARA STILLMAN/Daily Center John Thomas was just one of many Golden Gophers to cut down the Crisler Arena nets last night in celebration of Minnesota's first Big Ten title since 1982. I I