COLLEGE No. 13 CONN. 80, PRO PRO
BASKETBALL No. 25 Rhode Is. 67 BASKETBALL HOCKEY
No. 2 N. Carolina, 84 No. 14 Utah 87, CHARLOTTE 106, Boston 3,
RICHMOND 65 WEBER ST. 72 Portland 92 PITTSBURGH 3, OT
No. 4 KANSAS 75, No. 20 MICHIGAN 77, MIAMI 122 CAROLINA 3,
W. Kentucky 62 Cleveland St. 59 LA Clippers 113, Montreal 2
BNo. 10 NEW MEX. 80 OHIO STATE 73, NEW JERSEY 108, NY Islanders 3,
New Mexico 5t. 79 Kent 67 Boston 100 DETROIT 2
No. 11XAVIER 95, PHILADELPHIA 97. TAMPA BAY 6, Thursday
Toledo 76 Washington 86 NY Rangers 3 November 20, 1997
Volleyball
stru gg1
to find
stability
ByJosh Kleinbaum
Daily Sports Writer
Good teams win games. Great
ones do It consistently.
Although the Michigan volleyball
team does not expect to win both of
its matces this weekend - one is
against No. 2 Penn State - the
Wolverines are looking for a sign
this season might be a special
With jest four games left on the
regular-season slate, Michigan (10-6
Big Ten, 17-10 overall) is trying to
gain its first-ever NCAA tournament
berth and first post-season play
since 19945, when it played in the
now-defunct National Invitational
Volleyball Championship.
But standing in the way is Indiana
Al2, 17-12) and Penn State (16-1,
1). Michigan plays at Indiana
tomorrow and at Penn State on
Satlrday night.
gWe're looking for a little momen-
tam this weekend," Michigan coach
Greg Giovanazzi said. "We had a
rally good night last Friday (against
Iowa), them dominated in game two
against Minnesota (on Saturday),
bet then we played really inconsis-
t ly. Its been a little bit of a trend
us in the past three weeks."
Calling it a trend is an understate-
mest. Over the past three weeks, the
Woverines split both of their match-
es ieach weekend. At times they
loaned sotid, destroying teams such
as Iowa and Northwestern, but at
other times they struggled. And this
weecend looks to be no different.
But; Michigan could find success
aainst the Hoosiers. Indiana is a
h less formidable foe than Penn
State. After starting the season 15-0
and Teaking into the top 25, the
Hoo6 rs collapsed.
Thely have dropped nine of their
lass I Q, and have only four confer-
ence v4ctories.
Traylor large as
Blue rolls, 77-59
By Mak Snyder
DaffySports Writer
Isn't the biggest kid's team supposed
to win?
While Michigan's first game - a loss
to inferior Western Michigan - was not
supposed to happen, the adage finally
held true.
Robert Traylor and his Michigan
teammates clogged the middle and the
Cleveland State offense as they trounced
the Vikings, 77-59, last night at Crisler
Arena.
Traylor inspired Michigan's victory
from the beginning of the game, making
his presence felt in the paint.
His 10 rebounds in the first half -
and 15 for the game - established him
as a force on both boards.
The presence of the 300-pound center
in the paint discouraged the Vikings all
night, forcing them to shoot from outside
the 3-point circle on numerous occa-
sions. They responded with 25 long-
range shots, spearheaded by guard James
Madison's 13 attempts.
"They're really talented," Cleveland
State coach Rollie Massimino said. "I
don't think they're going to get any more
physical than Traylor"
Traylor's ability to redirect shots -he
blocked four Cleveland State attempts
- had gone untapped in the past, when
he often watched the action from the
bench.
But against the Vikings, Traylor
stayed out of foul trouble in the crucial
first half, while Michigan built a 35-21
lead. The Vikings were held to just 29
percent shooting in the face of
Michigan's size.
Traylor's work on the defensive glass
remains a source of pride for the center.
"Whatever my team needs, I'm going
to do," Traylor said. "My thing and
Maceo (Baston)'s thing is to get every
rebound."
Offensive production was sparked by
Jerod Ward, who scored four of
Michigan's first eight points, and got the
offense rolling for the Wolverines.
"Jerod Ward was very active early in
the game,' Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe
said. "He perpetuated us into a good
solid flow."
He finished with 14 points, second on
the team to Baston, who totaled 17 for
the victors.
A seven-minute spurt in the middle of
the first half propelled the Wolverines
from an 8-8 game into a 23-12 lead, yet
that was not enough to halt apprehension
midway through the first half.
Success early on in games is nothing
new for Michigan in this young season,
and second-half collapses - like in the
opener against Western Michigan --
remained fresh on Michigan's mind.
"The guys were so anxious to play
well to show the world they were a better
basketball team," than against Western,
Ellerbe said.
And the second half bore that effort.
Michigan pushed the lead to 22 points
during the second stanza and held the
Vikings at bay, despite the defensive
pressure employed by Massimino's
squad.
But when it came to finishing against
the press, the Wolverines were not always
as effective as Ellerbe might have hoped.
"We broke the first wave of their pres-
sure" he said. "But we didn't finish at the
end."
An inability to finish plagued both
guards for the second game in a row.
While against Western the backcourt
duo managed just two field goals
between them, against Cleveland State
they weren't much better.
Bullock knocked down 5-of-15 shots
and failed, for the second game in a row,
to convert a 3-pointer, missing all six
attempts.
Reid's performance was no better. The
transfer remains hesitant to shoot the -
ball. He hoisted just eight attempts last
night and converted two.
The guards' lack of production -
especially with regard to Bullock - was
dismissed by the coach as fatigue.
Ellerbe said the problem was with
Bullock's legs. "Because we're short-
handed, it's tough to get him a blow. I
think he's a little tired."
Once again, Michigan faced a superi-
or individual effort, coming this time
from Madison. The presidential name-
sake lived up to his advanced billing,
compiling 26 points.
SARA SIUEMAN/Bairy
Michigan's Maceo Baston led the team with 17 points In the Wolverines' 77-59 victory over Cleveland State last night. He
and center Robert Traylor filled the middle to limit Cleveland State's offensive production.
TwO QUARTERBACKS, TWO TEAMS, TWO DAYS
& 'd- , 1 1 .
.
Alter rough road traveled, Griese leads
undefeated 'M' into game for Rose Bowl
Germaine has eyes set on Roses, again
By buels Rumore
Daily Sports Editor
It shoukl come as no surprise that
Michigan quarterback Brian Griese has a
chance to end his collegiate career on
rday with a Rose Bowl berth. It
Wjs fitting that the fifth-year senior,
has a phance to end his fairy-tale career
with a fairy-ale season.
Griese's football career has never been
easy, but success for the Michigan foot-
ball team hasn't come easy over the past
fort- seasons, either. Things are different
thi$ season, for Griese and for the
Wolverines. .
It's 'ironic that Griese almost didn't
rn for his fifth year of eligibility,
Tidst four straight four-loss seasons and
a qltarterback ontroversy looming with
Scott Dreisbac at the end of last season.
But a decent showing in last year's
Alamo Bowl factored into the decision of
hislife.
The Alamo Bowl, "had everything to
do with my decision,' Griese said. "I
knew I wanted to come back?'
Now Griese, a former non-scholarship
player, is the leader of an undefeated
Michigan team ranked No. 1 in the coun-
try for the first time since 1990 and head-
ed to the Rose Bowl for the first time
since 1992, if it can beat Ohio State on
Saturday.
"It's true I've been through a lot,"
Griese said. "My job is to get the team in
the end zone. I realize my role, and I've
been more of a leader"
Griese's story can almost write itself.
Rewind to the very beginning, when
Griese was a senior at Columbus High
School in Miami, Fla. He decided to
attend Michigan even though he wasn't
offered a scholarship. He walked on and
didn't play in 1993. In 1994, he was the
kick holder for former Michigan field
goal kicker Remy Hamilton.
Fast forward to the 1995 season.
Griese nabbed the starting role after the
fifth game. Although the Wolverines fin-
ished with their third straight four-loss
season, Griese led them past Ohio State
in the last game of the regular season,
ending the Buckeyes' chance to go to the
See GRIESE, Page 8A
to oStdate Lantm
Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine
says he loves the attention, but enough
with the quarterback controversy.
As far as he's concerned, there is no
controversy. The coaches don't have a
problem with it, the players don't and
neither does Germaine.
"I'm a team player," he said. "I'll do
whatever coach (John Cooper)tells me to
do. The most important thing to do is
win"
The Buckeyes have proven they can
win with the two-quarterback system.
Ohio State (6-1 Big Ten, 10-1 overall)
has lost a meager two games in two sea-
sons since the start of the duo. Germaine
likes the way the coaches are using Ohio
State's quarterback talent.
"You never give the defense the same
thing twice," he said. "It's good to mix
things up?'
That's just what the Buckeyes plan to
do against Michigan.
"We have a lot of things to run this
weekend until we find something that
works," Germaine said. "We're not going
to take anything out of our offense just
because of the intensity of this game"
If Germaine were calling the plays, he
wouldn't do much different, he said.
"You've got to get an even pass and
run game," he said. "I think we do that?'
Germaine gives ample credit for the
Buckeyes' success to quarterback coach
Tim Salem and offensive coordinator
Mike Jacobs.
"Salem can get down to our level," he
said. "He's energetic and young - he's
been a quarterback; he knows what it's
like. Jacobs is great at the mental facet of
the game. They're tough coaches; they
know what they're doing?'
Germaine takes one game at a time
See GERMAINE, Page 9A
Brian Griese returned for his fifth year Despite Ohio State's twoquarterback
of eligibility to anchor an undefeated system, Joe Germaine said he does not
Michigan team this season. mind sharing time with Stanley Jackson.
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