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. SUNDAY SPECIAL Wolverines Score- You Save! 5% off for every touchdown up to 25% off on all University of Michigan items Home Game Hours: M-F 9-5 Corner of Sat 9-7' State and Sun 11-5 N. University BOOK & SUPPLY 317 S. STATE 665-4990 -j v