UTI E r ttit Bat7llg PORTS ONDAY '~.' ~ bs awa ' MicAigan better seen ctMall MALL OF AMERICA, Minn. - First of all, Boss, I want you to sit down. Have a glass f water. Relax. I know you sent me to Minnesota to cover the Michigan bas- etball game. So that's exactly what I lid. Tipoff to tipoff. Didn't miss a sec- md. I just, uh, well, I never made it to Williams Arena. You see, I've been inside the Mall of America since Friday afternoon. And even if I could find my way out of this 78-acre mod- ern miracle of tourist heaven, I have to admit - I'd rather be JIM here than at the ROSE arena with the Rose rest of the eef media. I didn't miss a thing. I still saw he game from start to finish. I caught he first half in Planet Hollywood, then plit the second half between Fat 'uesday and Hooters. It's amazing vhat kind of perspective you can gain y watching the game on television vith friendly waitresses and delicious ot wings, as opposed to the below- rt view all the other reporters suf- d through on Saturday afternoon. Trust me, I know what it's like. I aw them struggling from their overrat- d courtside seats, straining to see past he cheerleaders and referees. And hose other sports writers would never dmit it, but this is the truth: I don't eed to be courtside in order to know hat Michigan can't win if Louis 3ullock scores five points in the a See ROSE, Page 5B Gophers detonate 14 from long range By James Goldstein Daily Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS When 6-foot- 11 freshman center Kyle Sanden - whose role is primarily to get down and dirty with the big boys in the paint - drained his second 3-pointer of the year in only his third attempt of the season, it was clear Michigan was in for a long day. Maybe the center from Thief River Falls, Minn., felt the effects of the balmy 30-40 degree temperatures in the Minneapolis area - a treat for a city that usually struggles to get out of single digits - around this,-- time of year. .. Maybe El Nino not only affects the weather, shooting hands. Whatever the Minnesota 88 Mchigan 78 but also warms up explanation, the Gophers were sizzling. Minnesota, which scored just 15 points in the first half of Michigan's 65-57 victory at Crisler Arena two weeks ago, used a 68-percent second-half shooting per- formance and a 3-point clinic Saturday afternoon to defeat the Wolverines, 88-78, in front of a rowdy crowd of 14,714 at Williams Arena. "Our defense wasn't very good today," Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said. "We're not a team that can give up 88 points and expect to win. The tempo wasn't too bad, but we would have liked it a little more to our advantage. "But when they are making threes like that, the score balloons quickly." The Gophers' 14 3-pointers, high- lighted by backcourt mates Eric Harris 5-of-6 and Kevin Clark's 4-of- 6 3-point shooting, set a school record and temporarily tied the Big Ten mark for most threes in a game. (Purdue broke the record later that night.) Minnesota made 17 of 25 from the field, causing even Minnesota coach Clem Haskins to marvel at his team's shooting performance. "Wow," Haskins said. "Who said those Gophers couldn't shoot?" Michigan (7-4 Big Ten, 17-7 over- all) lost at Williams Arena for the fourth consecutive time, a streak that dates back to the Fab Five days in 1993. With the loss, the Wolverines dropped to fifth place in the Big Ten and fell three games behind confer- ence leader Michigan State with five games left on the conference slate. The loss to Minnesota (3-8, 9-12) also means that members of Michigan's senior class - Travis Conlan, .lerod Ward and Maceo Baston -- can't say that they ever came away victorious from an arena known as "The Barn" in their colle- giate careers. "My four years they have never beat us here," said senior point guard Harris. "That's a great accomplish- -ment because Michigan has good teams year-in and year-out. I think we have their number." Harris had the biggest hand in keep- ing that streak alive in Minneapolis. He led the Gophers with 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 5- of-6 from the free throw line. Many of the charity shots came in the waning minutes of the game, putting an end to the Wolverines' comeback. The number that Minnesota had wrapped around its finger all after- noon was Michigan's No. 11 - Louis Bullock. Bullock couldn't get himself going against the Minnesota zone and Clark chased the Wolverines' sharp- shooter all over the court, preventing him from setting his feet and getting comfortable. Bullock scored 12 points and hit 2 of 6 3-pointers. Michigan was led by See GOPHERS, Page 4B SARA STlLLMAN/Daily Minnesota guard Kevin Clark throws his hands up in celebration and Michigan guard Louis Bullock can only look on in the waning moments of Saturday's 88-78 victory over the Wolverines in Williams Arena. The Gophers put on a long-range shooting clinic, draining 14 3-pointers on 20 attempts and shooting 68 percent from the field in the second half. Icers explode to victory with 4 goals in the third JOHN KRAFT/Daily ichigan center Pollyanna Johns had ants and 10 rebounds in the erlnes' 62-60 victory over Purdue. MWI'hoopus edge out rdue B.J. Luria wily Sports Writer WEST LAFAYETTE - After losing o of its last three games, the Michigan women's basketball team needed a vic- ory in a big way. Scratch that - the Wolverines needed a victory as if their NCAA tournament bid depended on it. 'esterday, Michigan got that desper- a y-needed win as it knocked off Purdue in a nailbiter, 62-60, at Mackey Arena. Purdue guard Ukari Figgs' last- second, desperation shot bounced harm- lessly off the backboard, and the win was secured. By Fred Unk Daily Sports Writer The Michigan hockey team only played one game this weekend, but Saturday's 4-1 victory against Lake Superior State (9-10-4 CCHA, 12-12- 4 overall) seemed like it could have been two dif- ferent games. After being shut out in the first two periods, No. 6 Michigan (17-4-1, 23-6-1) looked like a different team in the third, scoring four goals on 17 shots. "Their defense really had to work hard to contain our forwards, and I think it was just a matter of time before we got the break we needed," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. The Wolverines fell behind midway through the B obby Hayes didn't come to first lin Michigan with much confidence. ward Bi In fact, when Hayes originally Muck committed to play hockey for the goal-sc Wolverines, he wasn't supposed to lot of hi come to Michigan with much of any- ing cher thing - including a scholarship. even Mu So as he prepared to leave for Ann before th Arbor, Hayes wasn't worried about how would b much playing time he'd get, how many today. goals he'd score or how many assists "If yo he'd dish out. No, Hayes had much thought] more basic concerns on his mind. goals, I' "Before I came here, my friends used Muckalt to ask me for tickets," Hayes said. "I'd he's doii tell them, 'Don't worry about it, Actua because I won't be plaving. I don't think seems t first period after a Lake Superior goal by forward Jason Sessa. The Lakers clutching style shut down Michigan's offense for most of the first two periods, limiting the Wolverines to just a couple of scoring chances. But Michigan got on the board early in the third period when a Scott Matzka rebound ricocheted off Geoff Koch's skate into the net to tie the game, 1-1. Less than two minutes later, Michigan's Matt Herr skated down the left wing, deked around a Laker, cut across the crease and scored with a backhand shot. "I stand there in practice for five or six hours and try to put those in the upper part of the net," the senior captain said. "In the second period, I had See LAKERS, Page 4B MAIZE- Michigan goal- tender Marty Turco kept the Wolverines in fl Saturday's game against Lake Superior. The 04°senior netminder maintained a one- goal deficit long enough for a third period flurry by Wolverines, rally- ing to victory, 4-1. WARREN ZINN/Daily By Chris Farah Daily Sports Editor e, playing center with star for- ill Muckalt on the right wing. kalt, one of the nation's leading orers with 26, probably owes a s success this year to the amaz- mistry he has with Hayes. But Muckalt wouldn't have guessed he season began that Hayes e the offensive presence he is ou asked me right now if I he would've had 18 'd say probably not," t said. "I just think ng well this year." ally, Muckalt still o have trouble grasping the fact cess. If anybody understands that about Hayes, it's teammate Dale Rominski. The two roomed together when they were freshmen and even played together before they wore the maize and blue. Hayes joined Rominski on the Compuware team of the United States Hockey League midway into the sea- son, the year before both players came to Michigan. "All I think he needed was the confidence," Rominski said. "In juniors he was a real crafty o player, and he had the confi- dence to make moves and know that he He keeps working at it until he gets it, and once he gets it, he's not going to let go of it." Hayes never did let go of his chance to be a Wolverine. Contrary to his origi- nal fears, he did play his freshman year. And he did end up playing with a schol- arship his first season, even though he would've come to Michigan as a walk- on in a second, no questions asked. "To be a part of this is something l don't think anyone could turn down if they had a chance," Hayes said. "And if they did, I'd find it really hard to believe that it was their choice. This place speaks a lot without even saying any- thing." Confidence. The world of S sports is famous for its cliches. The big game. The team player. The i