MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL No. 18 Cincinnati 93, ALABAMA-BIRM. 76 No. 9 NEW MEXICO 95, Texas El Paso 71 Indiana 74, OHIO STATE 72 WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL No. 13 DUKE 65, No. 8 N. Carolina 62 No. 16 Florida Int. 72, MERCER 53 DEPAUL 89, No. 11 Vanderbilt 67 No. 5 Texas Tech 94, OKLAHOMA 59 No. 15 Hawaii 69, TULSA 51 PRO BASKETBALL HOUSTON 100, Detroit 90 Chicago 123, TORONTO 86 SPORTS tgn ~ai Tracking 'M' teams : The Michigan wrestling team takes on Indiana tonight at Cliff Keen Arena at 7:30 p.m. The meet will befthe last one at home this season for the Wolverines, who will say goodbye to the team's five seniors. Friday February 20, 1998 9 MICHIGAN VS. INDIANA SUNDAY, I P.M. (CBS) CRISLER ARENA Crunch time MICHIGAN VS. MICHIGAN STATE TONIGHT, 7 P.M. (Fox) TOMORROW, 7 P.M. (Fox) MUNN ICE ARENA JOE LoUIS ARENA Revenge, tourney seed at stake By James Goldstein LDaily Sports Writer Even though forward Jerod Ward stands at 6-foot-9, his playing style fits the description of a large shooting guard or slashing small forward. Most of his points this season have come from his improved outside shooting or from easy baskets in the lane. That was with Maceo Baston in the mix, though. Michigan could rely on the long-armed Baston to grab rebounds and work in the post next to space-filler Robert Traylor. Now, one thing's changed - Baston is nursing a broken foot in a cast and crutches. But one thing's still the same - Ward is still producing from the perimeter, averaging 16.2 points in his past five games. Even with Ward's success, one thing's going to have to change - Ward is going to have to get used to playing more power forward in Baston's absence, especially with Indiana up next for Ward and the Wolverines. No. 22 Michigan (8-5 Big Ten, 18-8 overall) will face the Hoosiers (9-4, 18- 7) on Sunday at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Crisler Arena. The season's second Smeeting of the two schools -- the Wolverines were blown out by Indiana, 80-62, in Bloomington on Jan. 6 - will be nationally televised by CBS. One week ago, Sunday's matchup looked to be a preview of the four-ver- sus-five first-round game in the Big Ten Tournament to be held in two weeks. But with Iowa's recent win against Purdue, the Hawkeyes remain just one game behind the Wolverines in the conference. And Penn State sits close behind at 6-7 - with a game against Michigan on Wednesday in State College, which makes Sunday's game even more critical for the Wolverines. "This is a must game," Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said. "It's a big game for us and a big game for them. There are a lot of questions right now See BASKETBALL, Page 10 Blue readies for Sartans CCHA race nears climax By Pranay Reddy Daily Sports Writer The question of talent versus execution pervades colege hockey these days - and this weekend's two-game series between No. 5 Michigan and No. 2 Michigan State will serve as the latest forum for debate. The Wolverines (19-4-1 CCHA, 25-6-1 overall) will face the Spartans (16-4-4, 22-4-5) tonight at Munn Ice Arena and tomorrow at Joe Louis Arena. Both games will start at 7,p.m. A recent trend has a number of college teams changing their style from a more offensive-minded, run-and-gun approach to the more defensive-oriented neutral-zone trap. The popular argument is that this defensive scheme nakes up for a lack of talent. Rather than controlling a game with quick passes and timely shots, teams have used clutch-andgrab techniques to even the odds against more talented opponents. While Michigan may feel that this description appliesto its intrastate rival, the Spartans beg to differ. "There is no reason to open a game up," Michigan State defenseman Tyler Harlton said. "It's not conducive for' our team to win a game and play all-out. We have to concentrate on defense. We don't play for show, we play to win game." Basically, the trap is dependent on the defense clearing the puck as much as possible - in essence, slowing down: any threat by the opposing offense. Frustration builds offensively, forcing mental errors that, in turn, lead to offensive opportunities for the trapping team - and this technique has worked for the Spartans all season long. "We're a team that likes to go, so sometimes we're going to get frustrated," Michigan captain Matt Herr said. "When Michigan State ices the puck 50 times a game, youjust hate to say, 'OK. Let's take a faceoff in their zone and bury it. "You can't sit there and say 'F' this and 'F' that when their See HOCKEY, Page 11 MARGARET MYERS/Daiy Senior Jerod Ward has stepped up his play recently in the absence of injured forward Maceo Baston. WARREN ZINN/Daily Justin Clark and the Wolverines will play two games against Michigan State this week- end. The CCHA-leading Wolverines hold a three-point advantage over the Spartans. The Ward file Since his freshman year, when he oattled constant knee injuries, Jerod Ward's statistics have steadily improved. With the absence of injured teammate Maceo Baston, the small forward has stepped up his play at an opportune moment this season. Ward scored a career-high 22 points against Michigan State on Tuesday night. Spartans hope tofinish off ' This weekend isn't Armageddon. The world isn't going to end. It isn't the final battle between Good and Evil. But it might as well be. It's Michigan and Michigan State. It doesn't get much more violent or much more intense than these teams' two hockey games this weekend. At Munn Ice Arena and at Joe Louis Arena, everything is going to hit the fan. Four months ago, if you said that the Wolverines would be leading the Spartans by three points in the standings in February, everyone would accuse you of being inebri- ated, or at least overly optimistic. So here it is - Feb. 20 - and Michigan is in first place in the CCHA. But why is it that people still aren't convinced that the Wolverines are for real? What's it going to take, beating the Spartans? Well, it couldn't hurt. That's for sure. Michigan coach Red Berenson says the pressure is on the Spartans. Michigan SHARAT State coach Ron RAJU Mason says that his Sharat players don't feel that in the Dark pressure, and that they're confident. In the recent past, no team was confident against Michigan. Teams prepared for the Wolverines as one W' domnance prepares for a tornado - 'We'll see what we can come away with.' Moral victories were virtually the only ones possible against the Wolverines. Michigan State's seniors have been there, and they're tired of it. Sean Berens, Mike York, Tyler Harlton, Chad Alban - these are names even Michigan fans remember. They are names that made peoplemay, "Wow, that team would be really gool if Michigan wasn't impossible to beat." Do you think these guys are salivatini at the chance to repay the Wolverines? x; You bet they are. Do you think they want to reward Mason on Friday with his 800th victory forthe frustration Michigan has caused? See RAJU, Pagl 11 Year 1997-98* 1996-97 1995-96 1994-95 PPG RPG A 12.4 8.3 7.2 6.0 5.9 3.5 4.8 3.7 18 27 10 11 FT Pct. .659 .704 .455 .676 * through 26 games. Tournament bid on line for Blue women By Josh Kleinbaum Young, forwards Sonja Robinson and Theresa Daily Sports \Witer LeCuyer and center Angie Iverson - for their past The M innesota women's basketball team needs a four games. lifeline. Don't look for the Wolverines to throw one Minnesota will rely heavily on Iverson, whose to it tonight. 14 points and 7.5 rebounds per game lead the team. The Gophers (1-13 Big Ten, 4-20 overall), who Iverson had a strong game in the Gophers' first have lost nine straight and 14 of their past 15, host meeting against Michigan - an easy 20-point vic- the Wolverines (9-5, 17-7) tonight at 7. tory for the Wolverines - scoring 16 points and Michigan plays its final game of the regular sea- grabbing 8 rebounds, but the senior did commit son on Sunday, a 2 p.m. matchup with Ohio State (6- nine turnovers. 8, 13-10) in the final women's basketball game ever "Minnesota shot over 50 percent in the first to be played at St. John Arena. The Buckeyes move game," Guevara said. "Defensively, that's not very to the the new Schottenstein Center next season. good." With an NCAA Tournament bid on the line, But Iverson has been ice-cold lately. In fact, for Michigan coach Sue Guevara isn't worried about the first time in nearly three years, she was held to her team's focus. zero points in Minnesota's loss to Indiana this past "The NCAA selection committee looks at the Sunday. She was even pulled from the Gophers' last couple of games no matter who you play," starting lineup three weeks ago but was later rein- }:- Guevara said. "The kids realize that." stated. Still, Guevara insists that Iverson is "one of The Gophers, who average 22 turnovers per the better players in the conference" game and 25 in Big Ten contests, have finally set- The Gophers' biggest problem is a lack of depth. WARREN ZINN/Daily tied on a starting five. After using 14 different start- After Iverson, the only player that averages more Ann Lemire will look to help Michigan secure two victories, ing lineups this season, the Gophers have used the than seven points is Burns, with 10. and more importantly, an NCAA Tournament bid this weekend. same five - guards Kiauna Burns and Rachel See GOPHERS, Page 11 U U VA yIn. U -M tAM