ule 5,idli1utndBlg
PORTS
Y
IE) ii,
!;;:;III ; g ilu g glim 1:41; ;:; I! IN 1
HIM 1, 1 , I
In SEEN=NOMMOMMA -1 -1
ullivan,
Josh Borldn
aily Sports writer
INDIANAPOLIS In a weekend domi-
ated by NCAA basketball, the most exciting
emotional victories were supplied by the
en's and women's Michigan track and field
ams.
Both the men's and women's teams compet-
d in a memorable NCAA meet this past
eekend. The Michigan men finished in sixth
lace, while the women took fifth. The men
corded their second-best finish since they
laced fourth in 1994.
"When you come into a meet like this you
x ect to win everything that you have
red," head coach Jack Harvey said. "We
ame away with a great win by Sullivan and
everal top finishes all around. I am pleased
ith our finish, but some things could have
one a little better."
The men's team earned six All-America
ichigan
eeds 3
toget
ast Irish
Fred Link
aily Sports Writer
It wasn't supposed to be this difficult.
Coming into this weekend's first
ound playoff series against Notre
ame, Michigan had swept its last eight
ome CCHA playoff series, and no one
r two seed had ever been upset in a best
hree series in the CCHA playoffs.
ut the Irish played Michigan tough,
aking the first game 4-2 before losing
-l in overtime on Saturday and 4-3 last
ight.
Yesterday, with the game tied at three
tye minutes into the third period and
chigan on the power play, Scott
atzka fired bad angle shot from the
oal line near the boards, which deflect-
d off Notre Dame goaltender Matt
er and into the net for the game win-
"It was crazy," Matzka said. "I hadn't
en putting the puck in the net, so I just
tarted shooting from anywhere and =t
ent in."
For the remainder of the game,
ichigan's defense held off Notre Dame
nd the Wolverines escaped with a one-
oal victory.
Early on, things didn't look too good
or the Wolverines. Notre Dame got on
board only two minutes into the
e when defenseman Mark Eaton
eflected a pass from Jay Kopische past
arty Turco.
For much of the period, the
olverines controlled play in the Notre
ame zone. But despite out-shooting
he Irish 15-3, Michigan was unable to
ut the puck past Eisler.
Four minutes into the second period,
niket Dhadphale chipped the puck past
'o after a scramble in front of the net,
d the Wolverines found themselves
own two goals.
"When we were down 2-0, 1 don't
hink anyone was really too worried
bout it;' Matzka said. "We've been
laying four lines all weekend, and we
new it was just a matter of time before
e wore them down."
Three minutes after Dhadphale's goal,
reg Crozier fired a shot from the left
g on a three-on-two rush. The shot
med off the left goalpost and onto
he stick of Mark Kosick, who banged
ome the rebound to pull the Wolverines
ithin a goal.
Michigan pulled even midway
ough the period, when Bobby Hayes
on a faceoff back to Bubba
erenzweig. The junior defenseman
kated in and beat Eisler with a wrist
hot just inside the far post.
,our minutes into the third period, the
lverines took their first. In their third
ower play opportunity of the game,
ichigan captain Matt Herr fired a shot
om the point. Eisler made the save, but
osh Langfeld stuffed the rebound past
isler.
McGregor win at NCAAs
honors, but only placed first in one event. The
men's distance medley led Friday night off for
the Wolverines.
The distance medley showcased Jay Cantin
in the opening 1,200-meter leg, Dwayne
Fuqua in the 400, Don Mclauglin in 800 and
Kevin Sullivan running the mile. Several
weeks ago in Ann Arbor, the relay team ran the
second-best time in the nation this year.
With Sullivan anchoring the relay,
Michigan was considered a favorite to win the
national championship in this event. But the
Wolverines did not have enough to keep up
with first- and second-place finishers
Washington St. and Arkansas.
"We really have one of the strongest teams
in the nation," Harvey said. "Some things just
didn't go right, and Washington State won the
race in an amazing time. By the time Sullivan
got the baton we were too far behind to catch
up."
John Mortimer, who qualified for the 5,000
in a Michigan record earlier this season, was a
favorite to finish in the top three. Mortimer is
well known for his great endurance, but he
lacks a strong finishing kick.
Mortimer, who was expected to gain some
valuable points for his team, did not perform
as well as some hoped he would. He earned a
fifth-place finish, but still garnered All-
America status.
"I would have liked to done a lot better,"
Mortimer said. "However, when you leave as
an All-American you really cant call the week-
end a disappointment."
The highlight of the weekend, and possibly
the season, came on Saturday night. Sullivan
and Arkansas All-American Seneca Lassiter
were the favorites in the mile. It was the fea-
tured race this past weekend - and it fit the
billing as expected.
The unusually slow mile time of winner
Sullivan was 4:03.54, while Colorado St. run-
ner Bryan Berryhill finished second at
4:03.55, and Lassiter finished in 4:03.60.
"By the last lap I knew it would be a dog-
fight to the finish," Sullivan said.
"Surprisingly, I felt good on the last lap. I had
a lot left in my legs and was ready for the
sprint to the finish."
All five athletes on the men's team earned
All-America honors - Sullivan collected
two.
The women started off the weekend on a
higher note than the men. The distance medley
consisted of Sarah Hamilton, Adrienne
Hunter, Lisa Gullet and Katie McGregor. Like
the men's team, the women had their star -
McGregor - running the anchor.
The women, who qualified three weeks ago
with the nation's best time, turned in the
strongest and most dominating performance
See NCAAs, Page 9B
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
Kevin Sullivan celebrates after winning the NCAA title in the
mile this past weekend.
ba
I
ee
.e
d
season ends
in shocking loss
to UCLA
By James Goldstein
Daily Sports Writer
The tattoo on Louis Bullock's left arm reads "Sweet
Lou" - an accurate nickname that refers to Bullock's
"sweet" shooting.
But in Michigan's loss to UCLA yesterday, Bullock's
shooting performance was anything but sweet.
Bullock couldn't get on track all game and had one of
his worst shooting outings in his Michigan career.
The line for the shooting guard, who a few weeks ago
had a seven-game streak of 20 or more points - 16 points
on 7-of-27 shooting. Bullock, Michigan's 3-point special-
ist, only connected on 2 of 14 3-point attempts.
UCLA utilized a defensive scheme that made it possible
to contain Michigan's inside and outside games, which
kept Bullock out of rhythm. The Bruins clogged the lane
but when the ball was passed back out to the perimeter,
they quickly adjusted and were in the faces of the shoot-
ers.
But even when Bullock was open, he didn't convert
many shots.
"I felt all right, pretty much I had all open looks,"
Bullock said. "I just picked the worst time to have a day
where I couldn't hit the shots I've been hitting all year.
"It's tough, I wish I could get all of the shots that I had
today back and shoot them again, but unfortunately I can't
- the season is over for us."
Bullock opened the game ice cold, missing on his first
six 3-point attempts. His trey from the top of the key with
2:41 left in the first half was his first basket of the game.
Heading into yesterday's game, there was some concern
with Bullock's leg.
Bullock injured his right shin when he was attempting
to receive an inbounds pass late in the Davidson game.
Bullock limped to the bench and was in obvious pain as
team trainer Steve Stricker attended to the grimacing
shooting guard.
X-rays on his shin were negative, but he had to take
some anti-inflammatory medicine and wrap his leg in ice
after the Davidson game.
Bullock said Saturday he would be OK for yesterday's
game, but he wasn't - although- he said the injury had
nothing to do with poor shooting.
But Bullock looked uncomfortable from behind the 3-
point arc. Normally, he would take a 3-pointer from any
spot on the floor. But he didn't take the shot and dribbled
side to side with UCLA defenders chasing him.
See LOSS, Page 5B
JOHN KRAFT/Daily
Robert Traylor, who had 19 points and 12 rebounds, was forced to miss his final free throw with 1.1 seconds left and Michigan down
by three. Traylor entered the lane early on the play, giving the ball to the Bruins and ending Michigan's chances to win.
Women ousted in rst roun, 5-
By Andy Latack
Daily Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA, ALA. - Michigan
won the tip, and Stacey Thomas drove
around the feared UCLA defense for an
easy layup. But in a quirky start to her
team's first NCAA Tournament game, the
clock did not
UCLA 65 start and play
was soon
M5a ~ stopped.
Once time
started rolling, unfortunately for the
Michigan women's basketball team, so did
the Bruins. Using swarming defense to con-
frustrated by the Bruins' ferocious man-to-
man defense, which forced the Wolverines
into a season-high 30 turnovers.
"Their defense was relentless, and they
forced us totally out of our offense,"
Michigan coach Sue Guevara said.
"Anytime you turn the ball over 30 times,
there's no way you'll ever win the game."
Turnovers would prove to be the differ-
ence in the contest, as the seventh-seeded
Wolverines effectively neutralized UCLA's
stronger, bigger post players. Michigan
dominated the glass, outrebounding the
tenth-seeded Bruins 50-36, leading to many
second and third chances on the offensive
.-1I
would get four offensive rebounds and
come up empty."
Despite the struggling offense, Michigan
refused to go away, surging back every time
the Bruins threatened to put the game out of
reach.
With 7:34 remaining and UCLA (20-8)
enjoying its largest lead of the game, 52-38,
Michigan began a furious comeback. Senior
Molly Murray led the way, playing in what
would be her last game as a Wolverine and
scoring seven points in an 18-8 Michigan
run. Murray's 3-pointer with 46 seconds left
cut the Bruins' lead to 60-56, but Michigan
would get no closer, as five UCLA free
.
1
I