MEN'S NCAA
BASKETBALL
MIAMI (OHIO) 68
(9) Tennessee 62,
(15) Cincinnati 70,
(25) RHODE ISLAND 53
(22) Syracuse 74,
Coppin State 56
(3) CONNECTICUT 77,
Richmond 57
(6) KENTUCKY 82,
Mercer 51
Marquette at
(18) OKLA. ST, inc.
Santa Clara at
(13) UCLA, inc.
NATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE
Florida 5
BOSTON 5
MONTREAL 4,
Calgary 3
Pittsburgh 5,
TAMPA BAY 1
NEW JERSEY 3,
Carolina 2
TI~e £kdtgan ilt
'Wacking 'M' teams
The Michigan men's and women's cross country teams
will travel to Lawerence, Kan., on Monday to try to
bring an NCAA championship back to Ann Arbor. Check
out the Daily's preview in SportsMonday.
Friday
November 20, 1998
iDA
I I
ercy,
ercy
KELLY MCKINNELL/Daily
Michigan faces its toughest test yet this weekend when it
tackles Michigan State and Notre Dame.
Top confertence
teams face off
By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Writer
Only two things are guaranteed when the Michigan and
Michigan State hockey teams meet tonight at Yost Ice Arena.
1) Michigan State coach Ron Mason will sport his pickle-
green blazer behind the Spartans' bench.
2) The tempers of the two teams will run hotter than an
East Lansing couch.
Nothing seems to have changed this year, as the rivalry is
more important than ever. Michigan State holds second place
by just one point over the Wolverines - Notre Dame is in
first by a point - but Michigan has a game in hand on both
teams. The winner will slide ahead in the early part of the
CCHA race.
Besides the two points on the line tonight, pride and a lit-
tie bit of hatred should motivate both sides to bring their best
hockey to the rink.
"It's never a regular game," Mason said. "I think that
everyone knows what's at stake."
Michigan State's only appearance in Ann Arbor this season
should bring out the best from the renowned Yost fans. While
the Spartans have played their last two contests on the road
and feel prepared for the challenge, they know it is no easy
task.
"The environment is difficult to play in," Mason said. "If
we can stay in the game the longer it goes, we'll have a bet-
ter chance to win.'
The Spartans want to reverse the wrong-place-at-the-
wrong-time curse that has plagued them; Michigan State lost
early in the NCAAs last season and watched Michigan make
its dramatic run for the championship.
On the other side of the ice, the Wolverines would like to
break the ice with a victory, after failing to defeat Michigan
State in four tries last season - dropping the Great Lakes
Invitational crown to the Spartans along the way.
"We haven't forgotten (about last season), but this is a new
team and a new year," Michigan captain Bubba Berenzweig
said. "You go to Michigan to play Michigan State. This year
we just have to figure out how to beat them."
Lost in tonight's heated rivalry is a hungry Notre Dame
team, which arrives in Ann Arbor to play the Wolverines
tomorrow night. Michigan battled the Fighting Irish to a 2-2
draw this past Saturday in South Bend, despite carrying the
lead into the third period.
Last week's game against Notre Dame was the most
intense play the Wolverines have experienced to date this sea-
son. Now Michigan must play at that level on two consecu-
tive nights, or its chances of winning either contest are slim.
"When you look at the schedule, it jumps out at you,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "This is going to be the
best two teams we play, back to back, at home all year."
me
first winof-
the season
By Andy Latack
Daily Sports Writer
The new advertising boards
unveiled in Crisler Arena last night
added some corporate punch to the
normally lifeless building, treating
fans to rotating reminders about their
favorite
soft drinks Michigan 62
and hard-
w a r e Detroit Mercy 55
stores.
But it was the Michigan basketball
team, sporting a newly revived post
game, that really sent a message last
night. The Wolverines used their size
to outmuscle Detroit Mercy, coming
away with a 62-55 victory over the
Titans.
"It was a blue-collar win,"
Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said.
"It wasn't pretty, but we played with
a lot more energy and effort tonight."
For the first time this season
Michigan (1-2 overall) had a bal-
anced offensive attack, with all five
starters scoring in double figures.
And on a night that would see leading
scorer Louis Bullock missing in
action for almost the entire first half,
the Wolverines proved that they are
not just a one-dimensional team.
The frontcourt picked up the scor-
ing slack for Michigan, led by a cen-
ter Peter Vignier's 1I points and 14
rebounds. Vignier and forward Josh
Asselin dominated Detroit's under-
sized front line, outrebounding the
Titans by a 20-8 margin in the second
half.
MYERS/Daily "It helps with your confidence
d three knowing that you can do it if you
See TITANS, Page LA
I
I
r
r
MARGARETN
Center Peter Vignier had a banner day in Michigan's 62-55 win over Detroit Mercy last night. Vignier posted 11 points, 14 rebounds and
blocks - all career highs - as Michigan's frontcourt dominated the smaller Titans.
'M' frontcourt gains R-E-S-P-E-C-T
0
By Rick Freeman
Daily Sports Writer
With two losses before last night's
game, the Michigan basketball team
was desperately in search of more than
just a victory. It needed some respect,
and maybe a theme, like Detroit
Mercy.
The Titans' public relations depart-
ment-concocted theme for this season
is "Repeat the Beat, a play on both
the Titans' trip to the NCAA
Tournament last season as well as their
location in the heart of Motown. So
last night, after dropping the first two
games of the season, the Wolverines
decided to adopt the theme "Turn the
Beat Around."
And last night, the Michigan front-
court turned all of the expectations for
a "battle in the backcourt," as Detroit
Mercy coach Perry Watson put it,
upside-down.
"I thought where the difference
came was their two post guys," Watson
said.
Usually derided for his' tentative,
beg-pardon play, Michigan center
Peter Vignier last night put on nothing
short of the finest show of his career.
Playing 32 minutes, he scored I I
points, good enough for a career best.
"That's the best I've ever seen him
play," said former Michigan center
Robert Traylor, who sat behind the
Michigan bench.
But even better was the timing of
his offensive spurt. After a timely tip
put Michigan up 30-28 at the half,
Vignier went on a rampage, rebound-
ing and dropping in second-chance
shots to light a fire under his front-
court mates and give Michigan a lead
it would not relinquish.
But more important than Vignier's
numbers, even the seven of his career
best 14 rebounds that came on offense,
was what the game meant to him and
his frontcourt mates.
"It's a good win, something for us to
build off of." Vignier said.
Last night's win wasn't pretty. It was
no Pink Cadillac. But it was supposed
to be a matchup of two guard-stacked,
fleet-footed teams. Instead, Michigan's
frontcourt stole the show, and turned
Michigan's beat - and their beatings
- around.
What Vignier and Michigan's big
men gained tonight could have come
straight from the lips of the Queen of
Soul herself. It begins with an 'R', and
ends with and E-S-P-E-C-T.
4
0
MARGARET MYERS/Daly
Josh Asselin was one of five Wolverines to score in double
figures in last night's 62-55 victory over Detroit Mercy.
LOOKING FOR FOOTBALL COVERAGE?
CHECK OUT SECTION B
Blue to battle Buffaloes
By Josh Borkin
Daily Sports Writer
With its first win under its belt, the
Michigan women's basketball team
must keep on improving to beat their
upcoming opponents. Saturday's game
will be more of a challenge than the 96-
73 spanking of Detroit Mercy.
Michigan (1-1) will face Colorado on
Saturday at 5 p.m at Crisler Arena. This
will be the first meeting between the
Big Ten and Big XII teams. Colorado
also hopes for a second straight win
after opening the season with a 70-58
win against Denver this past Saturday.
Michigan coach Sue Guevara was
happy with Wednesday night's win over
Detroit, but feels that Colorado will
pose more of a challenge.
"We have a smart team, but I'm not
seeing it as much as I want to," Guevara
said. "We have Colorado coming in
Saturday, and they're a good team, so
we need to play much smarter."
By playing smarter, Guevara wants
Michigan to handcheck more on
defense and not let its guard down after
establishing a sizable lead. Additionally,
the Wolverines hope to cut down the
amount of fouls committed.
Against Detroit, Michigan put the
Titans in the bonus early in the game.
Detroit was able to take advantage by
converting 12 of 13 from the foul line in
the first half.
"Colorado is a physical tea4
Guevara said. "We have to play tough
defense, but we cannot commit poitif-
less and avoidable fouls."
Michigan will most likely line up
Anne Thorious and Alayne. Ingrii in
the backcourt. Stacey Thomas, coming
off a 22-point game, will play the three,
while the freshman Ruth Kipping and
Raina Goodlow will play the four and
five, respectively.
SCORE WITH
MADE-TO-ORDER SUBS!
What do you do with an after-game hunger that's as big as the
stadium? Bring it to BLIMPIE®! We stack our subs and salads with
,, -"
IN