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! 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