The Michigan Daily - Thursday, December 10, 1998 - 13A
Miller ha
By Stephanie Offen
and Uma Subramanian
Daily Sports Writers
BOWLING GREEN - It's been two
years since she came back. But Alison
Miller returned to face her first college
eam in style.
The Michigan women's basketball
On defeated Bowling Green yester-
ay. But for Miller, this victory meant
ore then another point in the win col-
umn.
Miller transfered from Bowling
reen to Michigan two years ago, after
her freshman season. This is the first
ear she has been able to compete for
Michigan.
Though she was able to see her old
eammates and catch up on the past,
hen it came time to compete, she
ed that she has engrossed herself in
he Michigan style of play.
"I'm really happy I'm at Michigan,"
iller said. "I'm happy that I trans-
ered. Not to say that I regretted any-
hing here (at Bowling Green), but I'm
'ust happy I'm at Michigan."
And Michigan is happy to have her.
ecords
ame of
maSubrammnin
aily Sports Writer
BOWLING GREEN - Michigan
s on a roll.
Even when gating off to slow
tarts, the Michigan women's basket-
all team manages to put up some
retty impressive numbers.
For the third game in a row, the
olverines broke some records. Last
*'y against Central Michigan they
ut up 104 points and set a season
tte ndance
ecord.
On Sunday Basketball
inci na i Commentary
unior captain
tacey Thomas had a career day,
coring 28 points on 12-for-18
hooting.
hst night, in what was perhaps
haWolverines' toughest contest
ince the Vanderbilt game, they tied
he program's longest win streak -
even games.
Only twice before had a Michigan
earn won seven in a row -- the last
ime in 1989-90.
That season Michigan's winning
treak came against six Big Ten
cams. The story's a little different
h' ear.
n route to their current 7-1
ecord the Wolverines have defeated
u4i opponents as Detroit Mercy,
olorado, Central Michigan and
owling Green, losing only to
aniderbilt.
As a result, there have been some
uestions that could be asked about
icjiigan's strength of schedule.
Rust how good are these
aoverines?
y are they playing a schedule
ghst teams that traditionally do
o impact the women's college bas-
etball world?
The first question will be
nswered over winter break, when
he team opens its Big Ten season at
ndiana.
The Hoosiers are one of the top
earns in the conference that always
cetve votes in the weekly AP Top
5&1.
The second was answered by
ichigan coach Sue Guevara.
"I don't care what people say
bout our schedule," Guevara said.
I know this is a good schedule for
ur team. We have a very young
am."
Also, Guevara said the competi-
s career day in Ohio
Miller did not play for the Wolverines
last year because NCAA rules require a
transfer to redshirt her first year with the
new school, but she practiced all last
season with the Wolverines.
Entering the season, Michigan coach
Sue Guevara was eager to see Miller
play because last year she gave current
WNBA player Pollyanna Johns trouble
in practice all season.
Now that Guevara has seen her play,
she is pleased with the results.
Yesterday, Miller was given the nod to
start against her old team.
She made the most of her opportuni-
ty. She scored 12 points and grabbed six
rebounds.
"I just went to the boards and got
easy buckets," Miller said. "We talked
about our roles last week and one of the
things I said was that I'm not going to
be a high scorer, but I will be a hard
worker."
Yesterday she proved to be both. With
a tough Big Ten season around the cor-
ner, the Wolverines will need her to
continue contributing on both ends of
the court.
MISSING LINKS: So far this year the
Wolverines have played only three out
of their nine games with a full lineup.
It all started when senior Ann Lemire
was benched for the first three games of
the year after breaking a team rule.
Without Lemire, Michigan lacked lead-
ership -- especially in the backcourt.
The team was glad to have her back, but
that was not the end of its woes.
Junior Kenisha Walker then missed
two nonconference games with a severe
ankle sprain. Both players returned for
Michigan's home victory against
Colorado.
When the Wolverines traveled to
Cancun over Thanksgiving, they
thought they were finally injury-free.
But upon returning from the sunny
weather, they found themselves without
freshman starter Raina Goodlow, who-
sprained her knee. Goodlow made the
trip to Bowling Green, but did not
dress.
Sophomore Mandy Stowe did not
make the trip, however. Guevara cited
"personal problems" as the reason
Stowe stayed home.
The
Grind
Mark Snyder
1
Heisman remainzs a trophy for all time
nce he reached it, the ball was destined to end up
bronzed. When Charles Woodson leapt into thin air
against Michigan State last year and snagged the
interception of a lifetime, he had his defining moment.
His season steamrolled from there, gaining momentum
with sacks on cornerback blitzes, interceptions from
impossible angles and game-saving catches as Michigan's
flanker.
But the day Charles Woodson won the 1997 Heisman
trophy was the moment he intercepted Michigan State's
season and wowed the nation.
Traditionally, Heisman trophy winners have a flair for
the dramatic. In fact, it's a nearly essential component to
grab the coveted award.
What I'm bringing to the table for your unseemly and
confrontational pleasure is the importance of the trophy.
And to explain why, when Ricky Williams of Texas suc-
ceeds Woodson on Saturday as this year's winner, he will
join an elite group of young men who will be remembered
forever.
Throughout the sports world, few awards are as revered.
Baseball has its ever-amorphous Most Valuable Player
award, which is given to the player whose local reporters
promote his candidacy best.
The National Basketball Association's litany of honors
include the ever-popular Defensive-Rookie-of-The-Half-
Week-Who-Aided-The-Needy award. And that's only when
they're actually playing.
Professional hockey and football are in similar dire
straits, with players only competing for incentive clauses
and bonuses. with the pot of gold accompanying record-
setting numbers or even just solid achievement.
But the Heisman is different. As plateaus go, it is the
top individual award in all of sports. And it appears unlike-
ly that it will be toppled any time soon.
And the reasons are ...
The moment: Forever embedded in the minds of
sports fans everywhere are the dramatic instances that
define each Heisman trophy season.
Buffalo Bills star quarterback (how funny does that
sound?) Doug Flutie wasn't always a CFL castaway. When
he hit Gerald Phelan on the original Hail Mary in 1984,
Miami (Fla.) fell and little 5-foot-8 Flutie caught the hearts
of voters across the nation. His school (Boston College)
vaulted itself into the national spotlight and, despite pos-
sessing above-average numbers the rest of the way, the
diminuitive Flutie rolled to the award.
Desmond Howard's stretch-and-dive against Notre
Dame and 93-yard kickoff return against BC brought him
the national attention he would need as he rolled to one of
the largest margins in award's history.
The scenery: At the Downtown Athletic Club in New
York City, all eyes of the sports world focus on an elitist
group of crusty gents who, for 22 minutes, show off their
(Andre) wares before announcing the winner.
On the walls of the seemingly intimate setting hang
portraits of the past winners, each crafted to paint the best
possible picture of the winners.
It's a room with history serving as its wallpaper The
intimate setting and television announcement establish the
originality of the ceremony but the atmosphere cannot
come from wall hangings alone.
Selected fans and media - the truly privileged - pack
the room to bear witness to the excitement of the after-
noon.
The ceremony's presentation certifies it as a must-see
for the candidates involved. Which brings us to the next
point ...
The candidates: How often in sports do we see poor
sportsmanship, taunting or other excessive displays of
annoyance? The Heisman ceremony has the top four candi-
dates every year - Williams, UCLA's Cade McNown,
Kansas State's Michael Bishop and Kentucky's Tim Couch
this year - bear witness to the ceremony and immediately
congratulate the winner.
The quartet sit side by side, eager in anticipation, but
trying to appear collected at the same time they await the
announcement. Last season was the perfect example of
sportsmanship. Though Peyton Manning was the projected
leader from the day he decided to return for his senior sea-
son, Woodson snatched the award in tight balloting. Yet
Manning shook Woodson's hand and appeared gracious
even amidst heartbreaking defeat.
The other three candidates declared they would cast
their vote for Williams.
His peers' support demonstrates how dominant the
Texas tailback was this season. But the actual voters -
920 of the nation's college football experts as well as the
50 living Heisman winners - will be making the call this
Saturday.
The Heisman committee promotes the award as much
as possible, keeping the winner's school involved by pro-
viding them with a replica for display on campus.
An antiquated trophy of a tailback in mid-stride offer-
ing a mighty stiff-arm will be carried out of the DAC on
Saturday. His dreadlocks notwithstanding, Williams could
be the powerful back searching for the first down.
His magical moment came on the 60-yard touchdown
run that set the all-time NCAA rushing record. It was
power and speed combined into one burst of energy.
Williams, one of the best athletes ever to grace the sporting
field in this country, deserves the best award sport can pro-
vide.
The Heisman trophy.
- Mark Snyder can be reached via
e-mail at msnyder@umich.edu.
FILE PHOTO
Stacey Thomas had another career day last night against Bowling Green. Thomas
became the 17th Wolverine to record 800 points In her career. She Is currently
Michigan's leading scorer and one of the top scorers in the Big Ten.
tion is more challenging than it
appears.M
"Vanderbilt, Colorado, UAB, and MICHIGAN (82
Cincinnati, they're not anything to 2MMA * .0 A F PTS
sneeze at," Guevara said. "Bowling oesteae 18 2-7 2-3 2-4 0 4 6
Green is a very fundamentally sound Mir 35 6-4 140 4 0 2 12
basketball team. Ingram 25 5-13 0-0 1.2 3 0 10
Waler 0 -5 -4 -50 4 7
"It's a good schedule for our Lemire 22 5-8 4-5 1-6 4 1 15
young team. Considering the Dh3se 3-9 0-0 - 0 10
strength of the Big Ten, we need to Totals 2 3-7312-17 1643 14 13 82
have a little bit of success and we FG%: .466. Fr%: .706. 3-point FG: 2-6, .333.
need to get ready for the Big Ten." (Lemire, Thorius). Blocks: 2 (Thomas) Steals: 11
(Lemire 3, Thomas 2, Oesterle 2, Miller, Ingram.
Does this mean that Michigan Walker, Kipping). Turnovers: 16 (Thomas 4, Miller
won' hae suces inthe ig en? 3, Oesterle 2 ,Thorius 2, Ingramn 2, Walker 2.
won't have success in the Big Ten? Kipping). Technical Fouls: none.
Most likely not.
But, then again, who can predict BOWUNG GREEN (71)
t N M-A M-A O-T A F PTS
Sure, there are still questions to be Kahle 28 7-15 0-0 2-4 1 1 16
answered, but it'll be a while before DeFosse 27 02 3-4 0-4 4 3 3
Raterman 36 11-17 3-3 2-8 1 4 25
anyone knows just what this team is Miller 30 3-7 5-6 0-5 3 0 12
Wappes 212. 12 0-0 0-2 4 0 3
capable of. Hos 17 08 00 0-1 1 0 0
Onat n , m w s5 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 10
OnaohrntToawos Gafod 19 3-6 0-0 1-433 6
off to her best start ever, joined yet Smith 16 2-4 2-3 2-4 0 3 6
another elite club. Western 1 0.0 0.0 0-0 0 1 0
o into the Bowling Green Totals 200 27-213.1610-36 17 16 71
gog FG%: .435. FT%: .813. 3-point FG: 4-14, (Kahle 2,
game, she needed just five points to Miller, Wappes) Blocks: 1(Kahle) Steals: 8
(Gafford 2, Kahle, DeFosse, Raterman, Wappes,
become the 17th Michigan player to Holt, Smith). Turnovers: 19 (Gafford 4, Kahle 3,
e800pints in her career. Miller 3, Wappes 2, Holt 2. Dalton 2, Smith 2).
score over 80ponsihecaer Technicsl Fouls: none.
She is also one of the top players Mchigan............40 42 -82
in the Big Ten in several categories: Bowling Green....... 30 41-71
scoring, rebounding, steals, field At: Anderson Arena
goal percentage and blocked shots. BowlngGren, Ohio
Against the Falcons, Michigan
was sluggish.
The Wolverines got off to a slow Get updated on the
start and were never able to com-
pletely put the game away. Michigan women's
But it appears as though the team basketball team
may finally be gelling. Once Mandy when classes bg
Stowe and Raina Goodlow return,
the roster will once again be com- next year. Read the
plete. Daily.
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