WOMEN'S BASKETBALL The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - September 8, 1998 -- 7E lbunament ailed to ollow scr t SCALOOSA, Ala. - It wasn't supposed to end like this. 'Ihe Micng an women's basketball team's storybook season was supposed to have a storybook ending. The Wolverines, who in two years went from the joke of the Big 'en to the class of the Big Ien, were supposed to beat seventh-seeded UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Toumament, then shock mighty Alabama, the midwest egion's No. 2 seed, in the second round. . Pollyanna Johns was supposed to score 20 points in each game, etching herself into Michigan basketball history as the leader of the best women's team the school ever produced. After freshman and sophomore years from hell, this tournament was supposed to be her redemption. JOSH Michigan KLEINBAUM coach Sue Apocalypse Guevara, the Big Now Ten's coach of the year, was sup- posed to be preparing for the school's first-ever Sweet Sixteen game. But someone forgot to inform the Bruins, and reality came crashing down the tenth-seeded Wolverines on March 13. Instead of a glorious end to a great career, Johns' exit was quieter than Crisler Arena on an average game day. The senior scored just 9 points in the 65-58 loss. The Wolverines' problem was sm- ple -- they ran into a better team. UCLA was the best defensive team he Wolverines have faced all season, nd although the Bruins weren't fantas- tie offensively - their 65 points was their second-lowest output ofthe sea- son - their delense more than made up for it. ihe game was over before the clock even started running. Stacey "Thomas hit a jumper 12 seconds into the con- test, but the relerees had never started the clock. After the problNem was corrected, e Bruins ran oll m-0 run, and I X TA never looked back. It wasn't supposed to happen, was it? Not in this dream season. Michigan was supposed to go on the eight-point run, not UCLA. I he Wolverines were supposed to win, Weren't they? Oh, the Wolverines made a game of it. They avoided what could have been an embarrassing blowout. But in the end, tey just coulkn'I come all the way back. The Bruins went up by six early in the first half, then Michigan cut the lead to one. But the Bruins didn't even blink, and scored seven straight points. The Wolverines were trustrated, and it showed. 'Ihey committed fouls. They committed turnovers. Kenisha Walker even exchanged words with JCLA's Erica Gomez, And they couldn't get over the hu up. Molly Murray, Michigan's career 3- ont leader made the last long-range thot of her career with 46 seconds to play, cutting the Bruins' lead to four and giving the Wolverines some life. But it wasn't enough. All good things must come to an end. But for the Wolverines, the end came way too soon. The storybook season didn't have a storybook ending. There was no valiant comeback. Instead, while the Bruins were celebrating their first NCAA Tournament victory in six years, the Wolverines were starting to plan their summers. Josh Kleinbaum covered women s basketball for the Daily. He can be reached at jkbaum@umich.edu. 'M' women's basketball lacks By Andy Latack Daily Sports Writer TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- won the tip, and Stacey Tho around the feared UCLA def easy lay-up. But in a quirky team's first NCAA Tournan the clock did not start and soon stopped. Unfortunately. once tin rolling for the Michigan wo ketball team, so did the Bru swarming defense to control tempo, UCLA handed Mich 58 loss on March 14 in the of the NCAA Midwest Reg ing one of the most success in the program's history. Michigan (19-10) led onl the game's first minute, and oughly frustrated by th defense, which forced theI into a season-high 30 turnov "Their detfense was relentle forced us totally out of ou Michigan coach Sue Gue "Anytime you turn the ball ov there's no way you'll ever win But when Michigan did looks at the basket, which they seemed to have forgot capitalize on them. The loss called an abru Michigan's storybook seas that featured numerous higi program firsts. storybook Michigan's 19 wins was their second highest total ever. Their third-place finish Michigan in the Big Ten standings was their highest amas drove ever, and their ensuing win in the confer- ense for an ence tournament was their first. start to her And as they bid farewell to their vent game, dream season, the Wolverines also said 3 play was good-bye to some of the major reasons for the stunning campaign. Seniors ne started Pollyanna Johns, Molly Murray, Akisha men's bas- Franklin and 'T'ilfany Willard all hung gins. Using up their Michigan uniforms for the the game's final time after the loss to the Bruins, iigan a 65- and will be sorely missed in this year's first round lineup. ional, end- The 6-foot-3 Johns, Michigan's all- ful seasons time leader in field goal percentage, is merely trading her maize and blue in for ly once, in new colors. A third round draft pick of J was thor- the WNBA's Charlotte Sting, Johns e Bruins' began her professional basketball Wolverines career in early June. Johns was ers. Michigan's leading scorer and rebound- ss, and they er last season, averaging 17.2 points ir offense," and 9.5 rebounds per game. vara said. The Wolverines lose another record er 30 times, holder to graduation in Murray, the the game." school's all-time three-point leader. get open Murray averaged 10.7 points last year, ending and also shot 42 percent from three- point range. And Franklin and Willard were valu- able reserves for Guevara all season, providing experience and point produc- tion oI the bench. But the cupboard is by no means bare for the Wolverines next season. Although Johns was named to the first- team All Big Ten team and Murray was honorable mention, the Wolverines have their share of award winners returnine. Guard Stacey Thomas, who led the Big Ien in steals last season and aver- aged 11.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg, was named to the second-team All-Big Ten as a sophomore. Joining Thomas and fellow backcourt mate Ann Leniire is point guard Anne Thorius. The Denmark native averaged 4.6 assists per game last season, and her steady anchoring of the Michigan otkcnse earned her All-freshman team honors in the conference. Guevara received perhaps the best recognition of all in leading the Wolverines on their remarkable season, being named Big Ten coach of the year by her peers. was rare, ten how to ipt halt to on - one hlights and FILE PHOTO Although Molly Murray will not continue to lead the Michigan basketball team this season, she will be remembered as a player who helped turn the program around. Guevara builds up losing program with optimism and a new attitude By Andy Latack Daily Sports Writer "1999 Final Four." The words race across Michigan women's basketball coach Sue Guevara's computer monitor, a screen- saver with an attitude. "That is definitely a goal for us at Michigan," the third-year coach said proudly, glancing at the hefty prognos- tication behind her. "Right now, things are only going to get better." Such talk would have seemed ridiculous two years ago, as the former Michigan State assistant stood poised to take over a Michigan program that had finished above .500 just once since the 1981-82 season. But Guevara has shattered all expec- tations since taking control of the pro- gram. In her inaugural season, as an inter- im coach, Guevara led the Wolverines to a record of 15-11 overall and 7-9 in the Big Ten - a performance good enough to have the cumbersome inter- im label removed in February of that season. 'Ihen, last year, Guevara and the Wolverines posted one of the most successful seasons in the program's history, finishing the year 19-10 over- all and 10-6 in the Big Ten. Michigan also won its first-ever Big Ten Tournament game, and garnered just their second NCAA Tournament appearance. So now, as Guevara sits in her spa- cious corner office in Wiedenbach Hall, it appears as if her optimism sur- rounding the Wolverines is justified. In her two seasons, Guevara has sur- passed Michigan's conference win total from the previous six years before her arrival. Michigan owes its resurgence in large part to Guevara's fast-paced coaching style, an approach taken from Michigan State coach Karen Langeland, whom Guevara served under from 1987-88 until 1995-96. During this time, the Wolverines were a doormat for Guevara and the Spartans, winning just four of 21 meetings. When Guevara was offered the interim position at Michigan in 1996, she was undeterred by their previous mediocrity, an outlook representative of her unceasingly positive demeanor. "I knew there was talent on the team," Guevara said of her attitude upon replacing Trish Roberts as head coach. "There were shooters and a strong inside game, W and I knew the W's would come." Although Guevara and the Wolverines dropped their only V game of the 1996 season with the S p a r t a n s, Michigan avenged Guevara the loss, beating the defending Big Ten champions twice last year. Guevara has worked hard to elevate the program to where it is today. For the majority of her first season, Guevara was branded as interim, a label which limited her freedom as a coach, especially in her ability to recruit. "We lost some kids because I was an interim," Guevara recalled. "They real- ly loved Michigan, they liked me, and they liked my coaching staff, but they were afraid that we weren't going to be there." In hindsight, it would be very diffi- cult to find someone better than Guevara at what she does. From the time she assumed the posi- tion of interim coach, Guevara began developing a bond with her team. "I'm a communicator," Guevara says of her coaching style. "I love my kids and I like to let my kids know when I'm happy with them and when I'm not." Because of this straightforward atti- tude, the team and Guevara began to gel, even though the coach's future was mired in uncertainty. "My approach was: I am the coach, and that's not going to change," Guevara said. "Being named head coach didn't change our relationship, because we never approached it like I was an interim." Indeed, Guevara views team unity as essential to a successful season. Requiring that players alternate room- mates every road trip, Guevara con- sults her troops on many decisions regarding the program. When a recruit makes a visit to Michigan, Guevara quickly introduces the newcomer to the team. "The recruits won't be going to the bowling alley or out to lunch with me, they'll be going with their teammates," Guevara said. Guevara's commitment is paying immediate dividends. During her first two years, Michigan set numerous attendance records, a testament to the fact that Guevara's up- tempo style is breathing new life into the program. "People have been waiting for this program to come out of hibernation for a long time, Guevara said, referring to Michigan's numerous sub-.500 years. "Everything is in place, I just need to do my job, and that's the fun part. "I can't think of anything else in my life that I'd rather do than coach here," Guevara said. With that, the coach flashed a smile and rushed off to prac- tice, moving even faster than the large, red letters flashing on the screen behind her. 615 E. Liberty off State A UM Tradition M-F 8:30-5:20 - 6 Barbers - No Waiting SAT til 4:20 Try the Michigan Room (adjacent to BK dining room on S. Univ.) BURGER KING Open Late to Serve You Best: Sunday 9am-12am Mon/Tue 7am-12am * Wed 7am-1 am Thurs 7am-2am * Fri/Sat 7am-3am E.C W *Voted Best Poster Shop - Michigan Daily Readership Poll 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 *Voted Best Poster Shop - Current Magazine 1997, 1998 U U You're a sports nut. 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