WRN'S NCAA
BASKETBALL
FLORIDA 75,
(5) Kentucky 68
WASHINGTON 90,
(1O) Arizona 84
CtEMSON 78,
(12) North Carolina 63
(f3) UCLA 79,
Oregon 77
(18) PURDUE 90,
(14) Iowa 75
WOMEN'S NCAA
BASKETBALL
(1) TENNESSEE 96,
Mississippi 58
(2) Purdue 96,
PROVIDENCE 67
(5) Colorado State 67,
RICE 50
OREGON 106,
(7) UCLA 79
(9) Duke 66,
(16) VIRGINIA 56
(19) Auburn 68,
KENTUCKY 67
(25) Florida Inter. 72,
SOUTH ALABAMA 49
SPO*RTSp It~
Tracking 'M' teams
The Michigan women's gymnastics team will host the
State of Michigan Classic tomorrow at Cliff Keen
Arena, starting at 4 p.m.
Friday
February 5, 1999
11,
Center
stage
DANA LINNANE/Daily
TOiIchigan women's basketball team will face Minnesota tonight, which it lost
to earlier in the season, and No. 2 Purdue on Sunday.
Blue women out for
revene on Gophers
BRhua Borkin
Daily Sports Writer
There is no time to rest once the
Big Ten season starts. The Michigan
women's basketball team knows this
all too well.
Michigan dug an early hole for
itself by losing six
straight games, but as T
of late it has been play-TON
ing like the team every-
, expected it to be. Who.
Michigan has won Michigan
four of their last five, Minnesota
and their last win came Where:
against No. 19 Ohio Sports Pav
State. Minneapo
The win was "proba- When:p;
bly 'the biggest in the
history of the pro- The Lat
gram," guard Anne Michigan
T ius said. avenge an
Lt the Big Ten sea- to the Gor
son doesn't allow for
much relaxation.
Today, Michigan will travel to the
Twin Cities to face Minnesota and
then make its way south to Purdue to
face the No. 2 Boilermakers on
Northwestern
wreaks havoc
on Wolverines
By Rick Freeman
Daily Sports Writer
EVANSTON - One rising, one falling.
Two teams headed in different directions passed each
other last night. Michigan hasn't missed the postseason
since the 1983 season. Northwestern has made it twice, in
1983 and 1994, both times going to the NIT. The two
passed like escalators in a department store, and the
Wildcats rose above rapidly-descending Michigan, 58-34,
on their way to a near-certain postseason appearance and
what could be their first-ever appearance in the NCAA
Tournament.
"We're at a point where we
could do some good things if
we knuckle down and play NORmwEsrERN 58
well," Northwestern coach MICHIGAN 34
Kevin O'Neill said.
And last night Michigan
(3-7 Big Ten, 9-14 overall) gave the Wildcats plenty
of help.
The Wolverines didn't score a field goal during the
final 10:12 of the game. And their offensive output,
including just a dozen points in the second half, was
their lowest offensive output since 1951.
"We were very, very bad on the offensive end,"
Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said.
Louis Bullock scored eight points, and failed to
score a 3-pointer for the first time in 45 games.
Robbie Reid scored six. Brandon Smith was
Michigan's leading scorer with 10 points, and he
reached double digits by scoring Michigan's final
field goal of the game, with 10:12 left.
And as if that weren't enough, Michigan had to deal
with Northwestern's sixth-year senior center, Evan
Eschmeyer, who carried his team further than he usu-
ally does.
"We've beaten them two times out of the last 31,"
Eschmeyer said. "I was lucky enough to be around for
both."
His 29 points accounted for exactly half of
Northwestern's scoring, but his impact was biggest
when he didn't have the ball in his hands.
Eschmeyer hauled in 15 rebounds, nine in the first
half. He wore Michigan's frontcourt players like tall,
sweaty straitjackets, causing Peter Vignier and Josh
Asselin to foul out. He also drew all four of forward
Chris Young's first-half fouls.
Once again on the road, the Wolverines made their
way to the free-throw line less often than their oppo-
nent. Northwestern went 18-of-23 from the line,
Michigan only attempted 15, and made 10.
Also familiar to Michigan was the end of the first
half. The Wolverines struggled, as they have often this
season, to close out the first half. In the final 1:40 of
the half, a pair of 3-pointers by Northwestern guards
Sean Wink and Steve Lepore seemed to have a larger
effect on the Wolverines than the six points they pro-
duced.
But still, not much loomed larger than Eschmeyer
did.
The 6-11, 255-pounder outscored Michigan's entire
frontcourt, 29-8. Fifteen of those points came at the line.
Michigan forward Chris Young fouled Eschmeyer four
times trying to defend him in the first half.
See BLOWOUT, Page 12
us
vlis
wi
u
,ph,
"We faced Minnesota earlier this
season and that night did not turn out
as we expected. As far as Purdue,
they are a very solid team."
Minnesota and Michigan meet for
the second time this year after a Jan.
10 contest in Ann Arbor.
____ After playing fifth-
G HT ranked Louisiana3Tech
- now No. 3--
Michigan turned
around 24 hours later to
take on the Gophers.
Minnesota capitalized
on Michigan's weari-
ness, claiming a 54-47
victory. The loss ended
Michigan's five-game
p.m. winning streak over the
st: Gophers, dating back to
ill try to January of 1996.
pset loss "The Minnesota
pers. game was the biggest
ers.___disappointment of my
career," Guevara said.
"This will be a very emotional game
for us, and we are very excited to
play in their arena and hopefully
come out with a big win."
Minnesota sits in the cellar of the
Big Ten. The Gophers are just 2-9 in
conference play and 7-14 overall.
The Wolverines will have to deal
with Minnesota's bench, which has
been a source of strength this season,
outscoring its opponents in 17 of 21
games.
See REVENGE, Page 13
BRIA' KERSEY/The Daily Northwestern
Northwestern's Evan Eschmeyer wasn't standing around watching much yesterday night, as ne played
an active role in the Wildcats' 58-34 victory over Michigan, contributing 29 points and 15 rebounds.
Eschmeyer's 29 points just
one o is contributions
By Chris Metinko
Daily Sports Writer
EVANSTON - Remember when Michigan
had dominant big men, such as Maurice
Taylor, Robert Traylor or even Chris Webber
back in the Fab Five days?
Northwestern doesn't have to think back
that far. The Wildcats have one right now, and
his name is Evan Eschmeyer.
Eschmeyer dominated both the offensive
and defensive ends of the court last night
while disposing of Michigan's three-headed
monster in the middle - Josh Asselin, Pete
Vignier and Chris Young - by causing the
trio to fall into early foul trouble.
"He's real good," Asselin said. "He's real
good physically. He's real strong in the low
post."
Good may not be the correct adjective.
Eschmeyer finished a game-high 29 points, 15
rebounds and even added two blocks. But the
stats don't even begin to tell the story of his
game.
"We didn't defend him at all. He's a lot
stronger than I am. I was trying to play him
tough, but it just wasn't working," Young said,
with obvious bewilderment in his voice.
Eschmeyer physically frustrated Michigan.
At the 10-minute mark, with Michigan trail-
ing by just 13 after forward Brandon Smith's
layup, Vignier pulled down one of his three
defensive rebounds only to have the ball
ripped from his grasp by Eschmeyer.
Vignier had no choice but to foul him and
pick up his third personal. It was the last thing
Michigan needed at that point, especially with
Asselin and Young already burdened by four
fouls apiece.
Four minutes later, in perhaps the most
telling moment of the game, Eschmeyer went
up strong on Vignier, scored a layup and
caused the junior center to pick up his fifth
and final foul.
While Eschmeyer strolled confidently
toward the line to collect his 29th point,
See ESCHMEYER, Page 12
Sunday.
Oddly enough, Michigan may
actually be looking forward to two
road games, having fared better on
the road than at home. Michigan is 8-
@ay from Ann Arbor while posting
a 5-4 record in Crisler Arena.
"It's going to be quite a weekend,"
Michigan coach Sue Guevara said.
'M' hockey hopes home ice is the answer
By V. Barka
Sports Editor
ost is where the heart is.
After three games on
the road against top
CCHA contenders Ohio
State, Michigan State,
and Notre Dame, the
Michigan hockey team
returns home to Yost Ice
Arena this weekendto
face Lake Superior and
the Buckeyes.
A/hile road trips allow
t Wolverines to watch
classic movies such as
Dirty Harry on the team
bus, they don't make up
for the up-tempo atmos-
phere that Yost Ice Arena
provides.
After two weeks away
from Yost, the
TO N I
Who:
Michigan vs
Superior
Where:
Yost Ice Arer
When: 7i
TV/Radio
broadcasts b
88.3 FM (W
and 1050 A
(WTKA). Co
Network wil
the contest
have the best fans in the world."
Those fans will see a Michigan team
that couldn't return home soon enough.
After a winless three-
G H T game road swing - in
which they tied the
Buckeyes and Spartans
and lost to the Fighting
Lake Irish - the second-place
Wolverines need to use
the home-ice advantage
na to stay within range of
first-place Michigan
State.
y: Radio To do that, the
y both Wolverines will have to
1CBN) get by a physical Lake
M Superior team tonight.
mcast Although the Lakers are
1 televise stuck in ninth place,
Michigan isn't taking
tonight's contest lightly.
"They've moved up the
last couple of weeks," Michigan coach
Red Berenson said. "They are very
physical and always play their best
against us."
The Lakers are best when they are
physical -- like Oct. 11, when they
tried to bullykthe Wolverines in the
teams' first meeting. Michigan won 2-0,
but caught some bruises in the process.
But the Wolverines feel they are more
than prepared for Lake Superior's next
punch.
"Our team is a lot more physical now
then we were," Rominski said. "We are
playing a more disclipined game now."
Michigan is hoping the increase of
discipline will help them defeat the
Buckeyes tomorrow night. Ohio State is
the only CCHA team that the
Wolverines haven't beaten yet, as the
Buckeyes have beaten and tied
Michigan in the previous two meetings.
Despite the lack of victories against
Ohio State, the Wolverines feel confi-
dent about their chances tomorrow
night. Michigan has held the Buckeyes
to a total of only two goals this season.
"In the last game we tried to take out
their main scoring line," Michigan
defenseman Jeff Jillson said. "We'll let
their other guys try to beat us."
Ohio State's success against the
Wolverines hasn't come from any of the
offensive players. Instead, Ohio State
goaltender Jeff Maund has spearheaded
the success, only allowing one
Michigan goal in the two games.
"We have to be able to bury our
chances;' Jillson said. "Right now the
puck isn't bouncing the right way for
us.
The Wolverines are hoping that the
Yost atmosphere will help the puck
bounce in a more positive way. Also,
this is Ohio State's first visit to Yost this
year, and the Wolverines hope the envi-
ronment helps them get a win over the
Buckeyes.
"It always feels good to be back
home," Jillson said. "We don't have to
take any long. bus rides."
IF you've evei wondeied whaT
anyone oT ouT OF cbuch .. .
Campus Cha pet CRC
ExploPATlons in FaiTb and Reason
NoRTh oF SouTh U. and FoesT
Sund~ay Sei~nce 10:30AM
Open Discussion: Wet). 9PM
PURSUING A CAREER IN
ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION?
Wolverines are looking forward to some
Se cooking this weekend.
'It's good to come back and have the
home-ice advantage;' Michigan assis-
tant captain Dale Rominski said. "We
Pr~ otng
Attlektcs
Mk~goau 4
4
*1
TI +r- in I - - I
i __.
V .r~ ., 1~±t r( 1.i - - - - - I ~.