SportsTuesday - January 18, 2000 - The Michigan Daily - 3E Women pound No. 13 Illinois Dy Raphael Gcodstein Daily Sports Wtr CHAMPAIGN - The basket never looked so big for the Michigan women's basketball team. The Wolverines shot 55 percent from the f eld while holding No. 13 Illinois to 37 percent in an 86-69 blowout win. The win moved the Wolverines into econd place, one game in the loss col- umn behind No. 4 Penn State. Michigan jumped out to a 7-1 lead to open the game. Illinois clawed back to take a 27-26 lead with just under five minutes left in the first half. But from there, Michigan dominated, going on a 13-4 run to end the half and taking a 39- 31 halftime lead. What made the run improbable was the fact that Michigan's entire starting ontcourt was on the bench. Alison Tiller and Raina Goodlow were in foul trouble and Stacey Thomas struggled, committing three early turnovers. But LeeAnn Bies, Heather Oesterle and Kenisha Walker came off the bench to score eight, seven and six first-half points, respectively. Bies finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. "Bies came in and we did not have anyone that could handle her," Illinois coach Theresa Grentz said in the Fighting Illini's unusually brief press conference, which included no Illini players. Michigan coach Sue Guevara was less curt with the media. "We're making a little noise in the Big Ten," Guevara said. "This team really loves a challenge. I think this team would like to play the No. 12 team every night." Illinois is ranked 12th in the coaches poll, and the Wolverines beat then-No. 12 Purdue, 74-67 in their previous game. To start the second half, Michigan played 29 seconds of tenacious defense, only to have all-Big Ten forward Tauja Catchings -older sister of all-American candidate Tamika of Tennessee - grab a loose ball, turn around and swish a 14- foot jumper. The Wolverines responded by turning to their best player, Thomas. Thomas sparked a 20-8 run, by nailing a 17-foot jumper from the wing, intercepting a pass and taking it coast to coast for a layup, hitting a jumper from just inside the 3- point line and then drilling a 3-pointer from the right arc. "I just had to be aggressive and know the shots will come," Thomas said. Thomas finished the day with 14 points, on six-for-eight shooting in only 20 minutes, 15 fewer than the all- American candidate averages. When Thomas wasn't scoring, sopho- more shooting guard Alayne Ingram was. Ingram scorched the Illini defense for 19 points, making eight of her 14 shots. "Illinois played a zone against us," Ingram said. "But I found a lot of holes in it and it was easy to penetrate it and either take it in or kick it out" And when she kicked it out, Raina Goodlow was usually the one she passed it to. Goodlow finished the game with a season-high 17 points, on seven-for-nine shooting in just 24 minutes. The win marked the second time this Big Ten season that every player got in the boxscore - the other being a 77-53 road victory at Minnesota. Sophomore walk-on Susana Jara and junior forward Katie Dykhouse played the last minute of MIN A M A O B A F PTS Thomas 20 6-8 0-0 1-7 1 3 14 Goodlow 24 7-9 2.2 1-6 0 3 17 Miller 15 1-4 0-0 0-2 1 5 2 Thorius_ 38 0-7 0-0 0-5 7 3 0 Ingram 39 8-14 0-0 0-3 5 0 19 Jara 1 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 Walker 22 4-4 0-0 1-3 0 1 8 Oesterle' 7 2-2 2-2 0-0 1 0 7 Robinson 1 0-0 1-2 0-0 0 0 1 Kipping 12 0-0 2-3 2-4 0 3 2 Biues 20 26 12-14 fi12 1j 2 16 Totals 200 30-55 19-23 It-47 16 20 86 FG%: .545. FT%: ..826. 3-point FG: 7-17, .412 (ngram 3.7, Thomas 2-3, Goodlow 1-2, Oesterle I1, Thorius 0- 4). Blocks: 4 (Bies, Goodlow, Ingram, Miller) Steals: 6 (ngram 2, Bies, dipping, Thomas, Walker). Turnovers: 21 (Thomas 5, G oodow 3, Thorn-s 3, Ingram 2, Kippng 2, Walker 2, Bies, Jara, Miller, Oesterie). TechnIalFouls. none. ILLINOIS (69) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS C~thns 35 9-17 5-6 4-6 1 3 23 Blauser 36 5-11 45 2-5 .1 4 14 Martin 14 0-5 0-0 2-4 1 1 0 Hunter 36 3-10 0-0 1-5 2 3 6 Curtin 27 6-13 3-5 2-2 4 3 15 Faulkner 23 2-7 00 0-0 4 0 5 Wilson 11 1-3 2-4 1-1 1 2 4 Hagberg 7 1-6 0-0 2-2 1 2 2 Vana 11 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 1 0 Totals 200 27-74 14-2014-30 15 19 69 FG :.365. FT%: -700 3-point G: 1-12, 083 (Faulkner 1-4, Curtin 0-3, Hunter 0-3, Catchings 0-2). Blocks: 3 (Blauser 2, Hunter), Steals: 6 (Hunter 3, Catchings 2, Faulkner). Turnovers: 10 (Hunter 3, Catchings 2, Curtin 2, Hagberg, Martin, Wilson). Technical Fouls: none. Michigan ......... 39 47-86 Illinois...:.31 38-69 At: Assembly Hal, Champaign Attendnce:6,453 the game. "That game was pretty embarrassing," Grentz said. T. J. BERKA Teeing Off An open letter to Craw ford: Feel at homne inz Ann Arbor Irom wins over elite, many valuable lessons By Dena Beth Krischer Daily Sports Writer CHAMPAIGN - Following its destruction of No. 12 Purdue last Saturday, the Michigan women's basket- ball team taught No. 13 Illinois a few valuable lessons: Losing can be quite "upsetting." The unranked Wolverines upset their second ranked opponent in as many *mes as they destroyed the Illini in front of more than 6,000 fans on their home court, 86-69. "Michigan played well," a disgruntled Illinois coach Theresa Grentz said. Nobody puts Stacey in the corner. After scoring just two points in a mea- ger 10-minute first half due to sloppy play, senior forward Stacey Thomas scored 12 points and picked another steal at the start of the second half "Sitting out makes me so eager to go out there, be on the floor and make my presence known," Thomas said of her explosion. Size doesn't matter. Five-foot-seven sophomore guard Alayne Ingram scored her 500th career point and then some, posting 19 for the game. U It's not how many points you score, it's how you score them. Junior guard Anne Thorius didn't sink any baskets to follow her 18 against Purdue, but dished off seven assists in her 38 straight minutes in the backcourt instead. "Of course it's frustrating to go 0-for- 7," Thorius said. "But as you mature, you learn to take the frustration out a different way and do the other little things that we need to get done to win this game." ® A change can do some good. Sophomore forward Raina Goodlow scored a personal season high of 17 points and added six rebounds. "We had nine days since Purdue,' Goodlow said. "I couldn't wait to take it out on somebody else besides each other in practice." "Bench" pressing builds strength and adds character. Michigan's bench scored a combined 34 of its 86 points. "I think I've said it all along," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "One of the strengths of our team is our depth." As Yogi Berra once said, "You can observe a lot by watching.' Freshman backup center LeeAnn Bics recorded her third career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. "You just have to love freshmen," Guevara laughed. "And I think Bies is really good at watching and coming off the bench and that's what she did" Energizer just keeps going and, going and going. Senior forward Kenisha Walker, also known as Instant Energy, was flawless on the floor, contributing eight points and three rebounds in her 22 minutes in the game. For the seniors, it's now or never. "We want to go out with some memo- ries," Thomas said. "We want to go out with a bang" Unsung diver Castillo 'clutch' 1nM' victory ear Jamal: What's up, man? Before I start, I want to tell you how exciting the Michigan bas- ketball team has been this season. Being a senior at this University, I haven't had much to cheer for as far as basketball is concerned. Michigan has only been to the NCAA Tournament once in my scholastic career, and the Wolverines lost nearly 20 games last year. So when I see the team's record at 11-3 - only one fewer win then they picked up all of last season - I'm very happy. Every basketball game I have been to has been extremely fast-paced, skillfully played, and entertaining. And a lot of that has to do with you. You have been a key part of the resurgence of basketball at this campus. In case you didn't know, Crisler Arena was about as loud as a mice convention before you set foot on this campus. Opposing teams would come into this building with very little fear, as the crowd didn't seem to care about Michigan basketball. Jamal, you have made us care. With your team-leading 17.1 points per game, your flashy on-court demeanor, your knack for making the big shots, and of course, your color-coordinated headbands, you have done a lot to re- establish Michigan basketball as one of the coolest things around. Every time I see the team at Crisler Arena, or on television, grand thoughts enter my mind. I envision you, LaVell Blanchard, Kevin Gaines, Gavin Groninger and company playing in a domed stadium someday, with a Final Four or a National Championship as the pnze. This dream isn't just my dream. It is the dream of all the Maize Ragers that chant for you at every home game. It is the dream of the alumni who saw Glen Rice win a championship and the Fab Five who came tantalizingly close. But this dream can't happen without .lamal Crawford donning the Maize and Blue. I have heard rumors that you are thinking of leaving Michigan. While I do realize that the weather sucks - I'm dressed in four layers of clothing as I write this letter - there is a lot to like about Michigan. First of all, you have a chance to establish yourself as an icon at this University - and across the U.S. Michigan basketball is nationally known, so you have a chance to make a name for yourself and get exposed to STANFORD Continued from Page 1B ing two big upsets in sprints where Stanford expected to dominate. By the eighth event, the meet seemed to be slipping away from the Wolverines' grasp as Stanford led, 71-59, with two sprint events coming up. Michigan, nor- mally a pushover in the 100-meter freestyle, finished 1-2 for the first time in five years against major competition. Freshman Garrett Mangieri was fol- lowed by senior tri-captain Scott Meyer with times of 50.31 and 51.33, respec- tively. Freshman Tony Kurth also gave Michigan points with a fourth place fin-1 ish that suddenly brought the Wolverines to within 75-74. Michigan found another pleasant sur- prise in the next event as freshman Ryan Earhart placed first in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:00.40.i NBA scouts. Michigan traditionally sells more merchandise than any other university, so you have a chance to be a national player. With that headband of yours, the name Jamal Crawford could resonate around this nation. The name already resonates around this campus, which is another reason to stay. Everyone on campus loves you. I'm sure even the females who don't give sportswriters the time of day have a special place for you in their hearts. Every time you play in Crisler Arena, students put up signs praising you. You had your own fan club, the Crawford Crazies, at your second home game at Michigan. There have been players who played four years at Michigan, such as Travis Conlan, that didn't have a fan club. But the Crawford Crazies aren't the only students on this campus that sup- port you. I see students at Crisler or playing pickup at the CCRB or IM Building wearing their Jamal Crawford headbands. The Crawford headband is almost as popular on this campus as tight black pants. Speaking of people who wear tight black pants, you are a potential ladies man on this campus. You could proba- bly go into any bar near campus - when you are 21, of course - and get the attention of most women. From the Maize Rage, to sorority girls, to alumni, people adore you at this school. You are a part of a Michigan basketballresurgence which I. didn't think would happen until after I graduated from this school. I thought that my chance of seeing an NCAA Tournament basketball team was gone. But thanks to you, Jamal, my hopes and the hopes of Michigan stu- dents have shot up dramatically. You have helped the Maize Rage become a permanent and influential fixture on this campus. You have helped transform Crisler, and this program, from a bad mother joke into a potential NCAA darkhorse. Jamal, you have helped lay the groundwork for great things for Michigan basketball. I, and I'm sure most Michigan basketball fans, would love to see you stay and reap the rewards of what you have started here at Michigan. Respectfully yours, T.J. Berka - TI Berka still needs this year s edition of the Maize Rage t-shirt. If you have an extra onefor him, e-mail him at berkat@umich.edu. Sophomore Jason Mallory's 2:02.83 for third place, gave the Wolverines their first lead, 86-82. Going into the final four events, the Wolverines felt that their chance for victory relied on the next three competitions. If the outcome were left to the final relay, Stanford would have the edge. "We didn't save a lot for the last event," Urbanchek said. Ann Arbor native and Cardinal junior Adam Messner celebrated his homecom. ing by winning the 400-meter freestyle. But sophomore Tim Siciliano, junior Chris Thompson and senior tri-captain Mike McWha finished 2-3-4 to keep the lead at 95-92 for Michigan. Siciliano had a first-place finish earlier in the 200 IM. "As a fan, I was extremely impressed with (Siciliano's) performance' Stanford coach Skip Kenney said. "Those are the kind of swims you need in a meet like this." KRISTIN GOBLE/Daily Laura Sadler and the rest of the Michigan women's swimming team had a huge * against Oakland on Friday. The Wolverines feasted on the Grizzlies, 161-134. Wom--en sink and By Job Singer For the Daily Carlos Castillo always believed that he could be a major contributor to the Michigan swimming and diving team. But Castillo wasn't exactly penciled in by his coaches to score a great deal of points in every meet. In fact, Castillo's teammate, all-American Josh Trexler, was one of the few members of the team not shocked by Castillo's strong perfor- mance Saturday. "He has been practicing great all week, and it was just a matter of time until he had a performance like this, Trexler said. When the No. 9 Michigan men's swimming and diving team upset No. 2 Stanford, 136-106, Castillo headed a list of unlikely clutch performers. "Without Castillo we may not have won this meet,' Michigan coach John Urbanchek said. "However, it was a great team effort." Castillo rose up from mediocrity to score more points than he was expected to score in the one-meter diving and three-meter diving competitions. His first performance started a comeback and his second performance gave Michigan its first big lead of the meet. "This was probably his biggest day as a Wolverine," Urbanchek said. "I am very proud of Carlos." Short-distance swimming and diving hasn't been a strength of Michigan's. But two freshmen short-distance swim- mers, Ryan Earhart and Garrett Mangieri, as well as Castillo, helped turned the meet around for the Wolverines. After Stanford jumped out to a 12- point lead Manigeri, the 1998 prep- school freestyle champion, gave the Wolverines a lift by winning 100-meter freestyle in 50.31 seconds, a one-second gap over the rest of the field. Earhart demonstrated the fact that momentum really does matter in a meet, as he followed up Manigeri's win, thanks to a victory in the open 200-meter back- stroke in a time of 2:00.40. Earhart's win gave the Wolverines their first lead of the meet with a 86-82 advantage. The most critical performance of the day came from Castillo, the senior two- time letterwinner who was not an' expected source of points. His second-place finish in the one- meter diving helped cut Michigan's deficit from 15 to four points, while starting the comeback that Manigieri and Earhart helped finish. But Castillo's day wasn't done. After Stanford junior Adam Messner, an Ann Arbor native, brought the Cardinal with- in three with a 400-meter freestyle vic- tory, Castillo made sure that Messner's homecoming wasn't too sweet, as he went onto to take third in the three- meter. Castillo's third-place finish helped Michigan open up a 108-98 lead. "Castillo did great and really stepped in up in a big meet," said Trexler, who won the two events. "He has been prac- ticing real well." Castillo credits his concentration for his performance. "I just wanted to stay focused and stay consistent," he said. "Never have I felt such a part of this team. I feel great hav- ing really contributed." By Sam Duwe and David Roth Daily Sports Writers ROCHESTER, Mich. - It was a merry Crisman for the Michigan women's swimming team Friday. The lh-ranked Wolverines, led by the er-packed paddling of junior All- American Jennifer Crisman, drowned Oakland, 161.134, at the Oakland University Aquatic Center. Crisman dominated her competition, tallying top times in both the 50- and 200-yard freestyles - demonstrating her versatility. "I don't really swim that event so I didn't really know what I was doing. I swam it and it went OK, Crisman said OK was hardly a word to describe her own performance, nor was it appropriate for the rest of the Wolverines. This past meet was held after a tough week of practice for Michigan. gI'm pleased with the week we've had of work," Michigan coach Jim Richardson said. "It's obvious in a situa- tion like this who's tired, who's really tired, and who's really, really tired" ichardson's philosophy stresses hard practices throughout the regular season that will prepare the squad for the Big Ten and NCAA championships. Instead of-letting his swimmers rest up before Friday meet against Oakland, Richardson drilled Michigan with yet another week of rigorous workouts, pos- sibly at the expense of an even more commanding Michigan victory. "Everyone swam pretty well consider- ing how hard we've been working," freshman breaststroker Gwen Weingart said. "We had a really tough training trip in Florida, so it was really good to come back and race again." Weingart was just one of several impressive freshmen. Luckily, the meet was held in a water-filled pool, because fellow first year swimmers Lindsay Johnson and Erin Abbey both caught fire. Johnson stroked her way to a top time in the 1650 with a time of 17:14:05 and Abbey notched a top time in the 200 backstroke (2:03.56). Johnson led three other freshmen in the mile race. "The miles are excellent," Crisman said. "The freshmen are training amaz- ingly. Day in and day out they are putting in more mileage than anyone on the team. They have a great attitude." Richardson couldn't have been more pleased with Michigan's mile times. "The highlight of the meet were the miles. Those were four very good miles," Richardson said. "They were outstanding, and those four women put in a great week of training" The Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives is now taking applications for Student Leader positions for the King/Chivez/Parks Summer Institute Program Application Deadline is January 21, 2000 Student Leaders are needed for a 6 week commitment (June 11-July 21, 2000) which includes a two week paid training program. Student Leaders work with diverse groups of high school students residing in the residence halls with the students and serving as role models and guides. Room and board is covered the entire 6 weeks in addition to a salary. Student Leaders should be February 17-March 31, 2000 Submit all work to the Hillel office. Deadline: January 25, 2000 Finalists will be notified by February 7, 2000