alertdiigan laiai
P0

Sports desk: 647-3336
sportsdesk@umich.edu

SECTIONB

pj. o-> . : x. z " tt , r > YY; z ,, j; : x "

Losing streak over: 'M'

outlasts Penn State

By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Editor
After Michigan blew a 20-point lead,
the game that could break its seven-game
losing streak all came down this scenario:
6-foot-7, 255-pound Penn State forward
Jarrett Stephens,
already with 33 PENN STATE 87
oints, five feet
rom the basket '; MICHIGAN (oT> 89
with 10 seconds
left in overtime, his team down by one,
being guarded by a relative lightweight
-220-pound sophomore Chris Young.
Inexplicably, Stephens never got a
quality shot off. Young gave Stephens .a
bump as he rolled toward the lane and
Stephens lost the handle, and the ball
bounced harmlessly out of bounds. Penn

State's last chance to steal a win in
Crisler Arena Saturday went awry- just
like Stephens' try - as the Wolverines
hung on for an 89-87 victory in an
unlikely extra session, their third over-
time win in the Big Ten.
Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe, in the
timeout preceding the possession, decid-
ed against double-teaming Stephens
because the Wolverines weren't switching
well to Penn State's hot outside shooters,
who torched Michigan for 8-for-16 3-
point shooting in the second half and
overtime.
"We decided to take the double off
because our rotations to the shooters
weren't very good," Young said.
After Stephens lost the ball, Michigan
(4-8 Big Ten, 13-10 overall) came out of
a timeout with five seconds left and

inbounded the basketball to Leon Jones,
who made.his first free throw but missed
his second with four seconds to play, giv-
ing the Wolverines a precarious two-point
lead.
Penn State (5-7, 03-10) rebounded
Jones' miss on the second free throw and
quickly upcourted the ball to Joe Crispin
for a final shot. Crispin tripped and
struggled to plant his feet from NBA 3-
point range, failing to launch a shot
before the buzzer.
"I was really proud of the guys being
resilient," said a clearly relieved Ellerbe.
"Their character can never be ques-
tioned."
Stephens led Penn State's resurgence in
the second half. With his team down 17
at intermission, Stephens took it upon
himself to exploit the Michigan defense,

opening up opportunities for Jon Crispin,
(15 points, all in the second half and
overtime) and the other Nittany Lions on
the perimeter.
The product of 20 minutes of an
intense second-half comeback for Penn
State was a 3-pointer by Tyler Smith,
tying the game at 80 with 1:08 to play in
regulation. The Nittany Lions actually
got the ball back with 21 seconds for a
chance to win the game, but Joe Crispin
stepped on the baseline to turn the ball
over with six seconds left.
Michigan then had its own opportunity
to win. LaVell Blanchard received the
inbounds pass and raced up the court,
jumpstopping for a long three that
bricked off as the horn sounded.
In overtime, Penn State seized an 84-
See OVERTIME, Page 5B

DANNY""I"" r/"aiy
Kevin Gaines elevates Michigan to its first win in eight games.


Michigan

soars

After 2 ties, icers
still in command

By Stephanie Offen
Daily Sports Editor
MARQUETTE - It was like there
was a mirror at center ice.
As the Michigan hockey team
glared down the rink this weekend -
trying to get at least one all-important
victory over Northern Michigan -- it
saw its equal glaring right back.
And the Wolverines escaped the
Upper Peninsula with those two
points, but in an unconventional way.'
Instead of burying their chances and
offensively overpowering the Wildcats,
Michigan remains atop the CCHA
standings with two low-scoring ties.
Coming into this weekend, Michi-
gan coach Red Berenson boasted these
two teams as offensive powerhouses.
But as the weekend came to a close,
it was apparent that these two potent
offenses can be stopped by two things
- good goaltending and themselves.
Over one hundred shots on goal
were recorded on the weekend, but
only six managed to make their way
into the net.
On Friday night the Wolverines
scored in the first period and the Wild-
cats were held scoreless until late in
the third before tying the game, 1-1-
the game's final score.
On Saturday, the roles reversed. It
took only one minute and forty-three
seconds and one shot on goal to put
the Wildcats on the board. It took the
Wolverines over 40 minutes, two peri-
ods and over 20 shots to do the same.
Instead of looking at their mirror
image Saturday, a 2-0 loss was staring
the Wolverines in the face in the third
period.
Six seconds after the Wolverines
finished killing their third power play,
Northern took the two-goal lead.
Michigan freshman Brad Fraser

jumped out of the penalty box as
Northern freshman Jimmy Jackson
sent the puck past goaltender Josh
Blackburn. Blackburn watched from
between the pipes as the Wildcats
piled on top of each other in celebra-
tion.
Michigan's top defensman Jeff Jill-
son watched the celebration from the
penalty box. Jillson was serving a 10-
minute misconduct penalty for making
a gesture to the referees after a ques-
tionable cross-checking call in the sec-
ond period.
"I was frustrated but there was no
excuse for what I did," Jillson said. "I
apologized to the team. To be a leader
you can't be doing that stuff. It could
have cost our team the game."
Fortunately for Jillson and the rest
of the Wolverines, it didn't.
The Wildcats owned the first two
periods of the game, but the Wolver-
ines commanded the third.
Jillson made amends for his behavior
with the Wolverines' first goal of the
game. Junior Mark Kosick sent a pass
back to the defenseman who blasted 'a
shot from the top of the circle.
And while Blackburn stopped the
potency of Northern's offense, Michi-
gan's offense could not be stopped.
Two minutes after the first goal
was scored, another one followed
when freshman Jed Ortmeyer took
advantage of a missed shot by class-
mate Andy Hilbert. Grabbing the
rebound, Ortmeyer shoved the puck
under Northern goaltender Dan
Ragusett.
Ragusett and Blackburn were the
stars of the last ten minutes. Neither
one would give up the lead, but this
time Michigan was the one who came
up on top.
"In a way it was a reverse scenario
See NORTHERN, Page 48

KRISTIN GOBLE/Daily

Michigan's Brooke Smith flies through a preliminary heat of the 200 butterfly at the Big Ten Championships Friday in indianapolis.
Blue takes second as Shakespeare steals records

By David Roth
Daily Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS - This past weekend was
a broken record of broken records.
Over and over, swimmers on the Michigan
women's swimming
and diving team shat-
tered personal bests UIUN
as the Wolverines CHAMPIONSHIPS
paddled to second
place in Big Ten Championships at the Indiana
University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
Senior and 17-time All American Shannon
Shakespeare whited out Big Ten Champi-
onship records in the 100-yard freestyle
(48.80), the 200 free (1:46.37), the 200 Indi-
vidual Medley (1:57.66), and swam on the 400
medley relay with Jen Crisman, Missy Sugar
and Laura Kaznecki that set a Big Ten Cham-
pionship record with a lightning time of
3:39.80.
The main reason the Wolverines placed
behind champion Minnesota was because the
Wolverine's diving team failed to score any
points, allowing the Golden Gophers to tri-

umph, 562.5-501.
On the final day of the meet, the Wolverines
sizzled, turning in 11 top-10 finishes and two
first-place performances. Although Michigan
scored the most points on the day, Minnesota's
lead was too much.
Michigan coach Jim Richardson was happy
the team distinguished themselves from the
middle of the pack.
"I'm very pleased with the way the team
stood up today," Richardson said. "After yes-
terday's meet, there were four teams crammed
in there within 20 or 30 points of each other. It
was anybody's meet. Our kids just stood in and
were tough, and they got the job done."
In the process of shattering four records,
Shakespeare won three individuals events,
swam on three winning relays, and accounted
for 90 of Michigan's points.
Needless to say, she was unanimously voted
Swimmer of the Championship.
"It's been great," Shakespeare said. "This is
my last meet with the whole Michigan team as
a Wolverine and my last meet ever in yards. I
couldn't be happier with the results. I'm really
honored."

Even Goldy the Gopher, Minnesota's mas-
cot, was impressed with Shakespeare's domi-
nating performance. Although Goldy is not
allowed to speak, she signed her affection for
Shakespeare.
"Shannon: two thumbs up, two big thumbs,
way up high," Goldy signed.
Shakespeare's speed was contagious, as
Crisman followed suit and erased the Big Ten
Championship record in the 100 backstroke,
notching a time of 54.21.
Perhaps the most exciting swim of the meet
for Michigan was the 1650 freestyle. The rig-
orous mile swim posted Wisconsin's Ellen
Stonebreaker against Michigan freshman
Jenay Karlson. In the preliminary trials,
Stonebreaker outswam Karlson by over half a
minute. But the final was a whole different
story.
Stonebreaker held the lead for most of the
66 lap swim, but in the 40th lap, Karlson
caught and then passed her.
"I didn't have any expectations. I just wanted to
go out there and swim and do the very best that I
could," said Karlson. "I noticed that I was keeping
See BIG TENS, Page 7B


Two for two

- double OT

secures women No. 2 seed

By Dena Beth Kdscher
Daily Sports Writer
EAST LANSING - Michigan State women's
basketball coach Karen Langeland bowed her
head, took a moment at half court and then blew
a kiss to the standing
ovation in her honor ;MICHIGAN 90
that was far from sub- 87
siding.
It was her last home
game in her 24 years as Spartan head coach, and
it had been a war. It had been the best in-state
match-up in the Langeland-Guevara history, and
it came down to this.
"We've had some good ones," Langeland said.
"But we have not had a better game with Michi-
I Wthn hi, neFxrn te netht e nn

She choked back tears as she embraced Michi-
gan coach Sue Guevara, who had played second
fiddle to her for 10 years before moving to Ann
Arbor four years ago. Langeland congratulated
Guevara on Michigan's success and wished her
luck in the NCAA Tournament.
Guevara, equally emotional, thanked her men-
tor and joined her Wolverines as they cheered,
hugged and cried together in the middle of the
arena.
"Did I want her to lose her last game in the
Breslin Center? No," Guevara said. "But she was
playing Michigan. And that's what I was taught
for ten years here (in East Lansing), to prepare
my team to win. And that's what we did. She's
got a couple of games left, and I hope she wins
those games."
The wi innc-1;hedA sennd-n1ace in the TBig Ten

3

I


M
.w. .. . Ei, .. , ., . :t.. ..4 , .it $ .. tc l "Alm

I