SportsMonday - February 21, 2000 - The Michigan Daily - 5B
Quote of the weekend
"Their character can never be questioned."
-- Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe, on the resilien-
cy of his Wolverines, who allowed Penn State to
come back from deficits of as many as 20 points,
but were able to hold on in, overtime.
Penn State 8}7
Player of the game
Michigan guard Kevin Gaines
Gaines found the energy to play 43 minutes of
tough defense, holding Penn State s Joe Crispin
to 2-for-12 shooting (0-for-8 from 3-point
range). The freshman also adding 17 points on
sharp 6-for-12 shooting.
Ig Michigan
0 _. F
. " , E
Blue 'pushes ' ief to victory
KIMITSU YOGASHI/Daily
Freshman LaVell Blanchard expressed relief after Michigan's overtime victory
Saturday. And why not? The Wolverines hadn't won in a month.
hio State, Pe
make thei moves
By Mark Francescutti
Daily Sports Editor
Moments before Saturday's game, as
the Michigan players prepared to storm
the court in the Crisler Arena tunnel, a
pushing match erupted.
Josh Asselin pushed Leland
Anderson. Anderson pushed Asselin
back. Asselin pushed Kevin Gaines. The
unexpecting Gaines lost balance and
flew into the Crisler wall.
OK, so maybe the pushing went a lit-
tle too far.
Gaines was fine, and so were the rest
of the Wolverines, as their high emotion-
al intensity prior to and throughout the
game, lifted Michigan to a vital 89-87
overtime victory over Penn State.
After seven games and seven losses
- six of them by double digits, how can
anyone get excited to play again?
"During that stretch, it was tough even
coming in and getting ready to practice
after you know you have to face another
top 25 team,junior Brandon Smith said.
But "today we felt like it was our time."
The Wolverines, bruised and battered
mentally after what seemed to be a
never-ending losing streak, found a way
to spark their emotions giving them an
early edge and a 9-0 run to start the
game.
"We came out with a lot of emotion,"
Smith said. "I don't think we've seen that
type of emotion in a long time. Everyone
was focused. It started with the first run"
Throughout the game, from the thun-
OVERTIME
Continued from Page 1B
82 lead, thanks to a Stephens layup.
With Michigan on the brink of
losing control of the game, Jones hit
a clutch 3-pointer that not only kept
the Wolverines alive, but gave them
the lead as well.
The Nittany Lions tied the contest
once after that, although they never
led again.
Michigan's victory was its first
without Jamal Crawford, who fin-
ished his six-game suspension and
should be ready to play at home
against Purdue this Thursday, bar-
ring further NCAA rulings.
"I think we came out with a lot of
emotion, which was key for us," said
Michigan forward Brandon Smith,
who had a career-high of 16 points
while continually exploiting his size
mismatch against Penn State's
guards. "It started with the moment
we came to the gym today."
And it finished with several
rounds of high-fives and hugs by a
team that can now profess how good
it feels to win.
derous dunks to the towel waiving Jamal
Crawford, more emotions came from the
Wolverines than in Titanic's first run.
"I asked the guys when was the last
time we high-fived in the game or a
chest bump and all tha t good stuff they
do," Ellerbe said. "YOU have to bring
some emotion into thu game.
"If you can't get up for games in this
league, you have to question it. Today,
they just decided enough is enough, and
they were going to fight "
BALANCING ACT: Chris Young and
Smith both set career highs? Gavin
Groninger gets back on track, and seven
Wolverines score at least eight points?
Michigan finally got an all-around
game under its bit, after several games
of inconsistency.
For Young, it was the third time he set
a career record in points with 13. Smith
found his way to drive on the slower
Penn State forwards while shooting over
the smaller guards to net 16. Groninger
nailed two out of his first three 3-point
tries.
"We wanted to get some confidence
with a couple guys," Ellerbe said. "It was
good that Gavin got off to a good start
and made a couple shots, and I am sure
he's feeling a little better abut himself."
Groninger also earned another chance
in the starting lineup in place of Leon
Jones.
"I wasn't really happy with Leon's
defense at Wisconsin," Ellerbe said.
"Gavin had a couple really good days at
practice so I gave it to him. He earned
it."
BIG BOY: Penn State senior Jarrett
Stephens, a Ferndale, Mich. native,
scorched the Wolverines with 33 points
and 18 rebounds.
The forward had an easy time on
Michigan's smaller lineups, especially
with his 255-pound frame banging on
the inside.
Stephens couldn't do it all for the
Lions, as his final shot to tie the game
fluttered off the mark.
The loss "hurts especially for him,"
Dunn said. "He's from around here and
he really wants to do well when he
comes here."
NITTANY DELAY: Saturday's game was
delayed from its original 12:17 p.m.
tipoff to 2:30 p.m. because Penn State
hadn't arrived yet.
A snowstorm forced the Nittany Lions
to leave Saturday morning. Penn State
bussed from Harrisburg, about two
hours away from State College, before
finally catching a flight to Michigan.
They arrived at Crisler a little after I
p.m.
"Obviously we looked a little slug-
gish," Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said
of the results of the delay. "But we still
have to play the game. We definitely
came out stronger in the second half"
Meanwhile, at least one Wolverine
found a prime benefit to the delay.
"They called me in the morning to
tell me so I went back to sleep," fresh-
man Kevin Gaines said. "I didn't have
a problem with it."
Thursday
Purdue at Michigan,
Ciser Arena, 8 p.m
The last time these
two teams met, Michigan pulled off a
double-overtime upset in front of a
stunned Mackey Arena crowd. That was
when the Wolverines had momentum. If
they can get Jamal Crawford back for
this Thursday, as projected, then maybe
they'll have the needed momentum to
beat Purdue again.
Saturday
Michigan at Northwestern, Welsh-Ryan
Arena, 12:17 p.m.
This year's Big Ten road gimme. The free
space on Michigan's bingo card. The
complimentary chips-and-salsa with the
Wolverines' Chi Chi's meal. All right,
enough's enough.
FG FT REB
MIN M-A M-A Q-T A F PTS
Joe Crispin 41 2-12 5-5 0-3 8 4 9
Jon Crispin 32 5-10 1-1 0-3 1 2 15
Watkins 12 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Stephens 44 15-20 2-6 5-18 1 4 33
Ivory 40 4-11 3-6' 4-9 5 2 13
Smith 34 34 2-4 1-4 2 1 9
Banta 5 0-0 0-3 0-1 0 1 0
Wittesk 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Jackson 16 2-4 4-5 0-1 0 5 8
Totals 225 31-62 17-3012-43 18 20 87
FG%: .500. FT%:..567. 3-point FG: 8-22.,.364 (Jon
Crispin 4-7,Ivory2-4, Smith 1-1, Stephens 1-1, Joe
Crispin 0-8, Watkins 0.1). Blocks: none. Steals: 6
(St hens 3, Joe Crispin, Jon Crispin, Smith). Turnovers:
18 (oe Crispin 4, Step hens 4, Ivory 3, Smith 3 Jon
Crispin 2, Jackson, 'Witkowsky): Technical Fouls: none.
MICHIGAN (89)G(OT)
FG FT REB
MIN M-A M-A O-T A FPTS
Blanchard 37 6-17 2-2 3-11 1 2 16
Smith 32 7-12 2-2 2-5 4 3 16
Young 27 6-7 13 2-4 0 4. 13>
Gaines 43 6-12 24 1-4 6 4 17
Groninger 36 3-7 0-100 4 1 8
Jones 26' 2-7 3-6 ,0-2 1 2 8
Asselin 13 2-3 4-5 0-3 0 2 8
Anderson 4 0-1 0-0 0-30 10
Vignier 7 1-1 1-2 0-2 0 4' 3
Totals 225 33-67 15-25 8-35 16 23 89
FG: .493. FT%: .600. 3-point FG: 8-20 .400 (Gaines
3-4, Blanchard 2-7, Groni ner 2-5, Jones I-), Blocks: 3
(Asselin 2, Banchard). Stel: 6 (Gaines 2, Smith' 2,
Blanchard, Jones). Turnovers: 12 (Blanchard 3. Gaines 2,
Smith 2, Asselin, Groninger, Vignier, Young. team).
Technical Fouls: none.
Penn State. .....21 53 7 -87
Michigan...:...........44 36, 9 - 89
At: Criser Arena
Attendance: 11,522
BLOOMINGTON (AP) -- Michael
Redd scored 28 points, including five free
throws in the final two minutes, as No. 7
A jio State stole an unusual road victory
Assembly Hall on Saturday, 82-71.
Redd added 10 rebounds. George
Reese also had a double-double for Ohio
State (9-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) with Il
points and 10 rebounds.
Officials called 58 personals with four
Buckeyes and two Indiana players fouling
out. The teams combined to shoot 87 free
throws and misses proved costly to the
Hoosiers. Indiana (8-4, 18-5) missed 17
4 attempts.
A. Guyton led Indiana with 27 points,
becoming the fourth player in school his-
tory to score 2,000 points. He's fifth on
Indiana's career list with 2,007.
Three consecutive 3-pointers by Brent
Darby. who made all four of his shots
from behind the arc, gave Ohio State a
69-63 lead. The Buckeyes scored their
final 11 points on free throws.
No. 6 MICHIGAN STATF 59,
WISCONSIN 54: Morris Peterson and
Sarlie Bell each scored 15 points and
o. 6 Michigan State hung on to first
place in the Big Ten with a 59-54 win
over Wisconsin on Saturday.
Andy Kowske scored I11 points for
Wisconsin (5-8, 13-12), which held the
Spartans to just three field goals over
the final 14:21 of the game.
Michigan State shot just 34 percent
(I 6-of-47) from the field and the Badgers
39 percent ( 16-of-4 1).
*A three-point play by Kowske gave
Wisconsin its first lead, 32-31, on the first
Score of the second half It was the first of
six lead changes in the half.
The Spartans (10-2, 20-6) went 4:39
between a jumper Jason Richardson
and Charlie Bell's layup with 9:40
remaining, but four free throws helped
Michigan State build a 47-41 lead
despite the shooting slump.
No. 25 PURDUE 97, MINNESOTA 61:
D rdue's balance was just too much for
manned Minnesota.
Mike Robinson scored 18 points and
the Boilermakers used a 22-0 first-half
run to beat Minnesota on Saturday.
It was a season-best sixth straight
victory for Purdue (10-3, 19-7) and the
second straight loss for the Gophers (4-
9, 12-11) since leading scorer Joel
Przybilla was suspended for academics.
The ragged Gophers had more
#novers than shots through the first 10
Conference
Team
Michigan State
Purdue
Ohio State
Illinois
Indiana
Penn State
Wisconsin
Michigan
Iowa
Minnesota
Northwestern
W
10
10
9
9
8
5
5
4
4
4
0
L
2
3
3
4
4
7
8
8
8
9
12
Overall
W L
20 6
19 7
18 5
17 7
18 5
13 10
13 12
13 10
11 13
12 11
5 20
Sturday' resuts:
MICHIGAN 89, Penn State 87 (OT)
MICHIGAN STATE 59, Wisconsin 54
PURDUE 97, Minnesota 61
Ohio State 82, INDIANA 71
Illinois 63, NORTHWESTERN 30
Txrrow'sgame;
Indiana at Illinois, 9 pm.
Wednesdas mames
Northwestern at Ohio State, 8 pm.
Wisconsin at Iowa, 8 p.m.
Michigan State at Penn State, 8 p.m.
Thgdy's me:
Purdue at Michigan, 8 p.m.
minutes and went scoreless for a seven-
minute stretch when Purdue took con-
trol. All 11 Boilermakers scored, and all
but one of them had at least two baskets.
Besides Przybilla, Minnesota was
without John-Blair Bickerstaff, out for
the season with a broken leg.
ILLINOIS 63, NORTHWESTERN 30: As
time wound down in the first half of
Illinois' win over Northwestern on
Saturday, the question was not who
would win but whether the Wildcats
would ever score.
Illinois scored the game's first 23
points as Northwestern went the first
15:13 of the game without a single
point, going 0-for-11 and committing
15 turnovers.
When Aaron Jennings scored on a
driving layup and converted a free
throw with 4:47 left in the half, the
mostly orange-and-blue-clad capacity
crowd let out its most enthusiastic roar
of the night.
But by then, the game was decided.
Illinois led 30-6 at halftime and never led
by fewer than 19 in the second half.
SCORING
PLAYER Vs PS:P
Crawford DNP
Blanchard 16
Gaines 17
Jones 8.
REBOUNDING
Blanchard 11
Asselin 3
Gaines 4
ASSISTS
Gaines 6
Crawford DN P
Jones 1
STEALS
Gaines 2
Crawford DNP
Jones 1
TURNOVERS
Gaines 2
Crawford DNP
Jones 0
AVERAGE
16.6
15.3
11.8
9.0
8.3
5.3
3.9
4.5
4.5
1.8
1.3
1.1
0.9
3.4
3.1
2.5
KIMITSU YOGASHI/Daily
Despite his throw-back afro, Peter Vignier and the Michigan frontcourt wasn't able
to stop Penn State big man Jarrett Stephens, who scored 33 points Saturday.
The question: i 1amal play?
By Mark Framescutti
Daily Sports Editor
submit the Univet
NCAA as soon as
The NCAA sta
The talk over the next week about the decision as to wt
Michigan basketball team revolves face more v io
around one question. with his reinstater
Will Jamal Crawford be back? A source close
The NCAA suspended the freshman told the Daily this
guard for six games for
violating a byiaw deal- a?
ing with amateurism. J M S Ut
Crawford took gifts, Jamal Crawford finished serving his
including cars, money six-game sus ension by sitting out
and jewelry from Barry Yeterday's 8-87 oetietory
Hentorn charma ofover Penn State. Will Crawford
Henthorn, chairman of return for Michigan's next g-ne,
a telecommunications Thursday against Purdue.
company in Seattle. Mich d the NCAA ti
Crawford's suspen- process of investigating new etail -
sion has now ended, tn the case. Once the investiuatin
but new developments is completed the NCAA wil hcn
forced Michigan to decide if furer violations/punish-
rmaents are Necessary.
reopen its investiga-
tion. Crawford could If no decision is made prior to
face more penalties Thursday, Michigan may have to
keep Crawford ineligible for fea r ()
with his reinstatement, possible later NCAA repercu tios.
including more sus--
rsity's findings to the
it concludes.
Lf will then make a
hether Crawford will
ns andior punishments
int.
to the investigation
past weekend that the
investigation is near-
ing completion.
Michigan coach
Brian Ellerbe said
last week that he
doesn't know what
will happen if a deci-
sion isn't reached
before the Purdue
game.
"I have been told
that we'll cross that
bridge when we get
there Ellerbe said.
"I haven't spoke to
anyone since Friday. I
am just going to wait
to hear from our peo-
deemed the relationship between
Henthorn and Crawford as unusual.
Ont the other hand, a change of heart
in the result of Crawford's case could
impact the whole world of college bas-
ketball.
"It will be a landmark decision,"
Ellerbe said.
Many of the new developments could
hamper Crawford.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer report-
ed Saturday that Charles McLennan, an
employee of Henthorn, drove a 1988
Mercedes from Seattle to Ann Arbor to
give to Crawford.
It was the Mercedes that jumpstarted
Michigan's investigation, when officials
found out that Crawford wasn't the only
name registered on the car.
Henthorn also admitted last week that
he asked Darcienne LeRoue, his former
administrative assistant, to co-sign loans
to buy a 1985 Chevy Blazer and gold
jewelry for Crawford.
LeRoue has filed a lawsuit in Seattle,
containing an allegation that she was
forced to sign on the loans to protect
Henthorn from being linked to the bas-
ketball player, stating that "the real pur-
pose of the loans involving Mr.
Crawford was to evade or violate NCAA
rules and Washington state laws."
Henthorn also created a scholarship
foundation, the Academic Assistance
Fund, and listed Crawford as a benefi-
ciary, drafting a contractual agreement
asking Crawford to, make appearances
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Young 6-7 .692
Asselin 2-3 :569
Vgnier 1-1 .550
3-poitNT PERCENTAGE
lol
Jones
Blanchard
Groninger
1-4
2-7
2-5
.394.
.38
.357
FREE THROW PERCENTAGE
Blanchard 2-2 .792
Crawford DNP 784
Anderson 0-0 .756
pended games, if the NCAA finds that
the new details show more violations.
Regardless of what could happen,
Crawford expects to return for
Michigan's next game against Purdue.
"I wish it was the 24th right now,
Crawford said. "Through all this, I've
become hungrier. I want to prove I can
still play. Even if I go 0-for-20, I still just
want to be out there with those guys.
For the past three weeks, Crawford
ple on The Hill and the (administration)
to find out what the situation is."
If anyth ing can be sa id at this moment,
it's that Ellerbe may not be able to pencil
in Craw ford on his lineup card, as the
freshman's eligibility for Thursday still
hangs in the air.
Several analysts from around the
country have called into question the
NCAA's policies on aa teurism, espe-
cially after C rawfov.r t =ill faced penalties
Team
1. Cinannati (66)
2. Stanford (5)
3. Duke
4. Arizona
5. Tennessee
6. Michigan State
7. Ohio State
8. Oklahoma State
9. Syracuse
10. Indiana
11. Florida
12. Auburn
DoC,
23-1
21-1
19-3
21-4
21-3
18-6
17-4
20-2
20-2
18-4.
18-5
19-4
Agents tell Przybilla
he'll be lottery Dick
Arizona St. -Southern
Cal. game ends in brawl