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The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - January 10, 2000 - 5B
Quote of the weekend
~if we had lost, I'd have felt like it was my fault.
I missed some free throws and I'm a 90 percent
free throw shooter."
- Michigan freshman Jamal Crawford, who
needed to make only one free throw
to win the game in the first overtime
Bg Michigan 88
Player of the game
Michigan forward LaVei Blanchard
Blanchard overcame a poor one-point perfor-
mance against Minnesota last Wednesday with
his fifth double-double of the season, and tipped
in the game-winning shot against Purdue.
Purdue
86 (20
I
Blanchard turns Michigan
miscues into magnificence
Crawford 17.4 19
Blanchard 14.5 21
Gainles 12.5 $'
Jones 9.9 2
REBOUNDING
By David Den Herder
Daily Sports Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE - LaVell
Blanchard has been something of an
insurance policy for the Wolverines
so far this season. It started as just a
health policy - with Brandon Smith
down and Brian Ellerbe in need of a
starting forward, Blanchard was
there.
But as the season wore on,
Blanchard's coverage became com-
prehensive. At Detroit, as the
Wolverines mounted a second-half
comeback, Blanchard was there on
the defensive boards. At Georgia
Tech, as Kevin Gaines penetrated and
left some of his showtime drives
dancing on the rim, Blanchard was
there to finish them off.
And when Jamal Crawford heaved
a do-or-die 3-point attempt in double
overtime that clanged off the iron on
Saturday - like a good neighbor -
Blanchard was there.
"It was almost like divine interven-
tion," said Ellerbe, who thought his
freshman may have tipped in
Purdue's go-ahead shot, and was
looking for a little poetic justice on
the other end.
"I just jumped," said Blanchard. "I
just got a hand on it and luckily it
rolled in."
Luckily? Some say it's better to be
lucky than good. Maybe Blanchard is
both.
YOUNG GUN: Michigan's perimeter
game ailing, the door was open
Saturday for a larger-variety
Wolverine to step up the inside game.
Seemingly without warning, Chris
Young found his touch.
The 220-pound sophomore had a
career-high eight points off the bench
and pulled down six rebounds at vital
junctures, often keeping Purdue runs
from getting out of control.
Purdue coach Gene Keady foresaw
a resurgence in Michigan's inside
play. "I told the kids, after (the
Wolverines) got their butts kicked at
Minnesota, they'll be focused,"
Keady said. "They'll go inside,
because no one touched it inside up
there."
Ellerbe was exposed to a bit of
foreshadowing himself.
"At practice on Friday (Young)
scored eight in a row," said Ellerbe.
"I said, 'OK, Chris, that's great today
- but the game's tomorrow."'"
If there was any confusion before,
Young showed Saturday that he
understands the meaning of game
day.
"The guards weren't hitting their
shots, so they went inside to us,"
Young said.
He should have continued by say-
ing: We finished the plays and gave
Michigan a chance down the stretch.
"I think it's the big men that really
stepped it up," Blanchard said. "I
can't say enough praise for them -
they did everything for us tonight."
DOUBLE FAULT: Turnovers have
haunted the young Wolverines
throughout the first half of the sea-
son. And although the 22 give-aways
against Purdue may be an inflated
statistic since Michigan had 10 more
minutes to cough up the ball, Ellerbe
was no less agitated.
"We fought through 22 turnovers,"
Ellerbe said with a slight sigh.
"Those are like unforced errors. If it
was tennis we would have been done
after three sets."
Ironically, low turnover numbers
have not always been associated with
impressive performances this season
for Michigan. A loss to Duke and a
near-loss to pesky Kent saw the
Wolverines commit only 14 turnovers
in each game, their second-lowest
total of the season. In every other;
victory (save Colorado State),
Michigan gave the ball away more
than 15 times a game.
Blanchard F
Smith
A.sselin
ASSISTS
Gaines
Crawford
Jones
STEALS
Gaines
Jones1
Crawford 1
TURNOVERS
Gaines
Crawford 3
Jones
8.8
6.7
5.0
5.0
4.6
2.0
15
1.2
1.1
3.5
3.2
2.5
10
7
S
4
7
1
2
2
7
S
4
FiELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Young
Anderson
Asselin
3-POINT
Jones,
Blanchard
Groninger
15-19
-10-15
41-70
PERCENTAGE
15-32
15-35
23-57
.789
.667
.586
.469
.429
.404
Point guard Kevin Gaines sparked Michigan in the first overtime, twice driving
along the baseline for layups to give the Wolverines a four-point lead.
FREE THROW PERCENTAGE
Groninger 4-5 .800
Crawford 27-34 ,794
Smith 9-12 .750
Freshmen may have saved!
more tan just tIs gme
Continued from Page 2B
another two-possession lead with 19 seconds
I which would almost surely seal the game.
he had to do was make one.
Get out your calculators, statistics majors: the
chance of a 79.4 percent free-throw shooter
missing two in a row is just 4.2 percent.
So much for statistics. Clank went the first,
and clank went the second. The lead was still
three, and Purdue had this surprisingly confident
attitude as they walked to the bench for another
timeout, as if to say, "It's Mackey Arena. We're
destined to win. We never lose here."
,gre enough, Crawford tried to atone for his
mistake by using his 6-foot-5 frame to engulf
Carson Cunningham - like he has done to so
many other guards this season - as he attempt-
edthe game-tying 3-pointer from the right wing.
That wingspan, that reach, that instinct was all
classic Jamal, part of what makes him such a
dangerous defender, and the reason why he leads
the team with 15 blocks.
Brian Ellerbe loves "positive aggression" -
that's the message painted on the door to the
Michigan lockerroom in Crisler Arena - but on
this occasion, it gave Purdue a way out.
Cunningham was fouled while shooting. His
ensuing three foul shots tied the game, sending a
shock through an arena that was emptying just
moments earlier, still doubting the scoreboard
that said the game was going to double overtime.
Michigan never remembered that the visiting
team is supposed to lose in overtime, or that you
pay for mental mistakes in the Big Ten. In the
wildest of fashions, at the most crucial of times,
the Wolverines went out and earned their first
conference victory.
This was the Win That Saved The Season. A
freshman-dominated 0-2 team, one that just blew
a six-point lead with 40 seconds to play, proba-
bly doesn't bounce back.
The Big Ten doesn't let up. Three years ago, a
Michigan team with Robert Traylor, Jerod Ward
and Maceo Baston lost five Big Ten games in a
row. Last year's team also lost five in a row. And
both these teams were full of veterans.
But take that with a grain of salt. After all,
they're just statistics.
- Chris Duprey can be reached via e-mail at
cduprey@umich.edu. .
FG Fr REB
MIN M A M-A O-T A F PTS
Jones 20 1-4 0-1 0-3 1 2 2,
Blanchard 41 8-14 2-2 4-14 2 3 21
Asselin 32 5-9 3-4 3-5 0 4 1
Crawftxd 45 5-17 8-13 0.4 7 2 1
Gaines 31 3-8 2-2 1-6 4 5 8
Groningen 17 1-5 0- 1-1 1 1 3
Smith 33 6-9 2-2 2-7 0 5 14
Young 27 3-4 2-3 3-6 0 3 8
Mognier 4 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 1 0
Totals 250 32-70 19-27 16-47 1S 26 88
FG:457F% 0 3pifl FG 45.267 (8anchail
FG,47Fr 0 -an G -5.6 Bacad3-5, Crawford 1-6, Groninger 1-5, Gaines 0-3, Jones 0-'
2, Smith G1), Bocks: 6Smith 2, Vignier 2, Asselin,
Crawford) Steals 12 (Gmoninger 3, Jones 2, Asselin 2,
Craword 2, Young 2, Gaines), Turnovers: 22 Gaines 7,
Crawford 5, Jones 4, Assein 3, Groninge, Smith,
Young) Technical Fouls: none.
Purdue (86)
FG Fr REB
MIN M-A M-A O-T A f PTS
Smith 17 1-4 0-0 1-3 0 1 2
Cardinal 37 s- 10-13 4-9 6 4 2
Mcuay 42 5-9 1-4 3-6, 0 3 i
Cornell 39_ 4-14 4-4 1-7 -2 2 14
Cunningham 42 5-15 6-7 0-2 2 5 19
Kerkhof 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Maynard 19 3-10 0-0 0-2 1 2 9
Wetzi 2 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 0
Robinson 40 4.8 0.0 4-7 4 3 8
Allison 8 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
Totals 250 28-77 21-28 18-42 16 22 86
F94." .364 FTW:.750 3-point FG: 7-21, .333
(Cunninghamn 3-9, Maynard 3-7, Cornell 2-8, Cardinal
1-5, Smith 0-1). Blocks: 5 (Cardinal 2, McQuay,
Robinson, Allison). Steals 7 (Cardinal 5, McQuay
Cunningham). Turnovers: 18 (Cunningham 5, McQuay
4, Smith 2, Cornell 2, Maynard 2, Robinson 2,
Cardinal). Technical Fouls: Cardinal
Michigan . ........35
Purdue...... ..32
31 9 12- 104
35 9 10-97
No. 1 Stanford is 'Cat nipped
AP PHOTO
Forward Chris Young, who normally comes off the bench to spell Josh Asselin, had a big day against the
Boilermakers, scoring a career-high eight points while grabbing six rebounds.
M pesCardinalPurdue
From wire reports
STANFORD, Calif. - Arizona's quickness
overcame the power and depth of top-ranked
Stanford as the No. 5 Wildcats gave coach Lute
Olson his. 600th college victory with a 68-65
win Saturday over the previously undefeated
,Ordinal. Jason Gardner had 22 points, and
Loren Woods added 16 points, 12 rebounds and
four blocks as the Wildcats (13-2, 2-0 Pac-10)
survived a frantic Stanford rally down the
stretch.
Stanford nearly overcame a 10-point deficit
in the final 30 seconds, pulling within 66-65 on
David Moseley's long 3-pointer with 3 seconds
left. But Gardner calmly sank two free throws
for the final margin.
Moseley had 14 points, Jarron Collins had 13
idtwin brother Jason Collins had 11 for
nford (12-1, 1-1), which has lost 20 of its last
24 against Arizona.
It was the second time in recent years Arizona
has knocked off the nation's top-ranked team.
No. 8 DUKE 80, No. 12 MARYLAND 70: Chris
Carrawell reflects on events like one of those
veterans' well into his second decade as a pro
rather than a college senior.
After scoring 20 points and doing just about
anything else No. 8 Duke needed in an 80-70
tory over No. 12 Maryland on Sunday,
rrawell sat in a crowded locker room and
talked of the many streaks the latest win kept
alive.
The Blue Devils (11-2, 2-0) have won I1
straight games since opening the season 0-2 and
have won 24 in a row in the Atlantic Coast
Conference. including 13 on the road.
20 -including four free throws in the final 21.4
seconds - as No. 13 Ohio State held off
Minnesota 71-63 Sunday.
The Buckeyes (9-3, 1-1 Big Ten), last in the
conference in foul shooting last year, hit 10 of
12 free throws in the final 5 minutes and
outscored the Golden Gophers 14-5 at the line.
Minnesota (9-3, 1-1) finished with 20
turnovers (to Ohio State's 11) and shot 40 per-
cent from the field to the Buckeyes' 39 percent.
No. 11 MICHIGAN ST. 75, IowA 53: Morris
Peterson scored 20 of his 29 points in the first
half and Mateen Cleaves tied Michigan State's
career assist record as the 11 th-ranked Spartans
whipped Iowa 75-53 Saturday night.
Cleaves, playing his second game after sitting
out 10 weeks following surgery to his right foot,
dished out three assists to tie the mark of 645 set
by Scott Skiles from 1982-86.
Cleaves also scored three points in 20 minutes
off the bench for the Spartans (11-4, 2-0 Big
Ten), whose 20th consecutive conference vic-
tory tied Indiana (1952-53) for the fourth-
longest streak in league history. The victory
over Iowa (7-6, 1-1) was Michigan State's sixth
straight over the Hawkeyes, equaling its best run
of the series (1977-80).
Iowa, which hit just 9-of-21 free throws and
shot 39 percent from the field last Wednesday in
a 58-52 victory over Northwestern, again shot
horribly. The Hawkeyes made just 18 of 33 free
throws, or 54.5 percent, while shooting 28.1
percent from the field for the game.
No. 10 INDIANA 85, PENN ST 78: Kirk Haston
scored a career-high 28 points and outplayed
Jarrett Stephens, the Big Ten's top scorer, as No.
BOI LERMAKERS
Continued from Page 1B
the game.
Crawford redeemed himself in the second
overtime, hitting a pretty fadeaway and, two pos-
sessions later, nailing successive free throws with
2:12 remaining in the game to put Michigan
ahead, 83-82.
But the battle-hardened Boilermakers would
not go away. Senior Brian Cardinal drained a 3-
pointer to put his team ahead by two and, after
Michigan converted two free throws, he rattled
home the second of two free throws. Purdue led
again, 86-85.
Crawford raised Michigan onto his shoulders
again, launching a three-point attempt that car-
omed toward the athletic Blanchard.
"I just jumped and hoped the rebound would
fall my way," said Blanchard, who found his pro-
ductive touch again "after a dismal one-point per-
formance at Minnesota, in which he fouled out
with over ten minutes remaining in the second
half.
Against Purdue, the Ann Arbor native recorded
his fifth double-double off the season with a
team-leading 21 points and 10 rebounds.
. No other Michigan players have recorded dou-
ble-doubles this season.
His improbable shot a perfect metaphor for the
game, Blanchard's all-around play on Saturday.
proved his importance on the Wolverines.
When he plays well, the Wolverines can win.
But when he is off, they are in deep trouble.
Sunday
Jan. 16
/llinois at Michigan,
Crisler Arena, 1 p.m.
Michigan passed the test, winning one of
two conference road tests. Now the
Wolverines begin their first conference
homestand against the ltlini (1-1 Big Ten,
9-4 overal), last year's upstart team in
the Big Ten. Can Gaines and Crawford
handle lightning guard Corey Bradford?
Wednesday, Jan. 19
Northwester at Michigan, Cnsler Areno,
8 p.m.
Few wins are easy for Michigan's fresh-
man squad that is still learning to play
college-level defense. But the Wildcats (0-
1, 4-9) might be the exception.
Historically, this game doles out playing
time to bench players from both teams.
Goodbye Kevin Gaines and Jamal
Crawford, hello Ramal Hunter and Herb
Gibson.
House cleaning: Arizona
State guard scores 61
points
When the game finally ended
after the second overtime, Eddie
House went off on a celebratory,
half-court sprint.
He tugged at his jersey, thumped
his chest. and shouted at anvonne
Team
1. Stanford
2. Connecticut
.3. Cincinnati-
4. Arizona
5. Auburn
6. Florida
7. Duke
8. Syracuse
9. Kansas
In &A4.-.. q t
Team
Indiana
Michigan State
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio State
Illinois
Wisconsin
Iowa
Purdue
Conference
W L
2 0
20a
I i
11
1 1
1 1
1 1
' 1
0 1
W
12
11
10
9
9
9
9
7
9
L
1
4
3
3
3
4
4
6
5
11-0
11-2'
~- d
Beat Mississippi, 75-51
Beat Maryland, 80-70
Beat Miami (Fla), 67-55
Beat Colorado, 84-69
ua- Onw a r
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