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michigandailycm Isports FEBRUARY 25, 2000 8
Cagers prove mettle in loss Tankers top
By Chris Duprey missing both free throw attempts, keeping the score at 74- p ack after
Daily Sparts Edoa 72
All of a sudden, the Wolverines had 21 seconds to tie
Take away Jamal Crawford and LaVell Blanchard from or win the game outright. More aggressive offense by f
the Michigan basketball team, and what do you have left? Michigan earned center Chris Young two free throws, the d]
Contrary to some opinions, quite a lot. result of Cornell's fifth foul
Minus their two top scorers - Crawford, who was The first rattled out, and with that miss went the By Jeb Singer
starting a new eight-game Wolverines' last chance. Young made the second free Daily Sports Writer
suspension per another PURDUE 78 throw, but the final 10 seconds never yielded Michigan
NCAA ruling, and Blanchard, another quality opportunity to tie, as the Boilermakers The Michigan men's swimming
who went down on the second MICHIGAN 75 (11-3 Big Ten, 20-7 overall) kept 'heir grip on second team is taught to finish events
possession of the game with a place in the Big Ten, trailing Michigan State by a full stronger than it starts them. They did
mild knee injury - Michigan emphatically proved that it game. just that today.
wouldnot hide from adversity. "There is disappointment, but there is also a great deal "You gotta bring it home in the
Riding emotion, the Wolverines jumped out to a 26-10 of pride," said Michigan guard Gavin Groninger, who end," Michigan coach John
first-half lead before falling to Purdue at Crisler Arena turned in a 19-point effort against the Boilermakers, Urbanchek said
last night, 78-75. almost a carbon copy of his 18-point performance in a Utbancek might as well have bee
Last night's ending was eerily similar to the fiist meet- victory at Georgia Tech back in December. talking about the three-day Big Tei
ing of the two teams, back in Januarv in West Lafayette. Michigan learned before the game that Crawford's Championships.
This time it was Michigan that was facing a six-point suspension would be extended another eight games on top After the first day of the morning-
deficit with under a minute to play, needing some missed of the original six, with Game No. 7 coming last night. preliminaries and evening finals, top.
free throws from the opposition to stay competitive. Blanchard started as usual, but didn't last long, suffering a dog Michigan has left the rest of the
After missing two free throws the previous possession, mild sprain of his medial collateral ligament. Trainer Steve , contenders on the porch. But the 53-
JaraanCornell was fouled again with 29 seconds left. The Stricker said that, while the sprain isn't serious, Blanchard will point cushion they currently possess
senior made one of two for a 74-69 Purdue lead. be "doubtful" for Saturday's trip to Northwestern. could easily become a memory if the
Leon Jones came off a screen and stuck a 3-pointer to Bodies were at a premium for Michigan coach Brian , team does not continue to lay it on
bring Michigan within 74-72, and the Wolverines prompt- Ellerbe, so his Wolverines (4-9, 13-11) cooked up some emo- the line.
ly fouled once more. The victim this time - shooting tion instead. Every Michigan player came out of the locker- w;"Round three is usually the key,"
guard Carson Cunningham, an 82 percent free-throw room wearing a headband in the now-famous Crawford tradi- _ * 0 coach Urbanchek said. "You can't
shooter., tion, with magic-marker messages reminding the fans and DAVID KAtZ/Daiy ease up in any round. You are going
Cunningham, much to the amusement of the half of themselves who they were playing for. Purdue's Mike Robinson was surrounded by defenders all night, but that didn't to get knocked out real fast. Each
Crisler that hadn' vet left the building, did his part by See PURDUE, Page 9 stop him from scoring 17 points in Purdue's 75-72 win. round is like a dual meet. It's six
dual meets."
adnior g fmnastsv ault out with style the first two roundsg well throug
jJ J UA J S e~' "We're doing really well, we got a
good cushion," junior Chris
By Rohit Bhave event's top score of 9.925, Johnson's 9.75 score formance won him the Newt Loken Award, Thompson said. "We have not
Daily Sports Writer on the rings proves to be more significant to the along with Zimmerman, for the meet's outstand- clinched the championship though."
Wolverine's title hopes. Johnson's first dual-meet ing performances. The 53-point cushion could hav
The Michigan men's gymnastics team's final performance of his difficult rings routine was "It was great to have all my teammates been even bigger on paper.
home jieet of the season against Michigan State crucial because complete execution of the rou- behind me the entire meet, Haro said. "This "If we get 75 points on the field
displayed the timeless cycle of collegiate sports. tine may net a near-perfect score in the future. In closes a chapter in my life." today, we'll be in good shape,"
As departing seniors Lalo Haro and Ethan a. tight NCAA championship final, it may For Golder's first recruiting class, this meet Urbanchek said with two events left
Johnson gave their last hurrah, budding fresh- become an ace up coach Kurt Golder's sleave. represented a culmination of their work and in the night.
man star Kis Zimmerman exhibited his poten- In perhaps his own final home meet, Dehr achievement of the last four years. After inherit- While greediness is usually not
tial with a near-perfect 9.95 on the parallel bars. scored a personal-record 9.925 on the pommel ing a barren program, their foundation supported polite, the team clearly could use the
The trio, in addition to junior Tim Dehr, aided horse, continuing his season of phenomenal the making of last year's NCAA championship cushion because tomorrow's events
the Wolverines in their sound 230.025-226.8 improvement. Although Dehr has senior acade- and this year's title run. Departing seniors Jesse are not their strongest.
defeat of the rival Spartans last night. mic standing, he likely will be back next season Coleman, Bryan Pascoe, Lalo Haro, Ethan "Today's events were our best
The win over the Spartans was a foregone to compete for the Wolverines. Johnson and Adam Hattersly epitomized the events. But we still have a few other
conclusion after Michigan rolled up a 39.075 The most poignant moment of the evening term student-athlete. In their four years, they not best events," Urbanchek said. "Yo
event score on the rings, leaving the Wolverines came when Haro completed his final high-bar only landed Michigan's first national champi- have got to swim fast in preiminar-
with an insurmountable 116.175-113.9 advan- event for Michigan. Even though he fell on his onship in gymnastics, they collectively won nine ies in the morning."
tage. Michigan racked up two team event records difficult routine, Golder's first blue-chip recruit academic awards. . While the Wolverines may turn in
with its mark on the rings, and its 38.975 on the finished his daring final home routine by res- "I hate to lose them, but I'm excited to see some big victories over the remain-
parallel bars. olutely sticking his dismount to the hearty cheers them graduate and move on with their lives'" der of the championships, they will
DANNY KAUCK/ai ly Although sophomore Scott Vetere posted the of the home crowd. Har's strong all-around per- Golder said following the meet See BIG TENS Page 9
Junior co-captain Kevin Roulston shows his form on the bars.
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