The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - December 11, 2000 - 3B Marquette closes game on 9-0 run to win 67-58 DAVID DEN HERDER I By Benjamin Singer )aily Sports Writer Crazies and The Pit The past three games, the Michigan omen's basketball team used the lockerroom at halftime like Clark Kent used a phone booth. When they came out for the second half, the Wolverines played like superheroes. Michigan's second-half magic came in the form of a disappearing at yesterday - especially in the final two minutes. Marquette (4-4) broke a 58-58 tie with a 9-0 run to close out the game to win 67-58 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The win broke Marquette's two- game losing streak and Michigan's five-game winning streak. "They played a lot hungrier than 4s," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. Michigan (6-3) led at the half, 33- 31, but could not muster enough bas- kets to pull away as it has become accustomed to after the break. With just over two minutes left, the core tied at 58, Marquette's Heidi 3owman turned an Alayne Ingram turnover into a 3-point basket for part of her game-high 26 points. After two missed Michigan layups, Bowman hit a jump shot at the other end to go up 63-58. Michigan then came out of its time- out looking for a three if it was there or would settle for a quick two. But at (:07, it had another turnover and was forced to start fouling as Marquette geld off a comeback. Michigan (58) MIN M-A MA OT A F PTS Goodlow 20 3-7 0-0 0-2 1 1 6 Gandy 23 1-2 2-2 2-3 1 2 4 Smith 34 6-6 1-2 3-6 1 3 13 Thorius 37 3-9 22 1-2 4 1 9 Ingram 35 2-13 0-0 1-5 4 3 S 'Oesterle 13 4-7 0-0 2-3 2 2 9 Robinson 12 1-6 0-0 0-1 0 0 2 Bies 26 2-9 6-9 5-10 0 1 10 Totals 200 22-59 11-1516-35 13 13 58 FG%: .373. FTWo: .733. 3-point FG: 3-11,.273. (Ingram 1-6,Oesterie 1-3,Thorius 1-1, Robinson 0-1). Blocks: 4 (Smith 2, Ingram, Bies) Steals: 7 (Thorius 2, Ingram 2. Goodlow, Gandy, Bies). Turnovers: 12 (In ram 3, Oesterle 3, Smith 2, Thorius 2, Gandy). Technical fouls: none. MARQUETTE (67) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A OT A F PTS Bowman 31 10-20 3-4 2-4 3 3 26 Settfern 30 0-4 0-2 4-7 2 0 0 Zawodny 31 7-11 0-0 3-9 0 0 14 Johnson 33 37 22 1.5 6 1 10 Schwerman 19 1-5 1-2 1-2 1 3 4 Gales 5 1-3 0-0 1-2 1 0 2 O'Grady 4 0-1 0-0 0-1 1 0 0 Kiu 13 2-4 0-0 0-2 0 2 4 Stir 8 1-2 1-2 0-1 1 0 3 Williams 8 1-3 0-0 2-3 1 2 2 Weaver 18 1-5 0-0 2-2 3 1 2 Totals 200 27-65 7-12 20-44 19 12 67 FG%: .415. FTl: .583. 3-point FG: 6-17, 353. (Bowman 3-7 Johnson 2-6, Schwerman 1-2, Weaver 0- 1). Blocks: 2 (Bowman, Schwermnan). Steals; 6 (Zawodny 2, Setfern, Johnson, Williams, Weaver). Turnovers: 14 Schwerran 4, Zawodny 3, Kug 2, Bowman, Setffem, Gales, Stieber, Williams). Technmeal fouls: none. Michigan-... .....33 25 - 58 Marquette-........31 36 - 67 At: Bradley Center Attendance: 1,098 With no consistent jump-shooting from the Wolverines, Marquette con- centrated on defending the post, squeezing off the only offensive suc- cess Michigan knows. "If you don't have an outside game -- they were double-teaming in the post." Guevara said. "Marquette did a nice job of defending our penetration." The Wolverines couldn't tap its strength underneath the basket with a.- ALYSSA WOOD/U0 y Alayne Ingram (40), here against Syracuse, shot 2-of-13 from the field and 1-of-6 from 3-point land in Michigan's 67-58 loss to Marquette. the tight defense. Center Jennifer Smith was perfect from the field, fin- ishing 6-of-6. But she managed just two second-half shots despite playing the entire 20 minutes. Michian's leading scorer, junior Raina Goodlow, saw just five minutes in the second half in which time she shot 1-fIor-I from the floor. Guevara said she sat her down because of her inability to play well defensively. Sophomore LeeAnn Bies pulled down 10 rebounds, but struggled shooting, tin- ishing 2-for-9. Only Smith and Heather Oesterlc were able to hit more than one basket in the second half with two each. The other six who played combined for 5-of-22 in the final 20 minutes. Forward Stephanie Gandy didn't even have an attempt in her 14 second-half minutes. Sweet homecoming for Michigan grapplers -r ZYZEWSKVILLE, N.C. -- If you ask the residents here where The Pit is, those who don't give you blank stares will tell you it's down the road in Chapel Hill. More specifical- ly, they say, it's on the hated campus of the inferior University of North Carolina. And they're right. North Carolina cer- tainly seems inerior to Duke (for one thing), and The Pit is a recessed com- mons area next to the student union where Tar I ]eels convene for public ral- lies, performances and the like. It is a place, I imagine, not unlike Michigan's Diag - though a quiet Saturday morn- ing before finals didn't do it justice. But there are 12 seniors at Michigan who will tell you a different story about where The Pit is. Or where it was. They are, coincidentally, my class- mates --Grand Haven Senior High, 1997 And they can tell you about the greatest basketball venue in the country. The Pirates' Pit -The Pit for short - harbors some of my best youthful memo- ries. It was the home of the Grand Haven Buccaneers, and Friday nights on the frigid Lake Michigan shore, it was the hottest ticket in town. Long before the Fab Five, before Rumeal Robinson's free throws, even before Coach Krzyzewski's days at Duke, something special was happening at 900 S. Cutler. Surrounded on three sides by old wooden bleachers that nearly covered the foot-wide sideline, I couldn't imagine a place altogether more intimidating, more joyous and more adrenalized all at once. Then again, I didn't have the benefit of knowing any different. The Pit gave you that feeling that . comes at the climax o your favorite rock and roll song, or the instant after you step off a roller coaster. Except it lasted two hours. After a while, you started to pick up themes. The smell of theater popcorn mixed with the scent of sweat. The slight- ly yellow lighting scheme. The truly deafening pep band, whose rallying cry was a fast-paced "Tequila." The student section never missed its que for that song's only lyric (Tequila!). The students didn't see the Bucs lose at The Pit very often, either. Claps and chants that most fans learn from arena PA systems I was taught by 1,500 high schoolers who screamed and stomped in unison. I'll never forget my fiiend stick- ing the wide end of a megaphone (deco- rated like a shaggy dog) two inches from an opposing player's head as he tried to inbound from the baseline. My fiend, a trombonist wearing an A- shirt, bow tie and a Santa hat, was nearly given a technical foul. But he was part of the reason the opposing team used ampli- fiers all week in practice to try to simu- late The Pit. We, of course, knew T'he Pit could never be simulated. Which is why it was so sad to see it go. As my class prepared to graduate and move on to bigger things, Grand Haven Senior High was doing likewise. After the 1997 season, the Bucs moved to a new gymnasium in a newly constructed high school, and The Pit forever closed its doors to high school basketball. Every year since, I've tried to some- how recapture the atmosphere that embodied those games. Watching "The Pit Crew" at the school's new fieldhous' just isn't the same, and naturally I have turned to collegiate athletics for a substi- tute. As time passed rudely by and my final semester approached, I had all but concluded that Michigan hockey at Yost Ice Arena -- a near-perfect way to spend a Saturday evening -- was the next best thing to The Pit. The students were intel- ligently crazy, the band knew nothing but fortissimo and the nachos were pretty - darn good. But Saturday night, everything changed. Saturday, I came across Krzyzewskiville, N.C. No, there is no zip code, no area code here. It is essentially a patch of grass several thousand square feet ---on the campus of Duke University. But every winter, four or five times a year, it is resi- dential. Because at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, there is no charge for student admission, but there is no reserved seating in the student section, either. So for a sure spot at the season' biggest games, students camp out. Sometimes, they camp out for days. The first settlers before the Michigan game this year arrived at I a.m. the day of the contest. But bring on a rival like' North Carolina, and up go the tents. -; There are rules in Krzyzewskiville Only 12 students to a tent, for example, and at least eight must sleep there. Officials check each campsite throughou the night to miake sure the students ar complying. Ber is smiled upon, as i touch football to pass the time, and overnight visits from the coach himself, bearing a truckload of pizza, are not uncommon. A top 10 university, Duke has even installed Ethemet ports in th lamp posts of Krzyzewskiville so camp- ing students can keep up on their stulies But why'? Why are these high-brow students - the academic creme de la creme - sitting in the cold, sleeping on the ground, just for a chance to get into the building across the sidewalk'? Some say all you need to do is see a game at Cameron, and you'll understand; But I knew the instant I walked in the front door. Because there it was. The unique sme of theater popcorn and sweat. The sound of brass. The sight of old wooden bleach ers. These people understood something feared every day was slipping more and more from my memory. To many, the "first game" at Cameror is an adventure. For me, just setting foot in the arena was like a homecoming, The Pit Crew, the Cameron Crazies - this was on a different level, but in many: ways, so was I. And it all made perfect sense. Becaus ifthat were innteam on the floor again, mif'iends in the student section and Ern' school painted at center court, I would si out here forever to be a part of it one more time. The residents of Krzyzewskiville havo the benefit of knowing they are sur- rounded by reality. And they're willing t do most anything for a stay. - David Den Herder can be reached 4t dden(urnmch.ecdu. By Job Singer Daily Sports Writer Michigan State 125-pounder Chris Williams proved Friday night that cocky displays in front of wrestling opponents during the introduction of starting lineups are not a good idea. "You are supposed to shake hands in the middle of the mat," Michigan 125- pounder A.J. Grant said. "He walked to my side. He waved to his crowd he stuck up his fingers blah, blah, blah." Though the sixth-ranked Grant received a questionable unsportsman- ike penalty early in the match for shoving Williams out of bounds, the 14th-ranked Williams' antics did not stop Grant from nabbing a 3-2 victory. "He was asking for it," Grant said. "And then he got it." The experiences of Grant and Williams are quite common for ath- letes in this rivalry. In their younger days, the two used to drill together, restle together and sleep over at each other's houses prior to tournaments. But as they grew older, Grant has grown less fond of Williams, and his spite has a way of increasing once the whistle blows. "I hate him on the mat," Grant said. "Off the mat I don't really hate him -- we just don't click too well anymore." Much like their lightest wrestler Grant, Andy 1 Hrovat, Charles Martelli and Otto Olson all had a bit of extra ncentive in this past weekend's victo- Wre stung almost .perfect WRESTLING Continued from Page 1B "We were tied nine-nine and we needed to get back and get a win," McFarland said. "I told Mike he need- ed to get us back on track." Kulczycki did not disappoint. In a show of mastery convincing *nough to have taken place on Saturday, Kulczycki destroyed Charlie Sageman 15-6, recording a momentum-swinging major decision and giving Michigan a four-point lead. "I think it was pretty big because it would have sucked to lose three in a row," Kulczycki said. "I wanted to win at the beginning, no matter what happened in the match before." 0 Charles Martelli all but cemented a Michigan triumph with a hard-fought overtime victory. Returning from a shoulder injury suffered last week and competing in his first dual meet since a season-end- ing knee injury last season, captain Otto Olson erased any hones of a ries over Central Michigan and Michigan State. Hrovat did not think he would be in the starting lineup this season. He expected to redshirt. McFarland want- ed his All-America starting at 184 against the ninth-ranked Spartans. Though he looked somewhat flat in a 9-5 victory over Michigan State's John Wechter, Hrovat was thrilled to wrestle in front of the home crowd at Cliff Keen Arena. "I love this place," Hrovat said. "I'll come here to watch volleyball games and I'll get goosebumps just seeing the floor and the crowd and everything. I love it." After filling in for Olson at 174 pounds last year, Martelli returned to his natural weight of 165. To celebrate. Martelli went 2-0 on the weekend including a double-overtime stand-up win that allhbut clinched the team vic- tory over Michigan State. Martelli exemplified Michigan's sizable condi- tioning advantage. "They're visiting at our house and our whole team just got out there and got after them," Martelli said. "In that double OT you plan to feel like you're just starting off the match." After not wrestling in front of the home crowd for two years, Olson was extremely anxious to finish his match against Michigan State freshman Nick Mesyn. After hurting his shoulder in a car accident two weeks ago, Olson wanted to get an early pin in order to DANNY MLOSHOK1UP, Y All-America Andy Hrovat controls Michigan State's John Wechter en route to a 9-5 victory. Hrovat withdrew from redshirt to compete for the Wolverines. avoid more wear on his shoulder. Any questions as to whether or not Olson should have wrestled were answered as soon as the whistle blew and Olson came out intense and aggressive. "We wanted to give Otto a little more time on that shoulder;' coach Joe McFarland said. "But he's had a pretty good week of practice. and he was ready to go-it's hard to keep him off the mat.' Mesvn's challenge was to keep his back off the mat. he was able to sus- tain Olson's attack for 4:58 before the pin was called vith two seconds left in the second period. As the crowd of 1.469 erupted, it was evident that the heart of the Michigan wrestling team had just added another story to his legacv. "I've pictured that moment for more than a year, Olson said. "I'd picked the song out I was goin to listen to, I'd seen it in my head a thousand times in the weight room, in the practice room. and I finally had a chance to do it, and it was against Michigan State, so it was fun. I kind of like to end the match with a pin, to send the people home happy. Fast Turnaround Quality Control Copyright Compliant Expanded Production Center Free Pick-up and Delivery Over 5 Years Experience DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily Wrestling coach Joe McFarland directed his team to two dual-meet victories to open the season. Michigan will not compete again until after winter break. Weekend warriors New Location " Same Great Service Now Above National City Bank Grad A .110 - 6 ww. -.,c C0CE The Michigan wrestling team won their "state champi- onship" this weekend with wins over Michigan State and Central Michigan. Stars of the weekend: AJ. Grant, 125 pounds: Grant avenged one of his two losses this season, han- dling Ahmed Sanders of Central Michigan, 16-6. " Matt Brink, Heavyweight: Brink (right, on top of Matt Lamb) scored a 3-1 deci- DANNY MYosOHOaw sion over 11th-ranked Lamb of Michigan State, who defeated Brink in the Big .; 66