Daily trivia
Today is the last edition of this round of Daily Trivia. Two tickets
to the Michigan-Michigan State hockey game on Feb. 17 will go
to the two respondents that answer the most questions correctly.
Send answers to sports.contest@umich.edu
Today's final question (worth two points):
What is Geoff Koch's favorite band?
(hint: it has been published this season in the Daily.)
Yesterday's answer: 14; Michigan State
michigandaily.comIsports
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FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 9, 2001
9
.Hoops hopes to curb
turnovers at Indiana
By Dan Williams
yDaily Sports Editor
Less than a month away from the
Big Ten Tournament, the Michigan
men's basketball team has the chal-
enge of trying to save its season.
Currently on a three-game losing
streak, Michigan (3-7 Big Ten, 9-12
overall) faces Indiana in Bloomington
tomorrow.
Michigan picked up one of its three
conference wins against the Hoosiers
Jan. 9 in Crisler Arena.
But Indiana has since elevated to 5-
4 in the Big Ten, and the Hoosiers
iaven't lost to a conference opponent
in Assembly Hall.
The last time Michigan met
Indiana, the Wolverines did a com-
mendable job of keeping forward
Kirk Haston under wraps. Haston
shot 5-of-12 from the floor, and
scored just 13 points. He leads the
Hoosiers in scoring with 17.9 points
per game.
More than anything else, Michigan
needs to rectify its turnover problem
*f it is to earn a season sweep of
Indiana.
All year Brian Ellerbe has high-
lighted his team's assist-to-turnover
ratio as the statistic that makes the
difference between winning and loss-
ing.
ASSEMBLY HALL
Who: Michigan (3-7 Big Ten, 9-12 overall) vs.
Indiana (54 Big Ten, 14-9 overall)
When: 1:00 p.m. Sunday
Latest: Michigan looks for the season sweep
against Indiana and end their present three
game losing streak.
When Michigan fell 77-66 to Penn
State Wednesday night, 13 assists to
18 turnovers again spelled doom for
the Wolverines.
"If we had limited our turnovers, it
would have been okay," Michigan
junior Chris Young said.
Bernard Robinson, who has said
himself that he needs to work on play-
ing under more control, had five
turnovers alone.
Michigan particularly had trouble
with Penn State's pesky guard, Titus
Ivory, who had seven steals in the
contest. Ivory caused Michigan's mis-
cues by getting in the passing lanes
and providing help defense on the
post.
Penn State's ability to induce
Michigan's turnovers negated an aston-
ishing advantage the Wolverines had
captured on the boards. Michigan outre-
bounded Penn State 43-29 in the game.
"It really does hurt. We had great
energy out there on the floor," Young
said. "We killed them on the glass."
ALYSSA WOOD/Daily
Physical play has been a pitfall for Michigan this season, as Nebraska-Omaha proved to Mark Kosick (above) and the
Wolverines. Forward Josh Langfeld and goaltender L.J. Scarpace got in a little extra physicality practice yesterday.
lCers' ous reect intense matcu
Crusaders
Cross out
'M'cagers
By David Horn
Daily Sports Writer
When will the wake-up call coie?
For the Michigan women's Eagket-
ball team,
SMICHIGAN 58 not a '21-
point toss
HOLY CROSS 62 at lowa in
c a r I y
January
(its third in a row at that time), nor a
disappointing loss at Purdue last
weekend, to end a five-game win-
fling streak, awakened the ocson-
ally dormant Wolverines. -
But Michigan coach Sue Guevara
hopes that last night's 62-58 iiss to
the Holy Cross Crusaders will raise
her team from its slumber for a last
push towards the postseason.
"Obviously we're heavy sleepers,"
an exasperated Guevara said. "It's
too bad there's no place for heart in
that boxscore, because my team bad
none."
The return of senior captain Anne
Thorius, sidelined for two games with
an ankle injury, was not enough to lift
the Wolverines. They were led by 1
rebounds from freshman Stephanie
Gandy and 14 points from center
LeeAnn Bies, although her offesive
output did not make up for her failures
on the other end of the floor.
"We've been eaten up in the Iast
two games versus post players,
Guevara said. "That's a big, big con-
cern. Bies had to score 14 because
she was letting up a lot more on
defense."
Another troublesome spot was
forward Raina Goodlow, wh- did
not collect a single rebound.
Michigan's fourth nonconference
loss came on an exciting night in
the Big Ten that
saw the fall of
Purdue -previ- CRISLER ARENA
ously undefeat-
ed in confer- Who: Michigan (7-5 ig
ence play - to Ten,149 overall) vs.
Iowa in Iowa Illiis(7-4,12-11)
City. When: 2 p.m.
Goodlow and Latest Following two
Ghe odlverinsstraight losses, at
the Wolveries Purdue and Holy.cGoss,
will have to the Wolverines look to
find a way to complete the sweep of
rebound. They Illinois.
face Illinois at
Crisler Arena this Sunday. Tte Illini
are a full game ahead of sixth-place
Michigan in the Big Ten standings.
The Wolverines defeated llinrois
68-57 in the two teams' previous
meeting.
"I'm questioning where they are
mentally," Guevara said 9f her
team. "I'm questioning the itensi-
ty of some people.'-
,Netters hope to find
leadership quickly
By Joe Smith
Daily Sports Editor
By Albert Kim
Daily Sports Writer
The last time the Michigan men's
tennis team didn't have a senior was
1996-1997. That was also the last los-
*ing season for the Wolverines.
With the Big Ten schedule around
the corner, the undefeated Wolverines
are still looking to
answer a question that
has been asked ever since TENNIS t
last year: Will this team who: Michigan
be able to survive with- Ball State (2-1
out senior leadership? when: Noon to
Junior co-captains Latest: The Wo
Henry Beam and Greg look to stay un
Novak are expected to dual matches
lead in principle, but momentum fort
there has yet to emerge a season, which
clear-cut emotional or week at North
on-the-court leader.
"It's not a situation where someone
has stepped up and taken charge, so
it's still up for debate," Michigan
coach Mark Mees said.
It hasn't seemed to affect the
Wolverines' play, though. Undefeated
in dual-match play at 4-0, Michigan
*has shown the mental toughness to
win the close matches, and has dis-
played the talent and depth needed to
put away teams when needed.
"I think we're playing better dou-
bles at this point than last year," Mees
said. "We have an opportunity to win
against anybody right now."
Michigan hopes Saturday will be no
different, as it hosts Ball State. It has
been five years since these two teams
have met, and although the.
Wolverines have never lost to the
Cardinals, Mees expects a tough
match.
"Ball State is very good. Year in and
year out they've got a hardworking
bunch of guys," Mees said. "They've
got great doubles, and they're real
solid from Nos. 1-6."
The grind of the season hasn't yet
resulted
CENTER
(40) vs.
L)
omorrow
ilverines
beaten in
and gain
the Big Ten
begins next
western.
in major injuries for any
Wolverines. Sohpomore
Chris Rolf has been side-
lined with a recurring
elbow problem for two
weeks, but has started to
practice again and hopes
to be ready for the Big
Ten opener Wednesday at
Northwestern.
It will be the first road
match for the 29th-ranked
Wolverines, and getting
At the end of practice yesterday,
Michigan coach Red Berenson rallied
his team together at center ice.
The straightforward Berenson
reminded his players that they're "head-
ing for the stretch run" and that they're
going to have to "pay the price and win
the battles" in their final seven games in
order to have a chance at the coveted
CCHA title.
The Wolverines still trail first-place
Michigan State by three points going
into this weekend's series with visiting
Northern Michigan.
Before Berenson spoke, something
else happened at the practice that reflect-
ed the team's emotions going into this
weekend.
Two seniors, forward Josh Langfeld
and backup goaltender L.J. Scarpace,
tangled in a couple of fights following a
routine shooting drill.
"If you're ready to fight one of your
own teammates, you're sure as hell ready
to fight- a guy from Northern," senior
Bob Gassoff said.
It started when Langfed hit Scarpace
in the unpadded part of his leg with a
wrist shot. Scarpace took offense as
words were shared, and then tempers
flared before the two were duking it out
as teammates looked on.
"Especially for a big game like this,
your intensity often rises a lot," Scarpace
said with a grin. "That tends to show up
in practice and the drills."
Langfeld was unavailable for com-
ment after practice because of a sched-
uled exam.
The two laughed off their scuffles
afterwards, and teammates feel the
Scarpace-Langfeld bouts represented
something entirely more beneficial than
an act of team dissension.
"I'm glad guys are showing emotion,"
said Gassoff, who mentioned the impor-
tance of setting the tone early with that
competitive fire to avoid a Friday night
letdown.
The Wolverines have been susceptible
this season to losing games they're
expected to win. Case in point: Their
first ever home-loss to Alaska-Fairbanks
along with embarassing defeats to
Michigan Tech, Ferris State and Ohio
State - the four teams combine for a
39-54-14 overall record this season.
This display of intensity by the two
seniors forecasts both the importance and
nature of this weekend - for both teams.
While Michigan is attempting to over-
take the Spartans for the league title, the
Wildcats are "desperately" fighting for
their playoff lives accoring to Michigan
associate head coach Mel Pearson.
Three points separate the eighth-place
Northern from third place in the CCHA,
and the Wildcats face multiple must-win
games on their ensuing five-game road
trip in order to secure the important
home-ice advantage for the conference
tournament.
Due to Northern's dreary No. 25 posi-
tion in the Pairwise Rankings, which
simulates the NCAA selection process,
the Wildcats know they most likely have
to win the 'conference tournament in
order to get a bid in the 12-team field.
"If you don't win, you don't have a
chance," said Northern coach Rick
Comley, who emphasizes that a high
check-to-turnover ratio has been a factor
in many of his team's games.
"It will be tough for us to move up."
What's especially tough for the
CCHA Standings
Team W L T
Michigan State 15 3 3
Michigan 14 5 2
Miami 12 7 1
Nebraska-Omaha 11 9 2
Ohio State 11 7 2
Western Michigan 9 7 5
Northern Michigan 8 8 6
Alaska-Fairbanks 6 10 6
YOST ICE ARENA
Who: No. 5 Michigan (14-5-2 CCHA, 20-7-4
overall) vs. Northern Michigan (8.86, 12-9-7)
When: 7:35 p.m. tonight, 7:05 p.m. Saturday
Latest: Michigan coach Red Berenson is
coaching his 700th career game on Friday.
Pts. GP
33 21
30 21
25 20
24 22
24 20
23 21
22 22
18 28
Wildcats is the continued absence of
their leading scorer, Chris Gobert, who
averages nearly a point a game for a
Northern team that only tallies 2.7 goals
per game.
"It effects us a lot" said Comley, who
compares Gobert's loss to Michigan play-
ing without Mike Cammalleri. "If you
lose a goal a game, it definitely hurts you."
But in the last four games Michigan
has played the Wildcats, three of them
have ended in ties - and Berenson
emphatically stated that the results from
the expected "hard-fought, physical and
emotional games" could have unmeasur-
able effects on both teams.
"Late in the season, there's always
more of a sense of ugency" Berenson
said.
off to a good start in conference play
will be key.
"The Big Ten is very good, with lots
of depth, and rankings don't mean
anything," Mees said. "You're going
to have to win some matches on the
road."
Historically, the Wolverines have
played very well in the friendly con-
fines of the Varsity Tennis Center,
posting a 28-8 record overall. But in
that senior-less 1996-1997 season,
Michigan struggled on the road, going
3-9.
This year's young Wolverines will
have to learn how to win on the road
quickly, because the road is where
teams really need leadership.
Leadership isn't appointed, it's
taken. And that is what Michigan is
counting on.
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