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 PxMdune 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. . __ __ 5SI on I Sale *Now!l . 1}i ;; a . , ,, ' _ ~.; ; . m I imiL 1-:10 mm I