6B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - February 19, 2001 Offensive staggers for Blue women By David Horn Daily Sports Writer BLOOMINGTON - How do the Michigan Wolverines respond to their most exciting comeback of the season? With their worst offensive output of the season. After a 52-point second-half effort against No. 25 [owa this past Thursday, Michigan managed just 51 in the entire game in yesterday's 73-51 loss at unranked Indiana. Michigan's guard play was uncharacteristically unproductive. Starters Anne Thorius and Alayne Ingram were a combined 3-of-15 from the floor, and managed just three assists each. Their teammates in the paint didn't fare MICHIGAN 51 ouch better. Forwards Raina Goodlow and Stephanie Gandy and center Jen Smith - INDIANA 73 whose 26 points led the way against the lawkeyes - shot a combined 9-of-28 from the floor, and allowed loosier All-America candidate Jill Chapman a game-high 23 points. "Anne Thorius and Alayne Ingram have shot the ball much better in :he last couple games," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "They did- n't tonight. I thought that (Indiana guard Heather) Cassady put a :remendous amount of pressure on Anne Thorius tonight, and I think she really tired her out. You looked at Alayne Ingram - she couldn't get a shot off, and then when she did she was off-balance and nothing was going. "If one player has an off-night, you have other people who can com- pensate. When seven people have an off-night, you're in deep doo-doo." From the tipoff, Indiana worked steadily toward a 15-2 lead. Three urnovers and one block by Chapman were the results of the Wolverines' irst four trips down the court. Seven minutes into the game, the Ioosiers led by 13 after missed shots from Thorius, Smith and Ingram. Michigan was plagued by uncreative passing and poor shot selection, nd by a general laziness and unawareness on defense. Freshman Smith sad the particularly difficult task of guarding Chapman. "I was really disappointed when we got the ball inside," Guevara said. I think that Indiana, defensively, just took it at us, and we didn't do a very good job of reciprocating. I always say that big players make big slays. We had no big players today." On Thursday, Michigan looked like a new team in the second half. In Last duals a breeze for 'M'. Weekend dominance representative of season to date By eb Singer Star of the Week Andy Hrovat DalyS epos Writer "Come on Becks you can win this match," for- Hrovat (305) continued his destruction mer Penn State wrestler and current volunteer of the 184-pound class with convincing victonies sver Penn State and assistant coach, Ross Thatcher yelled with 1:31 left Northwestern. He will be among the in the 174-pound bout with Otto Olson. tornentne t eedatthe t e If Mark Becks did not take the words to heart. it is hard to blame him. At the end of the bout, Olson had won 16-9. Michigan toppled Penn State 27-12 in a dual that, like many this season, was never in doubt. On Sunday Michigan destroyed lowly Northwestern 36-7 to improve its dual meet record to 17-3-1. A year ago, most Big Ten dual meets afforded the team a brawl. Michigan assistant coach, Tony Robie, knows that the those days are over. "I felt good about things," Robie said. "We knew if we wrestled well we had the potential to have a good night and have somewhat of a lopsided score." The Penn State win seemed like a formality - wrestlers did not get too fired up about wins and the disappointmen of louses was not catastrophic. "Our guys got it started off right," 165-pounder Charles Martelli said. "They came out intense and finished these guys off." Martelli's match and 184-pounder Andy Hrovat's bout were microcosms of the dominant wrestling style. Each took control early in their match and never let up en route to technical falls. "I am wrestling better than I've ever wrestled in my life," Hrovat said. "I am in better shape, I am hitting a lot more moves. It's hard to work on tech- nique or conditioning at this point in the season. For me it is mostly mental." While a couple of wrestlers suffered losses, the team is where they want to be at this point in the season. The Wolverines had a decisive edge on their feet. "I think if our guys wrestle the way we are capa- ble of, we'll have a great Big Ten Tournament, and we'll put five or six guys on the All-American podium at the nationals," Robie said. Last week the team took a couple of days of recuperate from what has been a tough, yet rewa'- ing season. "The rest was good both mentally and physical- ly," Martelli said. "We are 95-percent there. (Coach Joe McFarland) is training us well and he knows what it takes to get us ready'" The greatest drama Friday may have come from senior night at Cliff Keen Arena. Olson received a standing ovation at the end of his match and left the arena with a flower, which each senior received However, he still hopes that the NCAA grant him a medical redshirt year that would afford him a sixth-year of eligibility. "I don't expect it to be my last time at Cliff Keen," Olson said. "If it is I wish I would have went out a little bit better with a pin or something." TOM FELDKAMP/Dilyt Defensive aggression, as demonstrated by Michigan's Jennifer Smith against Indiana's Erin McGinnis, were rare for the Wolverines on Sunday. the second half yesterday, things only got worse. After Gandy missed a pair of free throws that would have made the deficit only nine, Indiana, led by the rebounding and scoring of forward Erin McGinnis, went on a 14-2 run that put them up by 23 with eight minutes to play. The loss leaves the Wolverines just a half-game ahead of Indiana in the Big Ten standings. Going into Sunday, Michigan and Indiana were fifth and six, respectively. Not only was Big Ten positioning at stake, but both the Wolverines and the Hoosiers are considered bubble teams for the NCAA tournament. Storied Lions losing roar Get mad- Tourney on the line 3y Benjamin Singer Daily Sports Writer BLOOMINGTON - The Millennium Force used to feature the largest drop of any roller coaster n the region. Now it's No. 2. The emotional roller coaster of the Michigan vomen's basketball team surpassed the pride of Cedar Point as the team went from its biggest feel- good win of the year in the form of an 80-78 comeback BASKETBALL win over No. 25 Iowa to falling lat against Indiana. Commentary When this team falls, it falls hard - and suddenly. The 73-51 loss yesterday is >art of a disturbing trend where Michigan responds o big wins with even bigger losses. Three times this season, Michigan has beaten a anked team, and three times, the next game has resulted in a loss to an unranked team. The letdown diminishes the importance of possessing the ability o pull off such upsets. Michigan has proven it can >eat almost anyone. It's easy to conclude thatdeep in :he NCAA Tournament and up against national >owerhouses, the Wolverines could have the poten- ial to make a run as far as they wanted. But Michigan can't magically transport itself to :he Elite Eight. To get there, you must beat the teams you aren't supposed to and - maybe more impor- tantly - the ones you are supposed to. Losses to teams like Holy Cross and Indiana may be under- standable, but are death blows to a team that expects to qualify for the NCAAs. Michigan can't allow itself to settle for Indiana's level. Not every bubble team is going to get in. But Michigan did worse than play down to the Hoosiers in this blowout. The Wolverines lowest offensive output of the season was paralleled by what looked like their deepestdepression of the year. Michigan coach Sue Guevara and guard Alayne Ingram didn't so much exit the lockerroom angry as they did solemn. They were almost in mourng, as. though the season were dead. That's a dangerous attitude for Michigan to take. Sometimes it seems as if the Wolverines need to get so frustrated with themselves that they can't stand it anymore before they can finally win again. With just one game left, the Wolverines-don't have the time to let their anger mount. But feeling sorry for themselves isn't going to get them fired up. They need to get mad now. Even if Michigan manages a win over No. 17 Penn State in its next and final game, it may only kill itself with a let-down loss that would typically fol- low. That loss would come in its first game of the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan wouldn't have another chance to redeem itself until round one of the postseason - in the WNIT. YESTERDAY'S GAME Michigan (51) FT REB MI MA M - 0 TAF PTS Gtodeo 21 4-11 2-2 3-6 0 2 10 Gandy 29 1-5 3-6 3-5 1 1 5 Smith 21' 5-12 1-1 3-4 3 3 11 Thorius 36 1-7 0-0 0-2 3 2 2 Ingram 27 2-8 0-0 1-0 305 Jara 1 0-1 h-S 1-2 5 0 0 Leans 3 0-2 0-0 1-1 1 1 0 Oesterle 29 1-8 2-3 2-12 1 2 Robinson 3 01 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Dykahause 2 s-s 0-s 0-0s0s0o Bies 22 5-1d s-4 -7 5 3 13 etals 200 19.69 11-1619-4112 15 51 Fox:.275. FT%:..6th. 3-poise FGn 2-12,.167 (Oesterle 1-4, Ingram 1-5, Goodlow 0-1, Thorius 0-1 Inns h-li. Blncks: 0 Steals: 6 (sandy 2, Smith, Thoius, Ingram, Oestenlel. Turnovers:1 handy2, Smith 2, Ineram 2, Bies 2,Gonodlow, Thorius, Leary, Oesterle). Tecnoicalefouls: none. INDIANA (73) FG FT REB MIN M-A MA 0-T5 F PT5 McGinnis 3d 5-7 0-4 0-0 5 13 Chapman 30 9-12 5-6 2-6 0 3 23 Cassady 38 3-12 0-0 0-6 9 1 8 Alning 21 2-4 2-2 2-5 3 7 Janes 36 4-7 2-2 1-3 2 2 11 Lazic 3 0.0 0-0 0-2 0 1 0 Manna 2 0-0 0-0 0-00 0 5 Wvg 19 0-3 0-0 0.1 0 2 3 Hanman 4 h-1 2-2 0-1 0 0 2 Skapin 2 h-i130-0 0-10 0 0 Christenson 11 2-3 2-2 02 1 2 6 Totals 200 20-50 13-18 5.39 20 15 73 FG%:.520. FT%: 722. 3-point FG: 817, .471 (McGinnis 3-4, Cassaay 2-6, slring 1-1, Jones 1-3. Waugh 1-3). Blocks: 4 (Chistenson 2, Chapman, Lazic Steals: IMceinnis 4. Cassady 3, Alting). PTrnoners: 14 (McGinnis 5, Waugh 3, Cassady 2, Chapman,'Ating, Jones, LaI. ehnical Fouls: Michigan...... . 25 2 1 Indiana. m .33 40H-73 At: Assembly Hall, Iloomington Attendance: 1,832 By Nathan Unsley Daily Sports Writer In collegiate sports, even the mightiest teams have periods of decline. Penn State has been participating in wrestling as a varsity sport for 92 years, with a record of 702- 215-33 entering this season. It finished in the top six nationally every year from 1991-1996, and were fourth in 1999. Penn State alumni account for 17 national cham- pions and 142 All-Americans. This season, things are different. The Nittany Lions are No. 23 in the nation, but they finished their dual meet season at 7-13 - only the ninth losing season in the storied history of the program. The Nittany Lions have been up and down this year, notching impressive victories over Arizona State and Lehigh, which were both ranked in the top ten at the time. But losses to unranked Pittsburgh and West Virginia, as well as a 1-8 record in the Big Ten, have put a damper on the season. As with any sport, losing seasons lead to losses of recruits. Penn State has had difficulty finding the same level of talent that they enjoyed in the mid- 1990s. "There are a lot of challenges to get us back to where we need to be," Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said. "We want good student-athletes, who are going to make a commitment both acade- mically and athletically, and it doesn't come easy." With rapidly improving programs like Michigan and Illinois garnering big name recruits from@, parts of the country, the challenge becomes even greater for the Nittany Lions. Another factor in the decline of Penn State occurred in 1999, when a number of wrestlers were removed from the team for gross indiscretions. A key loss for the program was Penn State-alum Kerry McCoy's decision to become an assistant coach at Lehigh, another Pennsylvania school, leav- ing his post with the Nittany Lions. McCoy was a two-time national champion heavyweight in 1994 and 1997. "He has to do what is best for himself and his career, in terms of marketing himself," Sunderland said. "But it's good for Penn State wrestling, no matter where he goes, because he's a two-time national champ and he's been in the Olympics." Sunderland knows that a daunting task is at hand for the Nittany Lions, who must compete for recruits and victories in the Big Ten as well as the state of Pennsylvania. Like football in Texas, wrestling in Pennsylvania is the passion of the state. Michigan assistant coach Tony Robie, who wr tied for Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, thin that Sunderland will be able to turn the program around. "Programs go throg some hard times, and maybe they're not doing as wellas they were five or six years ago, but their coaching staff is working real hard," Robie said. "I'm sure it won't be long before they're back at the top of the Big Ten and the NCAA." is win streak The University of Michigan W HAT'S REC Department of Recreational Sports INTRAMURALS INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM RELAYS MEET RACQUETBALL SGLS & DBLS ENTRIES DUE: Tues 2 20, 4:30 P'l, OISB ENTRIES DUE: I hurs 3/ 13, 4:30 P'M, lNISB $25 per team ENTRY FEE: MEET DATE: $5 for Sinagles \ Eed 2 A21 T $9 for Doubles U of M Track Building TOURNAMENT DATES: EVENTS: Fri, Sat & Sun 3/16, 3/717 & 3 18 800m (each inuns I lap) DISB 1200m (2 = I lap; 2 = 2 laps) I600m(each runs 2 laps) 3200m (4 = 2 laps; 2 = 4 laps) DIVISIONAL DIVISIONAL MANAGER'S- ATHLETE'S- OF-THE-YEAR OF-THE-YEAR Outstanding Organization Athletic Excellence Encouraged Participation Good Sportsmanship Successful Participation Extensive Participation Positive Attitude to Ms Contributed to Quality of CO-RECREATION Intramural Program INDEPENDENT - WOMENR ENCE HALL INDEPENDENT - MEN G RAD/FADULL GRDFCUT/TAF GRAD/FACULTY/STAFF GRAD/FACULTY/STAFF FRATERNTY RESIDENCE HALL FRTRITY SORORITY SORORITY INDEPENDENT - MEN FRATERNITY INDEPENDENT - WOMEN CO-RECREATI9N Make sure to check the Intramural Sports Program All-Year Point Standings to see if your team is in the running for the All-Year Championship in your division. OFFICIALS NEEDED! Join us at the IM Official's Clinics! * MINI-SOCCER: tonight Monday February 19 " BROOMBALL: tonight Monday February 19 " VOLLEYBALL: tonight Monday February 19 All clinics are held at the Intramural Sports Building (IMSB). All clinics begin at 7:00 PM. Wildcats snap tenn By Courtney Lewis Daily Sports Writer It was the battle of the undefeated Saturday in Evanston when the Michigan men's tennis team, 5-0 going into the competition, faced then-4-0 Northwestern. Michigan began the match just like its previous five matches this season. The Wolverines earned the doubles point to take the early lead and then built on it with wins in the singles. But the team broke its winning streak and lost to the Wildcats 4-3. Michigan's Danny McCain and Greg Novak beat Northwestern's Jackie Jenkins and Russell Bennett in the No. 2 spot, and Wolverines Ben Cox and Anthony Jackson followed with an 8-5 victory over Josh Axler and Ryan Edlefsen. When Jackson won his singles match in straight sets and Henry Beam came from behind to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, the Wolverines found themselves in a famil- iar place with an early 3-1 advantage. But this match wasn't like the others. Camp Counselors & Instructors Needed Camp Walden in Cheboygen, MI, a coed summer camp, needs backpack - canoe - mountain bike - bus driver, and trip leaders. Also needs male and female arts & crafts - tennis - gymnastics " sailing - riding " performing arts - archery instructors * secretaries - & INFIRMARY ASSISTANTS (work with doctors in a camp clinic). -Michigan left the safe confines of the Varsity Tennis Center, its home court, and faced its first road test at Northwestern's Johnson Tennis Center - which Michigan coach Mark Mees r refers to as "a bubble." Unlike most NCAA tennis compl es, which hold six courts, the sma Johnson Tennis Center has only three - creating an intense atmosphere and an irregular playing schedule. The three doubles matches were played first as usual, but then the No. 1, 3, and 5 sin- gles matches were contested while the remaining players waited. This was also Michigan's first Big Ten match, with Northwestern present- ing a higher level of competition t5 the Wolverines had previously encoun- tered. The Wildcats weren't fazed by their early deficit in the doubles. They roared back with three consecutive sin- gles wins to take the match 4-3, handing Michigan its first dual match loss of the year. Despite the unusual playing condi- tions Michigan was not ready to make excuses. "Il'sa lot different than normal and it's not easy to adjust," Mees said. " we just did not play well, even in matches we won. I'm happy with the effort. We worked hard, competed hard - we just didn't play up to our capabil- ities." The 30th-ranked Wolverines don't have time to dwell on their first loss of the season. "Our next five matches will be very, very difficult," Mees said. "We can't around and worry and be disappoint. We have to get back to work and get after it.' Y For Additional naformation Contact: Intramural Spoils Progran, IMSB, 606 E. Hoover, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-37 17, (734) 763-3562 httpn:/Avvw. recspots.umicredu ti, 1 t F d" l t i