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Bury it, bury it, bury it...
Hockey players Andy Hilbert and Mike
Cammalleri have been burying their
chances, and both players are among
the top 10 scorers in the NCAA. Head
online for the rest of the best.
michigandaily.com /sports
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WEDNESDAY
JANUARY 10, 2001
'M' brings Hoosiers
back down to earth
A red scare for
trio of Blue icers
By Joe Smith
1)atly Sponts Writer
°"
By Dan Williams
1MilWSports Writer
;'ffer five days off, the Michigan
baskcball team returned to action with
renewed intensity, bettering Indiana,
76-4'in front of an increasingly enthu-
sastic Crisler Arena crowd.
"While the fans seemed almost antag-
o i 'o at the game's outset - some
b'--o e d __ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mi, c tI i g a n INIANA 64
coach Brian
Ellerbe and B MICIl As 70
o"'th e r s
d6nii d Rick Pitino faces on a stick -
Mifhigan's success brought about a
notable change in crowd tone to sup-
portive, and by game's end, to
enthralled.
1whe Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 7-6
ovdal. notched their first conference
win and their best victorv of the season.
"We knew we had to win it,"
lIgrn sophomore Gavin Groninger
s We knew it was a big game. I
we did a good job of playing
uir backs against the wall."
=1ichigan's best game may still lie
-adbut the team displayed improved
(brt Tnd avoided many of the pitfalls
1t doomed the Wolverines against
Purdue last week.
aMost notably, Michigan netted 20-of-
i freethrows against Indiana after fin-
g a dismal 6-of-17 from the chari-
t°v pe against the Boilermakers.
e"Wolverines also elevated their
feive tenacity, especially in the post,
ce they held Indiana's leading scorc,
l rkaston, to just 13 points on 5-of-12
shooting. Jared Jeffries, Indiana's see-
-leading scorer, shot just 4-of-15.
"They did a great job of forcing
&ji#n and Jefferies into tough shots,"
(ina interim coach Mike Davis said.
,u have to give the Michigan big
pys a lot of credit. They dominated our
guys. They flat out dominated us
inside."
'SS6omore LaVell Blanchard led
Michigan in scoring with 21 points, but
almost all of the 10 players that saw
action gave key contributions.
"We're not a team that can just rely
on one player, and we got contributions
from a lot of different guys today,"
Ellerbe said. .
The win clearly boosts a struggling
Michigan team. But the celebration
should be tempered by the fact that it's
one win and there are 14 conference
games left to play. In addition,
Michigan faces a daunting three-game
road trip over the next two weeks and
Indiana admittedly played a lethargic
game.
The Hoosiers (1-2, 10-7) were
tripped up two days after their biggest
win of the season, a 59-58 thriller
against previously undefeated and top-
ranked Michigan State.
"We are a basketball team that does-
n't understand that every night you put
on a uniform, the other team wants to
win," Davis said. "For the first five
minutes we stood around."
Nevertheless, the victory gives
Michigan footing to stand on if the
Wolverines plan to .climb their way
back into the NCAA Tournament hunt,
one of the team's stated pre-season
goals. Ellerbe wants his team to devote
its focus to the immediate challenge,
No. 7 Illinois in Champaign on
Saturday.
Ellerbe continues to answer questions
regarding his job security, and the recent
resignation of Pitino from the Boston
Celtics has only jump-started the rumor
mill. Pitino coached Kentucky to a
national championship in 1996.
"Coach Ellerbe is in a tough situation
now. I feel for him. You walk out and
see people with Rick Pitino faces on
their head," said Davis, who faces a
similarly volatile situation in,
Bloomington. "When you can't Support
the people that are in place, that's very
disappointing. When the student body
and the fans boo someone in their own
arena, that's crazy"
. . MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daly
The Michigan men's basketball team shows some emotion in its Big Ten home opener.
Cagersfinallyexibt e
This time, no bear:
After tallying a hat trick for Team Canada against Belarus ip-
the World Junior Championships in late December, Michiga
sophomore center Mike Cammalleri had an encounter with.the
press - and a bear- that he'll never forget.
While talking to a reporter in the corridor of the Vitvaz Arena
in Podolsk, Russia, Cammalleri was startled by an uncaged ber
that was staring at him just a few feet away. Cammalleri, who,
claims he's not even a big fan of dogs, said he wasn't abous
ready to confront the animal. But instead of a tussle, the bear,
eventually took the ice itself.
"A skating bear in Russia, Camrnallcr said. "Yeah, (I'm
never.going back.
Fellow Wolverines Andy Hilbert and Mike Komisarek also
participated in the tournament, representing Team USA-,
while also sharing their own unforgettable experiences.
Hilbert said he lost eight pounds after having to cat the sam-
food everv day, which Cammalleri described as "noodles aid.
myisterv meat?
Buttthe1trio's return to the friendly confines cfYost Ice Arena
this past Sunday proved to be a treat, especially for Cammallevi,;
He seemed more comfortable when greeting the Americaq
media than he did in the land of the-Russian bear.
"Long time no see," said a smiling Cammalleri following,
Michigan's 5-0 pounding of Lake Superior.
There was no question that everyone in Yost welcomed theO
much-anticipated return - except for the Lakers. ,
While Komisarek was crushing Lake Superior forwards into
the boards, Hilbert and Cammalleri pickedup where they left
off - combining for six points and increasing their sconlj
streaks to nine and eight games, respectively.
"Hilbert's, back must be tired from carrying me all game,'
joked Cammalleri, who also notched six points in helping Team
Canada bring home the bronze medal.
While Hilbert may have stolen the show in Sunday's ga
with his two-goal performance, Cammallecricertainly holds't
ultimate bragging rights' Over JHilbert and K~omisart
Camnmalleri, assiged on the game-winning goal, as his Team
Canada beat Hilbert and Komisarek's Team United States, 24
in the tournament quarterfinals.
In fact, as the result of a bet they made with Cammalleri An
the game, Komisarek and Hilbert supposedly will have to we
all Canada gear for one day this week on campus.
But teammates are skeptical that the.jersey swapping is pps?
sible for:Cammalleri (5-foot-1A, 85 pounds) and Komisarek
(6-4, 225).
"I don't know if Cammalleri has anything that Komo can f
in," said freshman defenseman Andy Burnes, who is als'
See MOSCOW, Page (
By Michael Kern
Daily Sports Writer
As the buzzer sounded in the Michigan
men's basketball team's 70-64 win over Indiana
last night, the Wolverines leapt in the air and
embraced in a team hug. Juniors Chris Young
and Leon Jones walked off the court, arms over
each other's shoulders, with big grins.
For the Wolverines, the game was a major
catharsis of emotion. Following last Thursday's
lackadaisical loss at Purdue, in which.
Michigan committed 20 turnovers and in the
second half shot just 33 percent from the field,
Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe and his players
seriously questioned the team's heart and com-
mitment to winning.
"Our guys played very inspired," Ellerbe
said after last night's win. "They played very
excited and with a lot of passion and just gut-
ted out the win."
Jones said: "There have been so many nega-
tive things around here about the team and
written in the paper. We came out here and
made a statement that we are not a pushover,
and that we are going ,t compete in this-
league."
The Wolverines made that statement with
intensity and emotion. Last week in West
Lafayette, Michigan showed very little of
either in its Big Ten opener, as it was consis-
tently out-hustled by the Boilcrmakers. Last
night, the Wolverines ran down every rebound,
dove on the floor after every loose ball and
played defense with a vigor previously unseen
See HOOSIERS,,Page 9
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