ahJe Airbi-anmaiV PORTS 0 michigandaiy.com/sports sportsdesk@umich.edu FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2001 9 Cagers wM* 65-49; post dominates By Charles Paradis Daily Sports Writer After four road games to start the season, the Michigan women's basket- ball team finally played its home opener last night. The defenses dictat- ed the pace at the beginning of the game. But Marquette could not con- trol the high-powered offense of the 16th-ranked Wolverines for the full 40 minutes, falling 65-49. After a close first ( MARQUETTE 49 half, the Wolverines MICHIGAN 65 ran away from the Golden Eagles early in the second half behind the play of Alayne Ingram. On the Wolverines first pos- session of the second half, Ingram tied the school record for career 3- pointers, hitting her 134th bomb from the corner with just seconds remain- ing on the shot clock. Immediately following her record- tying basket, Ingram intercepted an errant Marquette pass and was fouled as she drove to the basket. Ingram's inspired play kicked off a 20-4 run by the Wolverines to start the second half. Michigan's offensive prowess continued throughout the second half, and Marquette was unable to find any answers. Ingram single-handedly seized the momentum for the Wolver- ines at the beginning of the second half, and they never relinquished it. "I thought it was really important for me to get everybody going so we can play with some excitement, some intensity," Ingram said. After Ingram's heroics, Michigan's three big post players - Jennifer Smith, LeeAnn Bies and Raina Good- low - took over the game. Their play in the paint was instrumental in secur- ing the Wolverines' victory. While Michigan (4-1) was able to score almost at will against the Gold- en Eagles in the second half, this was not the case early on in the game. Neither team had success offensively in the first half. Zone defenses by each team dictated a slow-paced first half. Both teams struggled from the floor and could not get off good shots. Marquette (2-3) tried to break down I I G Bernard Robinson's punchout By Steve Jackson Daily Sports Writer As the Bowling Green fans stormed the court after Wednesday night's 65-59 win over Michigan, a violent tempest was raging inside sophomore guard Bernard Robinson. After missing a shot that could have tied the game in the final minute and posting a mere nine points in his team's second consecutive road loss against a Mid- American Conference opponent, Robinson released his frustrations on an unlikely victim: The window to a fire extinguisher door. As Michigan walked to the lockerroom, Robinson punched through the glass plate, causing two lacerations on the bottom of his right hand. "I just got caught up in the emotion of the game," a somber and bandaged Robinson said yesterday. "It was the just the first thing I saw" . Robinson was given a few stitches and will wear a protective wrap on his right (non-shooting) hand. He should be physically able to play, if Michigan coach Tommy Amaker allows him to. Amaker, who had not spoken to Robinson about the incident prior to yesterday's practice, did not announce any disciplinary actions at yesterday's press conference. He did, however, leave open the possibility of benching or suspending Robinson for tomorrow's game against Boston College. "We haven't made that decision yet," Amaker said. "We are just trying to find out his well-being at this point. We never give out our lineups or talk about those things because we don't know until the night before the game. Amaker also apologized to the Bowling Green coach- ing staff and assured them that Robinson would person- ally take care of all the expenses that resulted from his action. Neither Robinson nor Amaker could provide a good dollar estimate for the damage. Eagles' guards trouble for Michigan By David Horn LaVell Blanchard said after Wednes- one of the country's elite guards. Daily Sports Writer day's loss. "Everything starts with Bell,' ,I MARJORIE MARSHALL/daily Tabitha Pool dribbles the ball upcourt in yesterday's home opener for the Wolverines. The freshman guard played 31 minutes and scored four points against Marquette. the Michigan zone with outside shooting, but the Golden Eagles failed to convert a single 3-pointer on their nine attempts. Despite out-shooting Marquette, who shot just 29 percent from the field in the first half, the Wolverines were not able to pull away from the Golden Eagles, as the teams went into the lockerroom with Michi- gan leading 25-24. While the defense for the Wolverines was solid, the offense was not clicking. "Defensively, we did a good job," coach Sue Guevara said. "If we can just put our offense and our defense all together, then I'll be an even hap- pier camper." Playing through an injury suffered in practice, Goodlow was the Wolver- ines' brightest star on offense in the Marquette hits glass; Ingram ties record By Jim Weber Daily Sports Writer The janitors at Crisler Arena were worried last night, and for good reason. On Tuesday, Michigan head coach Sue Guevara said she would break something if Marquette had 17 offen- sive rebounds - the team's season average. Marquette came within two of the mark, leaving the lockerroom intact - but with an unhappy Guevara. "They only had 15 (offensive) rebounds as opposed to 17, so it is still a matter of we need to put a body on someone, Guevara said. The Golden Eagles crashed the boards hardest in the first half, record- ing eight offensive boards to keep them within one point of Michigan at the break. "It's a philosophy of the program," coach Terri Mitchell said. "We don't run box-out drills. We just say, 'Go get the ball.'" But Michigan started the second half with a 20-4 run, outhustling the smaller Marquette team. "We showed (good offensive rebounding) for 30 minutes, but for the first 10 minutes of the second half, I apologize," Mitchell said. Guevara looked to the post players to carry the team in the second half, and they responded. LeeAnn Bies, Raina Goodlow and Jennifer Smith recorded 11 rebounds and 22 of the team's 40 second half points. "Those are the three we challenged at halftime," Guevara said. "We said this game is going to be won in the post, offensively and defensively." UGLY TIE: Alayne Ingram has dreamed of breaking the Michigan career 3-point record since she arrived in Ann Arbor, not tying it. With a 3-pointer 50 seconds into the second half, Ingram tied Molly Murray's (1995-1998) career record of 134 triples. But Ingram was unable to hit another basket from behind the arc, disappointing the senior guard. "To be tied for the 3-point record - it's not fin," Ingram said. "I would have loved to break it at home so the fans could stand up and cheer, but it will be a little sweeter getting it against Notre Dame because they did beat us last year in the tournament." Considering her five 3-pointers against Syracuse last Sunday, Ingram's coach is convinced that Ingram will break Murray's mark in the next game. "She has been shooting the ball very well, so she will break that record on Sunday," Guevara said. "So I hope everyone that was here tonight goes on Sunday so they can see her do that." Murray, who currently works as Michigan's director of operations, knows she won't share the record for long and thinks that Ingram could set the new record at 170 or 175 by the end of the season. Ingram didn't shoot well last night, first half, recording eight of Michi- gan's 25 points. "A lot of my play comes from the high post, and because they were dou- bling down on them (Bies and Smith) in the low post and they were guard- ing penetration pretty well, it was just my time to step up, " Goodlow said. And step up she did. Goodlow was tied with Marquette's Rachel Klug for a game-high 15 points and shot a team-high 70 percent from the floor. Smith and Goodlow played an excel- lent high-low game in the paint to the dismay of the Golden Eagles. Guevara stressed the importance of the post game at halftime. "We said this game is going to be won in the post, offensively and defensively," Guevara said. LAST NIGHT'S GAME Marquette (49) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS Weaver 24 0-8 0-0 0-2 1 1 0 Seffern 23 1-4 3-4 4-6 0 3 5 Zawodny 19 1-5 0-2 2-5 0 1 2 Johnson 33 2-7 0-0 0-6 2 1 5 Alsdurf 24 4-15 3-4 1-3 1 2 13 Kug 29 7-8 0-0 2-4 0 2 14 Schwerman 14 1-3 2-2 0-2 0 0 4 O'Grady 13 1-4 0-0 0-2 1 1 2 Bogott 6 1-2 0-0 0-2 0 0 2 Gales 7 0-3 0-0 1-2 2 1 0 Juedes 4 0-1 2-2 2-2 0 0 2 Stieber 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 200 1860 10.141541 7 12 49 FG%:.300. FT%:.714. 3-point FG: 3-22, 136 (Als- derf 2-9, Johnson 1-5, Gales 0-3, Weaver 0-3, O'Grady 0-2). Blocks: 5 (Bogott, Schwerman, Klug, Zawodny, Seffern). Steals: 5 (Alsderf 3, Weaver, Juedes). Turnovers: 17 (Klug 4, Alsderf 3, Zawodny 3, Johnson 2, Schwerman 2, O'Grady, Gales, Juedes). Technical fouls: none. MICHIGAN (65) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS Pool 31 1-6 2-2 0-5 0 0 4 Goodlow 24 7-10 1-2 1-4 2 2 15 Bies 29 4-6 3-3 3-12 1 2 11 Jara 16 0-1 0-0 0-3 1 1 0 Ingram 34 3-11 1-2 0-2 6 1 8 Gandy 27 4-10 4-6 2-5 2 1 12 Smith 22 5-10 0-0 2-5 2 2 10 Oesterle 10 1-3 0-0 0-1 0 1 3 Mason 3 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 1 0 Hauser-Price 2 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2 McPhilamy 2 0-1 0-0 1-1 0 1 0 Totals 200 26-59 11-151040 14 12 65 FG%: .441. FT%: .733. 3-point FG: 2-8, .250 (Ingram 1-4, Oesterle 1-2, Jara 0-1, Gandy 0-1). Blocks: 1 (Bies). Steals: 9 (Gandy 2, Bies 2, Pool 2, Goodlow, Jara, Ingram). Turnovers: 13 (Pool 3, Goodlow 2, Jara 2, Bies, Ingram, Gandy, Oesterle, McPhilamy, team). Technical Fouls: none. Marquette ..................24 25 - 49 Michigan....................25 40 - 65 At: Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor Attendance: 1,136 going 1-4 from behind the arc and 3-11 from the field, but she ignited the team with a 3-pointer and a steal to start the second half. Ingram recorded six assists and consistently penetrated the Mar- quette defense in the second half. Tomorrow's home game against Boston College was supposed to be the season's first "real" test for Michi- gan basketball. Many were excited by this maturing team and its new coach, and were eager to see how it matched up against one of the nation's top pro- grams. But Michigan is reeling from two straight road losses to MAC teams, and is disheartened by Wednesday's dramatic loss at Bowling Green, and the ensuing physical frus- trations exhibited. It will be difficult for the Wolver- ines to change their negative momen- tum against the fifteenth-ranked Eagles. "Our team has to improve," junior and learning how to win - being in tough situa- tions and fighting through," said coach Tommy Amaker. Michigan has shown little in the way of tough- ness in its two losses, and now faces an oppo- nent that is bigger, quick- er and more talented than any it has faced this sea- son. CRISLER. Who: Michigan No. 15 Boston C When: 2:30 p.mr TV: CBS Latest: This is t two straight Sa big-time basket Crisler Arena. C to town next w "We are a team right now that (is) Amaker said. "We're going to have still searching for some consistency, our hands full with him." The Eagles are led by junior guard Troy Bell, who has won his share of Big East conference honors, and has been recognized nationally as being The unfortunate irony is that where the Wolver- ARENA ines are lacking for talent the most this season is at (22) vs. the point guard position. College (40 Fifth-year senior Mike n. Gotfredson has been the first in starting, but five-foot- turdays of seven sophomore Avery ball at Queen has been playing Duke comes more minutes. Their eekend. defensive assignment tomorrow will be to keep Bell's scoring under control. The six- foot-one junior has averaged 18.2 points per game so far this season. See EAGLES, Page 10 Michigan point guard Avery Queen had little trouble against Fairfield's backcourt, but All- American Troy Bell and Ryan Sidney of Boston College wili be very difficult for the Wolverines to match up with on the defensive end this weekend. DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily I ratAnJCA~ CEth'yE4~ MINCHIGAN f.p#rORCHESTRA 13 Mies off BreatwaY a c 1ectis ot cxteporur B roadway hiti umda, December 2: 7:00pm Michigan Theater ickets available at MUTO (Michigax Uie Ticket Office) and at the deer 15 for otudexts, 410 gexeral at dL8si9 w. ta "/ / m m m m m m 0 0 0 m m m m 0 m m -A aluipmbu Aw You've excelled at Michigan... What's Next? Spend a year in Jerusalem among a small group of extremely capable and drivaniminn munh lpnnrnrc m