0 Tbrlfirbfigun 19 it, P3ORTS michigandaily.com/sports sportsdesk@umich.edu FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2002 8 Finally: Women return to nonconference form 4 By Bob Hunt Daily Sports Writer The Michigan women's basketball team may have had all the odds against it last night in Iowa City, but it certainly did not play like it. MICHIGAN 91 T h e Wolverines IOWA 80 turned the ball over just 11 times, and the inside- outside tandem of Alayne Ingram and LeeAnn Bies scored more than 40 points to give the Wolverines a 91-80 victory over Iowa. YESTERDAY'S GAME MICHIGAN (91). FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS Gandy 38 6-11 6-6 0-3 1 1 18 Bies 33 6-13 9-11 3-6 1 4 21 Smith 14 5-8 2-2 3-7 0 5 12 Jara 19 2-3 0-1 0-2 0 2 4 Ingram 39 8-17 6-6 1-3 5 2 24 Pool 23 0-6 3-4 1-4 1 1 3 Oesterle 22 2-4 3-4 1-4 5 5 5 Mason 12 2-2 0-0 1-2 0 2 4 Tot is 200 31-64 26-3111-3513 22 91 FG%:.484. FT%: .839. 3-point FG: 3-12, .250 (Ingram 2-6, Oesterle 1-3, Gandy 0-1, Jara 0-1, Pool 0-1). Blocks: 1 (Oesterle). Steals: 7 (Gandy 2, Oesterle, Smith, Pool, Jara, Ingram). Turnovers: 11 (Ingram 3, Gandy 2, Bis 2, Smith, Pool, Oesterle). Technical fouls: none. Iowa (80) FG FT REB MIN M-A M-A 0-TA F PTS Watson 25 4-10 1-2 2-7 1 3 9 Magner 35 0-4 1-2 0-3 6 5 1 Lillis 35 8-15 7-7 3-8 1 3 23 Faulkner 16 2-4 1-1 2-5 3 2 5 Meder 28 4-9 3-4 0-1 4 4 13 Armstrong 18 0-4 2-2 1-3 0 4 2 Calhoun 23 2-3 2-2 1-2 0 1 6 Bullock 15 6-8 3-6 1-4 1 2 15 Cavey 5 2-2 2-3 2-2 0 0 6 Totals 200 28-59 22-291236 16 24 80 FG%:.475. FT%: .759. 3-point FG: 2-8,.250 (Meder 2-4, Armstrong 0-1, Calhoun 0-1, Magner 0-2). Steals: 5 (Watson, Magner, Lillis, Faulkner, Meder). Turnovers: 18 (Faulkner 5, Magner 3, Bullock 3, Wat- son 2, Lillis 2, Meder 2, Armstrong). Technical fouls: none. Michigan................39 52 - 91 Ohio State..........35 45 - 80 At: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City Attendance: 3,724 Even though the Hawkeyes had a spot in the NCAA Tournament hanging in the balance, Michigan finally played like the team that was 10-1 during non- conference play, as it picked up its first road win of the Big Ten season. "This was the team that played in November and December," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. With the game tied at 77, Alyane Ingram, who finished with 24 points, took control. Ingram hit shots from all over the floor as she led the Wolverines on a 14-3 run to close the contest. "She hit two 3s at two very critical times;" Guevara said. Despite having their entire starting frontcourt in foul trouble for most of the game, the Wolverines countered every Iowa run. The Hawkeyes missed many easy layup opportunities early, and Michigan took advantage. Even with center Jen- nifer Smith on the bench for the majori- ty of the half, the Wolverines ran out to a 36-25 lead, forcing Iowa to commit 12 first-half turnovers. But then the Hawkeyes stormed back to cut the lead to four before the break. They started to hit their shots and Smith, LeeAnn Bies and Heather Oesterle all went into the lockerroom with three fouls. But instead of fizzling away in the second half like it has throughout the Big Ten season, Michigan countered with a quick 8-0 run to open the second half and grabbed a 53-41 lead. The Hawkeyes came back to tie the game, as Beatrice Bullock drove the lane several times drawing fouls and taking Smith out of the contest with 8:41 remaining. Iowa led by as many as seven points in the second half. Jennifer Lillis, who led the Hawkeyes with 23 points, drew Heather Oesterle's fifth foul with 5:16 remaining. This left LeeAnn Bies, Michigan's only formidable post pres- 4 Michigan State will be fighting this Saturday to earn coach Ron Mason a nonconference win in what could be his final game coaching against Michigan. Pride On the line against Spartans DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily Stephanie Gandy, pictured here against Northwestern on Feb. 3, led Michigan to its first Big Ten road victory of the year with 18 points last night in Iowa. By Seth Klempner Daily Sports Writer In the week before Nom 9 Michigan plays No. 5 Michigan State, members of the Michigan hockey team would- n't be caught dead wear- ing anything green or © uS white. While the rivalry may be classified as in- state, it is not difficult to understand the animosity between the two teams. Both teams are usually in the top 10 in the nation,. compete for the same pool of recruits and JOE Louis Who: No. 9 Mich 5.4 CCHA,18-8- vs. No. 5 Michig (15-5-4, 2065) When: 7:35 p.m. Latest: The two have never tied t in a single seaso annually trade ownership of first place in the CCHA. Since the 1996-97 season, Michi- gan and Michigan State have faced each other in the CCHA Champi- onship game twice, and they appear to be on a collision course again this year as both teams are currently tied for first place. "I don't think it matters where you are from, you are taught here (at Michigan) to hate Michigan State," said Jason Ryznar, a native of Alaska. "That is just the way it is." While several of the players are friends, former teammates or rela- tives (as is the case with Michigan junior J.J. Swistak and Michigan State freshman Steve Swistak), the Wolverines make it perfectly clear that all friendships go out the win- dow on the ice. "Anytime we give Michigan State a feeling of satisfaction of any sort is a disappointment for us - even if we come out with a tie," sophomore Andy Burnes said. "We want to beat Michigan State every time we play them, and that is the bottom line. We want them to know that Michigan is better than (they are)." But in head-to-head matchups, Michigan has not been the better of the two teams on the scoreboard recently. The last time the Michigan hockey team came away with a win against Michigan State was Jan. 27 of last year, in a game that required an Andy Hilbert game-winning goal in overtime. Since that game, the Spartans are undefeated in five contests between the two teams with a 3-0-2 record. But the future could be looking up for the Wolverines, who are on a five-game winning streak ' " and are 5-1-1 since tying ARENA the Spartans at Yost a igan (15- month ago. 5 overall) "We have a lot of ener- an State gy coming off of two great weekends, (and are) . playing good defensive teams hockey," Burnes said. hree times "We have a lot of momen- n before. tum and a lot of things going for us right now." The Spartans; on theother hand, have struggled of late. Michigan State is 1-1-2 in its last four games, with the loss coming at home against eighth-place Notre Dame. The Spartans, who have a 1.7 goals against average this season, have given up 11 goals in their last four games. One of the brightest aspects for Michigan has been its special teams play. The Wolverines have killed 55 consecutive powerplay chances and hold a 89.2 efficiency rate. Tomor- row, Michigan will need to shut down a Michigan State powerplay unit that converts on 24 percent of its chances. PAIRWISE RANKINGS The Pairwise Rankings are based on the ranking system used by the NCAA selection committee to deter- mine which 12 teams will partici- pate in the NCAA Tournament. Team Record PWR 1. Denver 24-5-1 31 2. St. Cloud 24-5-2 30 3. New Hampshire 19-5-3 29 4. Minnesota 21-6-4 28 5. Colorado College 19-8-3 27 6. Boston University 18-7-2 25 7. Michigan State 20-6-5 25 8. Cornell 17-5-1 24 9. Michigan 18-8-5, 24 10. Maine 16-9-5 22 11. Mass-Lowell 17-8-3 20 12. Alaska-Fairbanks 18-10-2 19 ence in the contest, with four fouls. But once again the Wolverines fought back as Stephanie Gandy stepped up her play, finishing with 18 points. "When we were down, I did not see that defeated look," Guevara said. The game was tight until Ingram, who poured in 18 points in the sec- ond half, took over. The Wolverines put the game out of reach from the charity stripe. Michigan shot 84 per- cent from the free-throw line for the game. The Wolverines, who last week thought they were going to be unable to accomplish any of their goals this sea- son, now look at their remaining games in a new light. "I'm hoping that we can build on this one game at a time," Guevara said. Jeifries' condition key to Blue's upset hopes By Joe Smith Daily Sports Editor After a heartbreaking, 64-63 home loss to Wis- consin on Wednesday, Indiana coach Mike Davis said he'd say a long prayer so that the injured ankle of his superstar forward, sophomore Jared Jeffries, would heal quickly. He better pray long and hard, as the Hoosiers are an entirely different team CRISL] without the Big Ten's leading scorer (18.3 points per game) and Naismith Who: Michii Award finalist. Ten, 10-13o Jeffries is listed as probable for Sun- 2hen 1 pnr day's game against Michigan at Crisler NY: CBs Arena, and whether he plays or not will Latest:India be a huge factor in whether the Wolver- of its past ti ines have a chance for their first big games head upset of the season. Indiana (8-3 Big meeting wit Ten, 16-8 overall) is tied for first place than five rebounds, and Davis clearly was shocked by his team's worst defensive performance of the season. Indiana clearly misd its .o-to guy, even with the, inspired contributions of fellow big men Jeff Newton and Jared Odle (who has recorded three straight dou- ble-doubles). No team is more depth-stricken in the post than the ER ARENA gan (5-7 Big overall) vs. No. 8-3, 16-8) n. ana has lost two hree conference ding into its only h Michigan. I Wolverines (5-7, 10-13), and not having Jeffries creating havoc down low and getting Chris Young in foul trouble will ease the minds of Tommy Amaker's travel-weary Wolverines. After returning home after playing four games in seven nights, Michigan will stumble into the friendly confines of Crisler Arena - where it has a com- fortable 9-4 mark, compared to its 1-8 road record. Michigan is an entirely different team at home, but Amaker said that if his The Hoosiers will undoubtedly adopt the strategy of every other Michigan opponent - collapse on Young and force the Wolverines to beat them from the outside. While the Wolverines have struggled, Indiana is the surprise of the Big Ten. But the road to the title will be far from easy for the Hoosiers. Three of the their four remaining games are away from Assembly Hall, including trips to Michigan State and Illinois. Davis said earlier this week that his team has "maxed out" in terms of potential, and it's show- ing late in the season. After winning seven of its first eight Big Ten games, Indiana has dropped two of its last three conference contests - lead- ing senior guard Dane Fife to say that his Hoosiers' "backs are against the wall as far as the championship" is concerned. Fife, a former Michigan Mr. Basketball and Crisler fan favorite, will likely receive roaring boos from Michigan fans in the last game of his career in Crisler Arena. Sunday is the only meeting between Michigan and Indiana, and the Wolverines know they have the cards stacked against them to repeat their performance in lastyear's home matchup with the Hoosiers - a 70- 64 Michigan win. "We need to get a win Sunday against Indiana," said Groninger, whose Wolverines need to win their final four games to have a chance at the NIT. "We know it's important." with Ohio State, with Wisconsin one game behind. Jeffries, who sprained his ankle in a win against Louisville last Saturday and bruised his thigh earlier in the week, limped through warm-ups Wednesday night and never tore off his candy-striped pants - marking the first time in his 57-game career that he didn't start. The Hoosiers run their offense through Jeffries, and without his post presence keeping the defense honest, Indiana's shooters went 5-of-16 from behind the arc against the Badgers. No Hoosier had more team plays as poorly as it did in its overtime loss to Colorado State and its 36-point drubbing at Purdue, the Wolverines are in trouble. Against Purdue, "we were out-coached, out-hus- tled and out-worked," Amaker said. "If we continue to play like that, I don't think we can beat anyone anywhere." Michigan guards Gavin Groninger, Dommanic Ingerson and Leon Jones combined for 1-for-26 shooting against Purdue. The trio must be on the top of its game to have a chance against Indiana. VOlS survive M' upset attempt Wolverines win doubles point but fall in their singles matches By Brian Schick Daily Sports Writer In a match that appeared to have the potential for a massive upset, the Michi- gan women's tennis team lost a tough match, 5-2, to No. 8 Tennessee yester- day at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines managed to win the doubles point in the early going, but dropped Living Next Fal in THE ICC STUDENT HOUSING CO-OPS Approx. $415/month Includes utilities, laundry, parking, social activities and all the food you can eat. 662-4414 Student Owned - Democratically Run ContractsAvailable NOW! www.icc.umich.org five of the six singles matches. "Tennessee is a very good team with very talented players," Michigan coach Bitsy Ritt said. "Their players are very experienced, and they expect to win. That's the reason they're in the top 10 in the country." During doubles play, the Wolverines (3-2) came out looking sharp. Michi- gan's No. 3 doubles team of sopho- more Kavitha Tipirneni and Chrissie Nolan wasted little time handing the Volunteers (5-3) an 8-2 loss. On the next court over, Michigan's No. 1 doubles team was faced the very difficult task of climbing out of a 4-0 hole. Freshmen Leanne Rutherford r 1 and Michelle DaCosta did just that, winning five of the next six games to tie the score 5-5. After dropping the following game, the Wolverines won the final three to clinch the doubles point for Michigan. Tennessee's losing No. 1 tandem was ranked 45th in the nation. "I was so pleased to get the doubles point;' Ritt said. "It was great for our confidence (early in the match). With Michelle and Leanne being down, they fought hard when the doubles point was on the line." It appeared that the Wolverines had the momentum going into the singles matches, and might be able to pull one out. But once the matches began, Michi- gan was shown why the Volunteers are one of the top team in the nation. Four of the six Tennessee singles players are ranked nationally, and each Volunteer won her opening set. At No. 6, junior Joanne Musgrove found a way to -henun m innina +he nevt two Cts- 6-. TOM FELDKAMP/Daily Michigan's Chrissie Nolan lost her No. 2 singles match, 6-2, 6-3 last night. Allison Ojeda, Tipirneni found it hard to keep pace in the second set. She was on the brink of losing - down 5- 1 - when she began a charge. With many points being won after long ral- lie sh fniiht back tn tie the snre. In i I aata -aaa '"'1''U"1"F rT1u"'r I www~stuexp:s~ I i 1 Id