The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 11 es an guards giving Michigan energy, depth By Josh Holman Daily Sports Writer Even after her team's 75-64 loss to Xavier on Sunday in the Provident Bank Xavier Invitation- al, Michigan coach Sue Guevara was greeted at practice yesterday by a sight that actually brought a smile to her face. Three of her fresh- men guards, Lauren Andrews, Mie Burlin and Michigan's bench will be put to the test again tonight at Oakland, its third game in four days. The Wolverines still expect to be without Smith, who has been a major force down low for the Wolverines, averaging 20 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 66 percent from the floor. Smith's injury will force senior LeeAnn Bies to carry much of the workload for the team. Niki Reams had beaten her there and were already shooting around. Michigan's backcourt received a brutal wake-up call this weekend from Xavier's seasoned duo of Reet- ta Piipari and Amy Waugh. The sen- ior tandem rained down a combined 41 points on the Wolverines, reminding the freshmen just how far they have yet to go. Depth off the bench has been one of the strengths the team has been able to lean on thus far this season, ATHLETICS CENTER O'RENA Who: Michigan (5-1) at Oakland (2-3) When:7 p.m Latest:Michigan's leading scorer, Jennifer Smith, will likely miss her third-straight game because of a knee injury. After struggling offensively most of the season, Bies finally explod- ed for 31 points. But her contribu- tion couldn't remedy everything in the loss. "Having Jen out for a few games definitely switches things up a bit," Bies said. "We have to redistribute roles and find a new. way to adjust." The lack of Smith inside factored noticeably in the Wolverines' offen- sive scheme. With its two big bodies RYAN WEINER/Daily Michigan sophomore Dwight Helminen has teamed up with Mark Mink and Jeff Tambellini to form the Wolverines' fastest line. FRESHMEN Continued from Page 10 scoring a lot of goals at Michigan." THE NEED FOR SPEED: With all the line changes this sea- son due to injuries and early-season experimenting, Michigan may have found its fastest pairing in years with sophomore Dwight Helminen, senior Mark Mink and Tambellini. Helminen has been known for his ability to break away for shorthanded goals, and the freshman has been one of the quickest Wolverines in the offensive zone. Mink com- plements them both with his solid all-around play. Since he started skating with Helminen and Mink, Tam- bellini's production has increased, and that offensive surge f includes the Wolverines' first goal Friday night. "On (our) line we have a lot of speed," Tambellini said. "(On the goal) we all busted to the net, we got a good shot on net and we were lucky enough to get a rebound. And that's the way our line works. We work off speed and we work off chances, kind of creating stuff off the rush, and hopefully that keeps carrying through." KILLING TIME: Michigan's team speed was one reason why its penalty kill had been nearly unbeatable. But on Friday, speed wasn't enough, as Northern Michigan ended the Wolverines' streak of eight games without surrendering a powerplay goal. Stutzel beat Michigan's Al Montoya in the second period while the Wildcats had the man-advan- tage. Northern Michigan followed that with another power- play goal in the first period of Saturday's game. Before the weekend, Bowling Green had been the last team to beat Michigan's penalty kill. The Falcons' tally with the extra man came on Nov. 8, and since that time, Michigan had killed 44 straight penalties. The Wolverines' penalty kill percentage dropped from .951 to .923 after the weekend, but they still lead the nation in that category. even though it is relatively inexperienced. "I've been pleased with the contributions our bench has made," Guevara said. "We have enough quality kids that I can go deep on the bench and still maintain." Just as the rookie backcourt seemed to be cut- ting down on the ball-handling mistakes that had hampered them in their first few games, Michi- gan turned the ball over 37 times in its two games this weekend. Add to the fact that leading scorer Jennifer Smith was out because of a knee injury, and it seems lucky that Michigan was able to squeak out a win on Saturday over Saint Louis. inside, Michigan has faired well running a high- low style offense. That aspect of the game almost disappeared in Sunday's gameplan. "If you take away (Smith's) 20 points and nine rebounds, is it going to have a little bit of an impact? Of course it will," Guevara said. "We have to make a few adjustments in the way we attack teams now." Today's game is also Oakland coach Eileen Shea-Hilliard's first matchup against Michigan, where she was an assistant coach under Guevara. "I think just because Eileen was an assistant here, there will be a little more emotion going into it," Guevara said. JASON COOPER/Daily Michigan guard Lauren Andrews elevates for a jump shot. Andrews has logged significant minutes early in her career, adding much-needed depth. 'M' grapplers not looking past upstart Cleveland State By Eric Chan Daily Sports Writer The Cleveland State Vikings aren't exactly a team to be feared in many sports. The Vikings' basketball team? Mediocre. The men's soccer team? Not bad. How about the football team? Actually, it's non-existent. What about the wrestling team? Surprisingly, it has the potential to be a future powerhouse in Division I college wrestling. Last week, the Vikings upset No. 21 Edin- boro in an attempt to prove that they belong in the top 25 this season. "We cannot take these guys lightly," Michi- gan coach Joe McFarland said. The state of Ohio is one of the top five sources in the country for high school wrestling talent, which helps Cleveland State coach Jack Effner improve his recruiting class from year to year. "Jack has done a great job over there," McFarland said. "They've got a solid lineup all the way through." No. 6 Michigan will square off against Cleveland State Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena in Michigan's first home match of the 2002-03 season. The Wolverines are the heavy favorites against the Vikings, but Michigan is also coming off a disappointing performance at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas. "(In Las Vegas) we just weren't wrestling aggressive," McFarland said. "We would have the lead and just try to hold on to it. We can't wrestle like that." Michigan will need to be in top form against a strong Cleveland State team. The Vikings are led by brothers Rocco and Phil Mansueto in the 125 and 133-pound weight classes, respectively. In Michigan's 29-9 win over the Vikings last season, A.J. Grant and CLIFF KEEN ARENA Who: Michigan vs. cleveland State When: 7:30 p.m. Latest: The Wolverines are fresh off a disappointing seventh-place finish at Las Vegas' cliff Keen Invita- tional - named after the legendary Michigan wrestling coach. Foley Dowd were able to beat the Mansueto brothers in close matches. First-year Michigan starter Greg Wagner will face another tough challenge in Cleve- land State's Russ Davie (ranked No. 16 nationally at heavyweight according to Wrestling International Newsmagazine's latest poll). Davie's 6-0 decision over then- Michigan heavyweight Aaron Walter was Cleveland State's only win in last season's rout. The other six Viking team points came from a medical forfeit at the 141- pound weight class. This weekend's match also has personal meaning for McFarland. "I'm from Cleveland myself, so it meant a lot when I wrestled against (Cleveland State) my sophomore year," said McFarland, a four- time All-American at Michigan. HORN Continued from Page 10 defining themselves. They're playing under sanctions, and are victims of what Amaker calls "a culture of losing." That culture extends upward from the court to the stands at Crisler, where even in the student section late in the second half you could hear a pin (or a banner) drop. Excuses. Justifications. I'm a Michi- gan basketball fan and I have yet to see Michigan basketball. My two favorite players are gone, and what I have seen on the court has been painful to watch. But I have supported this team since I saw freshmen Jamal Crawford and LaVell Blanchard give Djuke a run for its money during my own freshman year, and I'm with this team still. But to Amaker and the players: Show me something soon. Will the fans rally behind this team? You need to show me why, before regret really sets in. David Horn can be reached at hornd@umich.edu. [ U Have you made your list yet? iMac Special Student Price: $1739 You Save: $352 17 in. Display / 800 MHz / 256MB SDRAM / 80G / Ethernet / DVD-ROM, CD-RW superdrive / 3 year warranty & phone support ** * * Special UM Holiday Pricing TTLM Cmnniter ghnxreCI * p -' ~ :,. rI B ooks tore, Se11 v Your Books Now! We Want All Your Books!! Top Dollar For Your Used Books! Spin the Wheel for Extra Cash & Prizes! Shop Ulrich 's for all your Holiday gifts... or visit us online at www.ulrichs.com!! Bring this coupon in and receive a. 20% OFF a I U