..,w.
t hursday
,nary 29, 2004
sports.michigandaily.com
sports@michigandaily.com
SPORTS
8A
M'
fuego
Cagers put up
90 points in a
crucial victory
by Dan Rosen
Daily Sports Writer
It wasn't your typical Big Ten game. Or your typical
Michigan game for that matter.
The Wolverines, who averaged 68 points per game coming
in, scored 90 points for the first time in a regular season
game since December 2001, beating Iowa
00-84 at Crisler Arena. Both teams shot wA84
better than 50 percent for the game.
R With the win, the Wolverines (3-3 Big
Ten, 12-5 overall) jumped two spots to fifth in the congested
Big Ten standings.
"I'm very proud of our kids for the effort, knowing that we
needed to defend our home court if we wanted to stay alive
in our conference race," coach Tommy Amaker said.
Michigan, as it has done many times this season, came out
trying to establish the inside game. The Wolverines fed the
ball to freshman Courtney Sims in the post. The 6-foot-11
Sims abused Iowa's 6-foot-7 forward Glen Worley to the tune
Of nine points in the first 10 minutes of action. Sims finished
with a career-high 16 points.
R "Heck, he even made a three," said Amaker of Sims' long-
ball late in the game.
Sophomore Lester Abram led the Wolverines with a char-
acteristically efficient 24 points on 12 shots. His four 3-
pointers led Michigan's 45-percent, 30-point barrage from
downtown.
F The Wolverines pulled out to an 11-point lead with nine
minutes remaining in the first half, but a 15-0 Hawkeyes' run
gave Iowa its first edge at 33-31.
"Every time we made a run, they just kept coming back,"
Abram said. "They were tough to put away."
The Wolverines answered with an 8-0 stretch at the end of
the first stanza to take a seven-point lead into the locker
room.
A Then, the refs took over.
After calling a total of just 13 personal fouls in the first
fialf, the officials stopped play time and time again in the
See HAWKEYES, Page 12A
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Blue finally showcases
highly-anticipated '0'
means the 90 points Michigan scored
came in 34 minutes.
"We just wanted to have fun today,"
Michigan guard Dion Harris said.
You bet it was fun.
It was a good time for Michigan
because, for one of the first times all
season, every Wolverine who is expect-
CHRIS BURKE ed to pitch in on offense did so.
Goin' to Work Forward Bernard Robinson was
clearly too quick on the offensive end
T he sleeping giant appears to have for anyone on Iowa. He finished with
awoken. After 16 games of poor 10 points and six assists, despite only
shooting percentages and subpar playing eight second-half minutes.
assist-to-turnover ratios, the Michigan Guard Lester Abram was his usual
basketball team went lights-out style on quiet and spectacular self, picking his
Iowa last night, igniting for 90 points. spots to score 24 points. On numerous
Ninety! occasions, the Wolverines were able to
All the speculation about how good execute a give-and-fade play to set
this offense could be when it's firing on Abram up for many open threes oppor-
all cylinders has been put to rest now. tunities (of which he converted four).
The Wolverines finally answered the "Lester Abram was a great part of
offensive questions, and the response is (our second half)," Michigan coach
that this team has the potential to be Tommy Amaker said. "(He hit) key
almost unstoppable. shots when we needed them most"
"They were just inside and outside," Who didn't last night? Center Court-
said Iowa guard Jeff Horner about the ney Sims looked like an All-Big Ten
Michigan offense, looking as stunned player on the offensive end, pounding
as everyone else. "They hit a lot of Iowa for 16 points. And fellow big man
threes, they shot the ball very well." Graham Brown pitched in eight.
Yes, I know that there was a six-and- Add in Daniel Horton's 15-point,
a-half-minute stretch when Iowa seven-assist effort, and you can imag-
stymied the Wolverines en route to a ine why Iowa coach Steve Alford was
15-0 run. Those droughts have been all not exactly sporting a grin afterwards.
to frequent. "This was a tough game for us,"
But there were also the 11 points Alford said. "You have to give credit to
Michigan scored in the first two min- Michigan - they stepped up when
utes of the game. There were the 13 they needed to late in the game."
points the Wolverines dropped in the Part of that clutch performance came
last 2:28 of the first half. They put up thanks to the stellar outside shooting of
46 points in the second half, shooting the Wolverines. They finished 10-for-
53.4 percent for the game. 22 beyond the arc.
Heck, the six-minute shutout the "I didn't expect (that)," Horner said.
Hawkeyes pitched in the middle of the "That's kind of what we wanted to do -
first half almost makes the rest of the shoot from the outside."
game that much more impressive. That See BURKE, Page lA
Michigan sophomore Graham Brown goes up for a shot during last night's 90-84 win over Iowa. The
Wolverines, who moved Into fifth place in the Big Ten, face Illinois on the road Saturday.
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