a Friday February 6,2004 sports.michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com iPORTS 10 4 Pur-d'oh 0 Second-half collapse produces 'M' defeat Gandy determined to keep positive outlook 0 By Josh Holman Daily Sports Writer As Michigan women's basketball coach Cheryl Burnett put it after the game, the Wolverines were plagued by an old problem Pu I E L6 and a new prob- lem in their 76-64 loss to No. 6 Purdue last night at Crisler Arena. Michigan's tendency to come out flat in the second half is slowly becoming an all-out trend - last night's perform- ance was just part of the pattern. But the unexpected happened when the Wolverines couldn't drain their shots at the free throw line. Michigan entered the game shooting 72 percent from the line on the season, but they shot just 45 percent from the stripe last night on 9-for-20 shooting. The Wolverines trailed by just six at halftime, even though they had already missed seven free throws. They had a slight advantage in the first half, as two of Purdue's post players - Carol Dun- can and Emily Heikes - and National Player of the Year Candidate Shereka Wright were all in foul trouble. But Michigan failed to capitalize. Senior center Jennifer Smith mustered just two points in the first half, thanks in part to the Boilermakers' strategy to face-guard her in the post and restrict the entry pass. Smith finished with 17 points, but most of those came late in the second half when the game was already decided. "We talked about Jen just getting four shots in the first half," Burnett said. "I really believe that there's an easy count- er, but we didn't adjust well to what we needed to do to get her the ball." Purdue made its share of adjustments at halftime, starting the second frame by hitting 10 of its first 13 shots. The Boil- ermakers opened up a 24-point lead by midway through the second half. "We got more aggressive," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. "To start the game, Wright didn't touch the ball the first four possessions. That's just not smart. She's a Kodak All-American and we got her the ball quicker the second half." Wright led all scorers with 22 points on 7-for-12 shooting and 8-for-9 from the line. Wright was able to maneuver at will through Michigan's defense. "She's a tough matchup," senior for- ward Stephanie Gandy said. "I think we went away from playing our team defense and that's when she went on a tear. She's a real tough player." Michigan was without its top defend- er, sophomore Niki Reams, who sat out with an injury to her left foot. This was the second game Reams has missed this season. "With us not having any depth - especially having zero depth at the post By Megan Kolodgy Daily Sports Writer Stephanie Gandy makes it a prior- ity to maintain an attitude that if the team must get knocked down, it will at the very least go down fighting. After all, she is a captain. So although it might appear incon- sequential that Michigan trimmed a 24-point-second-half deficit into a 12-point loss, that fight might serve dividends the rest of this season. Her team is currently 3-7 in the conference after last night's loss to Purdue, and the schedule doesn't get any easier entering the home stretch. The Wolverines still must face No. 5 Penn State and No. 20 Michigan State. Gandy and her co-captain, Jen- nifer Smith, have seen what can happen when the Wolverines take on a negative outlook in dire circum- stances. "I try not to let anyone get down because one apple rolls the whole bunch," Gandy said. She is a vocal leader, but not in the eloquent, verbose sense. Gandy's words are brief but powerful, and her teammates recognize and appreciate her efforts to lead by example. "I think she's a great emotional leader," junior Sierra Hauser-Price said. "You can see that on the court, but she's even like that in the locker- room, and she's like that all the time." Despite inconsistent shooting and suffering some humbling losses, Gandy insists the team's morale isn't shaken. "Our team's confidence is really high right now because we've been doing well in practice and stuff," Gandy said. "We're not letting the losses get us down at all. I just think our main goal is to come out as a team and just focus and play hard." Still, it can be difficult to focus on the team's performance when Gandy herself is having trouble getting things started on the floor. She scored just two points against Ohio State last Thursday and although she led the team in scoring last night (18 points), Gandy did it on 7-of-22 shooting from the floor. "I think that's the captain's job," Gandy said of motivating the team. "It's not supposed to be easy." Although fans might be skeptical, Gandy maintains high goals for the 2004 season. "I think we hold each other togeth- er as a team, and we take it game by game," Gandy said. "We know we have a lot of season left, and we have the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. I just think we have to come out and execute." DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily Purdue's Beth Jones blocks Tabitha Pool during the Boilermakers' 76-64 victory. positions - it's really created a lot of with 1:46 remaining. issues for us not having (Reams)," Bur- "Without Niki out there, it's kind of nett said. "But our players every time hard for me to play because we're so have really risen to the challenge." much alike," Helvey said. "She's gets One of those players the Wolverines me going on the bench and I feed off have turned to in Reams' absence has her even when she's not playing. But been freshman Kelly Helvey. She when she's not on the court, we have a scored nine points before fouling out lot of weaknesses." Horton, Cagers look to break through against Purdue By Dan Rosen Daily Sports Editor The key to Michigan basketball's breakthrough season last year was the team's 78-67 victory in late February at then-No. 24 Purdue. It gave the Wolverines their first win over a ranked opponent in two years, and a brief taste of sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. Daniel Horton scored a career-high 31 points in that game to highlight his sparkling freshman season. Just a month later, he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. "He was as much a part of (the success) as anyone," coach Tommy Amaker said. The Boilermakers storm into Crisler Arena tomorrow after- noon for their only meeting with Michigan this season. The current Wolverines depend on a big win to keep some of their goals for the season, like winning the conference and making the NCAA Tournament, within reach. And Horton will again be key to that success. The sophomore's averaging 12 points per game - three less than last year. "He hasn't played as well as he's capable of playing," Amaker said. "We know that it's a growth process. It takes time and he's going to have to fight through it." Horton's made just 35 percent of his shots this season - although that's down only two percent from last season's mark. Freshmen Dion Harris and Courtney Sims's arrival has contributed to Horton's scoring decline. "Last year, if my shot didn't fall a couple of times, I had some leeway to where I could just keep shooting and get out of it," Horton said. "But this year, with the guys that we have, it's not in the team's best interest for me to keep firing it up there if I'm not making any." The sophomore has to defend better players this year. Amaker said that he held Horton back on defense last season because of the guard's importance on offense. Now, the Wolverines' added depth has freed up Horton to try and shut down some potent offensive players. Last week he helped hold Iowa's Jeff Horner to three points. "Daniel took that as a big challenge"Amaker said. Horton's increased focus on defense has led to foul trouble at times, and could be draining some of the energy he grew used to having on the other end of the floor last year. Tomorrow, Horton and the Wolverines will need a full tank against an experienced Boilermaker team that is known for its high-pressure, man-to-man defense. Senior Kenneth Lowe, Purdue's leading scorer, has missed the last two games with a sprained elbow. His status for tomor- row is unknown. Without Lowe, Purdue lost to Ohio State last weekend but rebounded and routed Penn State on Wednesday. The Boilermakers could be the team to help Horton recap- ture his freshman scoring magic. "His confidence is still there," senior Bernard Robinson said. "A lot of people have been putting him down, but there's a lot of season to go. He'll be A-OK. Trust me." I R nY W INER/Dily Through 18 games, Daniel Horton has struggled to produce. 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