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Friday
November 12, 2004
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.. .. ... .. .. ...
Helvey's ejection
sparks comeback
In OT, Cameron
sends 'M' onward
Today's game: Northwestern
{By Stephanie Wright
:aily Sports Writer
Just four minutes into the second
half, sophomore Kelly Helvey drove
hard into the lane and scored her
third basket of
the half, extend-
Ang Michigan's MICIGAN 76
lead to 45-42.
Seconds later, Helvey dove on the
floor to grab a loose ball from the
Australian Institute of Sport's Renae
Camino. Fighting for the ball, the
two players got into a physical alter-
cation. Both Helvey and Camino
were charged with double flagrant
fouls and ejected from the game.
Despite the loss of its emotional
leader, the Michigan women's bas-
ketball team was determined not
to let the Institute gain momen-
tum from the incident. Inspired to
play more aggressively in Helvey's
ibsence, Michigan overcame a four-
pbint deficit at halftime to win its
second exhibition game, 76-68.
"It kind of shocked us at first
because we needed her intensity
defensive-wise," senior forward
Tabitha Pool said. "So we just got
into a circle and got everybody
together. We came out and knew we
needed to give the same intensity
as Kelly. We kind of carried Kelly
with us."
While Pool quietly led the Wol-
verines with 24 points and four
assists, the freshmen added much
pf the energy and intensity in their
i)acreased minutes.
We really had some kids step
p," Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett
said. "We used that opportunity for
;sme others, and our players did
;well with that opportunity. But it
was an unfortunate opportunity."
Almost midway through the sec-
ond half, freshman Becky Flippin
intercepted an Institute pass and
pitched the ball to freshman Jessica
Starling, who lobbed it up-court to
Pool. Despite getting fouled, Pool
scored a layup and hit the ensu-
ing free throw to give Michigan a
seven-point lead. Playing 13 min-
utes in the period, Starling grabbed
six rebounds, while adding three
assists.
In just nine second-half minutes,
freshman Janelle Cooper scored
eight points and grabbed three
offensive rebounds, giving her five
for the game. The 5-foot-10 guard's
physical play inside epitomized her
team's second-half turnaround, as
Michigan out-rebounded the Insti-
tute 24 to 13 in the game's final 20
minutes.
"When I asked Janelle Cooper
how tall she is and she had five
offensive rebounds - she does
some great effort things," Burnett
said. "It's those sparks that are
really going to make us a better
basketball team."
In the first half, the Institute's
pressing defense slowed Michigan,
preventing it from fully showcasing
its scramble offense for the second
time. With three minutes left in the
half, Pool was pressured into send-
ing a pass out of bounds, and the
Institute's Melissa Smith forced
Starling to give up the ball on the
next possession. The Wolverines
committed 15 turnovers in the peri-
od.
"Once our youth figures out
where they're supposed to be and
when they're supposed to be there,
(it will) take care of a lot of those
By Jamie Josephson
Daily Sports Writer
One goal.
That's all the Michigan men's soc-
cer team needed to keep its hopes alive
in the Big Ten Tournament. And for
that lone goal, the * ,
Wolverines looked
to one man - the CHGN
captain who missed 17 games of the
regular season due to a knee injury,
the senior who has been struggling to
rebound ever since his return: Knox
Cameron.
Yesterday, seventh-seeded Michigan
upset second-seeded Ohio State 1-0 in
overtime of the first round of the Big
Ten Tournament on a game-winning
goal by Cameron. Junior Ryan Sterba
assisted the goal in the 97th minute of
the game to give Michigan (1-4-1 big
Ten, 10-6-4 overall) an emotional vic-
tory against the Buckeyes and a spot in
the semifinals of the tournament.
"If we had lost, chances are, my col-
lege career at Michigan would've been
over," Cameron said. "That was pretty
much all that was going through my
mind at the time. I didn't want it to end
like that."
Cameron's goal was his first since
his comeback from a knee injury on
Nov. 3. Immediately after he scored,
the senior was nearly trampled by his
ecstatic teammates, who then proceed-
ed to bow down to their captain.
"I couldn't be happier for Knox to
get that goal," Michigan coach Steve
Burns said. "For him to score that goal
in overtime, I think tears came to all the
guys on the bench because they've seen
how hard he's working and seen how
he's shown so much character to fight
through the frustration of knowing you
can play better than you're showing.
(Today), he was rewarded for it."
Cameron's game-winning goal
was Michigan's first tally on the
scoreboard in more than 466 min-
utes. Not having scored a goal since
October, the Wolverines' offense
finally sparked when it counted.
"Hopefully, it's a sign that our offense
is coming alive again," Burns said.
In regulation, neither team's offense
could convert on numerous scoring
chances. Ohio State (5-1, 10-6-2) fifth-
year senior Justin Cook had a pair of
scoring opportunities in the last 10
minutes of the second half. Both times,
his shot went over Michigan's net and
kept the Wolverines' chances alive.
Besides allowing the team to advance
in the Big Ten Tournament, the win was
special for Michigan, which was served
a 2-0 defeat during its final game of
the regular season by the Buckeyes last
Saturday.
"The challenge to our team was to
rebound from that loss to Ohio State
and show that we had the will to win
and the will to compete for the entire
game," Burns said. "(I give) credit to
our guys and a lot of credit to Ohio
State because they are a very good
team. They had their chances, but it
wasn't their day today. It was ours."
As host of the tournament, Michi-
gan was not about to hand rival Ohio
State a second consecutive victory on
the Wolverines' home turf. This time,
Michigan came out with an eye on a
championship and a heart full of ven-
geance.
"(Ohio State) came in here on Sat-
urday and it hurt, the way they beat
us," Cameron said. "We just wanted
to get revenge, and that's what we
did. (Revenge) was definitely sweeter
against them."
Michigan will take on third-seeded
Northwestern today in the semifinals
at 2:30 p.m. at the U-M Soccer Field.
On Oct. 24 in Evanston, the Wildcats
defeated Michigan 2-1 in overtime.
The Wolverines hope to earn another
upset victory against a tough North-
western program in their quest for a
Big Ten championship and subsequent
NCAA bid.
"When you talk about the Big Ten
Tournament, it's a special time of the
year because if you win, you go on,"
Burns said. "And (now) we go on to the
next game. We still have life."
RYAN WEINER/Daily
Sophomore Kelly Helvey was tossed from yesterday's exhibition game early in the
second half. Her absence sparked a comeback win for Michigan.
issues," Burnett said. "But we still
need to communicate better. When
you're breathing hard and playing a
lot of minutes, it is pretty tough (for
young players)."
Like its defense, Michigan
improved its communication in the
second half, committing six fewer
turnovers. And much of this prog-
ress also originated with the fresh-
men. In the closing seconds of the
game, freshman Krista Clement
audibly instructed her teammates
to hold onto the ball and not force a
shot on their final possession.
"We still need to be more vocal
on the floor," Pool said. "We just
need to talk and communicate
more. Once we get that down, I
think we'll be much better."
JBurnett adds four to recruiting dass
4y Matt Venegoni
'baily Sports Writer
Before the current freshmen class has even
taken the floor for a regular season game, the
Michigan women's basketball team has signed
QoUr standout players for next year's class.
The players who committed during the early
-signing period are 6-foot-2 forward Carly Ben-
09n from Carney, 6-foot-2 forward Ashley Jones
:rom Detroit, 6-foot-1 forward Melinda Queen
%rom Oak Forest, Ill., and 5-foot-7 guard Jessica
Winnfield from Toledo.
"This is really the first class where we knew
vhat our needs were," coach Cheryl Burnett
laid.
Burnett's initial class - the current seven
'reshmen - was a guard-heavy class featuring
e players in the backcourt. To balance that
lass, three athletic players - 6-foot-1 or tall-
- were brought in along with another point
guard to complement current freshman Becky
l ppin.
With just two seniors - Tabitha Pool and Bre-
nne McPhilamy - leaving next year, the class
,:vJll help provide depth to a Michigan team that
has just 10 scholarship players on the current
roster.
"In terms of the entire class and their ath-
leticism, they are tremendously athletic and
skilled," Burnett said.
Benson - a senior at Carney Nadeau High
School - is enjoying a great senior season, aver-
aging 21.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 6.5 steals and
five assists per game, while earning a spot as
one of nine finalists for the 2004 Michigan Miss
Basketball award. Benson is another example of
the type of well-rounded student-athlete Burnett
is looking for. She is the president of the Carney
Nadeau chapter of National Honor Society.
"We look for special people, players and stu-
dents," Burnett said. "Our players succeed in the
classroom, on the court and socially."
Benson is not the only 2004 Michigan Miss
Basketball award finalist in the class. Jones, who
attends Martin Luther King High School, is also
an award finalist. Jones is averaging 13.0 points,
nine rebounds and four assists per game.
"We are always going to establish the success
of this program by recruiting Michigan players ,
and this is true for a variety of reasons," Burnett
said in a statement from the Michigan athletic
department. "In any program, whether its foot-
ball or basketball, if you are keeping the cream
of the crop at home, you will always be able to
build that in-state pride."
Michigan was also able to get some solid out-
of-state players. Minnfield - who hails from
the same high school as current Wolverine Kelly
Helvey - averaged 16 points, nine assists and
four steals per game as a junior en route to All-
Toledo and All-District first-team honors, as
well as all-state honorable mention honors.
Melinda Queen, the final member of the class,
has twice been a Street and Smith's All-Ameri-
can honorable mention. Queen has helped lead
her team to two conference championship and
joins Benson as a National Honor Society mem-
ber.
"I think this second recruiting class is a major
step forward in our program in terms of the
overall skill and athleticism," Burnett said in
her statement by the Michigan athletic depart-
ment.
"After getting to know the seven freshmen
currently in the program, this was first time we
could recruit a class that would complement who
we already had in the program."
4
4
BASKETBALL
A dream comes true for Brzozowicz
y Eric Ambinder
oily Sports Writer
Remember the NCAA commercial
at says, "There are over 360,000
udent-athletes and just about all
pus will be going pro in something
her than sports?"
P'That's exactly (who I am)," Mich-
an basketball freshman Alex Brzo-
)wicz said. "Obviously, I'm not
Sing to play in the NBA, and I'm
>t looking for a career in basket-
11. I wanted to be a small part of
)mething bigger."
Brzozowicz played for St. Igna-
4s Catholic Prep in Chicago - and
'eraged 18 points, five rebounds,
to steals and two blocks - before
Stook a shot at walking on to play
Isketball at Michigan.
The 6-foot-3 guard took an uncon-
pItional path to make the basketball
am. The Michigan coaches were
familiar with his game before the
season began, and he was allowed
to participate in open gym practices,
as well as lift weights with the team.
He didn't have to experience a tra-
ditional walk-on tryout like fellow
newcomer Hayes Groom did a couple
of weeks ago.
Michigan boasted a dual threat
that was enough for Brzozowicz to
turn down offers from Division III
schools such as Loyola University-
Chicago and Illinois-Wesleyan.
"I wanted to come to (Michigan)
because it has such a good (basket-
ball) program, and it is such a good
school academically," Brzozowicz
said.
Brzozowicz considered enrolling
in the School of Art and Design,
but he has decided that he wants to
study architecture instead.
"I've always loved architecture,"
Brzozowicz said. "My grandfather
was a structural engineer, and I've
always wanted to follow in his foot-
steps. (Ron Coleman) is my room-
mate, and I have pictures all over the
place, on his door and my door."
The transition from high school
to college basketball, Brzozowicz
admits, has been a bit difficult. But
he is thankful that his more experi-
enced teammates have helped him
develop.
"I've messed up as a freshman,"
he said. "We did this drill that I
got wrong like eight times in a row.
I didn't know what the hell I was
doing and then Dani (Wohl) pulled
me aside and helped me and was
like, 'This is how we do it.' "
Brzozowicz did play in Mich-
igan's 60-43 exhibition win over
Michigan Tech. And when he
received the ball, the Crisler Arena
fans and the basketball team rose
to their feet and cheered for a shot
attempt, but it never came.
"I think the most (attendance) we
ever got in high school was 2,000,"
Brzozowicz said. "When you come
(to Michigan), you have 9,000
watching an exhibition game. It's
the big time. I love it here."
Michigan has four other non-
scholarship walk-ons on its roster:
John Andrews, Ashtyn Bell, Hayes
Grooms and Dani Wohl.
PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily
Senior Knox Cameron scored the lone goal in Michigan's overtime win over Ohio
State in the Big Ten Tournament. It was also Cameron's first goal of the season.
TIME
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