The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - January 31, 2005 - 3B
WHAT DID YOU SAY?
"I guess we're the team that,
at least, never says die."
- Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett
on her team's effort to comeback
at the end of yesterday's game
YESTERDAY'S SCORE
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Michigan
71
79
Jolene Anderson
(Wisconsin)
The guard scored 21 points, grabbed
seven rebounds and dished four
assist against Michigan.
Wisconsin
Tabitha Pool
(Michigan)
Pool recorded her ninth double-dou-
ble this season, bucketing 28 points
and pulling down 12 rebounds.
SATURDAY'S GAME
MICHIGAN 71
Anderson cracks Blue 'D'
By Matt Venegoni
Daily Sports Writer
MADISON - Michigan knows all too well
that freshmen can contribute to the game plan, as
the Wolverines feature seven on their team. But
Wisconsin freshman Jolene Anderson showed
what kind of positive impact young players can
have in a Big Ten game.
Anderson led all Wisconsin scorers with
21 points and added seven rebounds and four
assists. Anderson continually spurred the Bad-
gers when they needed it the most.
"I think that their team does a great job to get
her open looks," Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett
said. "Her uncanny ability to dribble penetrate
and her range makes it very difficult to guard
her. It is uncanny for a freshman to move so well
without the basketball."
Despite being just a freshman, the 5-foot-8
guard seemed to take control of the game in its
critical moments. Down the stretch, Anderson
took over point guard duties and directed the Bad-
gers offense. While she was not perfect - Ander-
son had nine turnovers - Wisconsin coach Lisa
Stone was impressed by her maturity.
"Jolene came on fire," Stone said. "You saw
her running the point for quite a long time in the
second half. I was able to get Steph Rich some
rest (by having Jolene play the point)."
Anderson was always in the right place at the
right time. With just over nine minutes left in
the second half, Wisconsin began to take con-
trol of the game. After a missed Badger layup, it
looked like Michigan might have a chance to cut
Wisconsin's lead to single digits. But Anderson
came away with a sneaky offensive rebound and
'M' looks for
third option
on offense
By Matt Vengoni
Daily Sports Writer
a layup to put the Badgers up by 12. Wisconsin
reeled off a 13-3 run to go up by 20 with less
than six minutes left in the game.
Michigan put its best defender - sophomore
Kelly Helvey - on Anderson, but it was not
enough to slow down the pesky guard. Ander-
son was able to get open throughout the game,
and she hit her shots when she needed to. At
the end of the game, when Michigan began its
frantic comeback, Anderson showed a keen bas-
ketball sense as she slowed down the tempo and
reset the Badger offense several times.
While Anderson has led Wisconsin all sea-
son long - she was the Big Ten's fourth-lead-
ing scorer going into the game - she needed
senior Ebba Gebisa to help seal the game for
the Badgers.
Gebisa's 10 free throws put Michigan away
just as the Wolverines seemed to be starting a
comeback. In the last six minutes, Gebisa hit
her 10 free throw attempts and made Michigan
regret putting her on the charity stripe. Those
makes allowed Gebisa to notch a season-high
18 points. But Gebisa also affected Michigan's
offensive looks.
"I really think that she used her size to change
some shots for our team," Burnett said. "Her
long wingspan really changed shots."
With the Badger duo combining for half of
Wisconsin's points, the Wolverines could not
complete its valiant late rally. Michigan fresh-
men Krista Clement and Becky Flippin came
away impressed with the performance of fellow
freshman Anderson.
"She's a great player," Clement said. "We
really keyed on her in the pregame (warm-ups),
but she just did a good job."
FG FT
MIN M-A M-A
Pool 38 11-22 2-4
Helvey 31 2-8 2-5
Walker 30 1-7 6-8
Clement 33 5-7 0-0
Cooper 23 0-3 1-2
Starling 24 0-3 0-0
Flippin 22 5-9 0-0
McPhilamy12 0-0 0-0
TEAM
Totals 20024-591119
REB
0-T
3-12
1-4
3-5
0-2
1-3
1-1
0-1
1-4
2-3
A
4
3
0
5
0
1
3
0
F1
4
5
1
2
1
2
3
2
PTS
28
6
8
13
1
0
15
0
13-351620 71
FG%: 40.7 FT%: 57.9 3-point FG: 12-
21,.571 (Flippin 5-8, Pool 4-7, Clement
3-4, Starling 0-2). Blocks: 4 (Clement,
Helvey, McPhilamy, Walker) Steals: 12
(Clement 3, Helvey 3, Cooper 2, Flippin
2, Pool, Starling). Turnovers: 20 (Clem-
ent 6, Pool 4, Walker 4, Helvey 3, Coo-
per, Starling, TEAM). Technical fouls:
None.
WISCONSIN 79
FG
MIN M-A
Gebisa 28 4-61
Nelson 33 3-8
Banks 34 2-7
Rich 32 2-5
Anderson 34 8-16
Welton 3 0-0
Alexander 2 0-0
Josephson 16 4-9
Wilson 8 1-3
Ward 10 4-5
TEAM
FT
M-A
10-10
0-0
2-2
2-2
3-4
1-2
0-0
0-0
0-3
0-2
REB
0-T A F PTS
3-3 0 2 18
4-13 1 3 6
1-4 4 3 6
0-2 5 2 8
3-7 4 4 21
0-0 0 0 1
0-0 0 0 0
0-3 1 1 9
1-2 0 2 2
0-3 0 1 8
2-6
13-38151879
Totals 200 28-59 5-14
DAVID TUMAN/Daily
Kelly Helvey was unable to stop Wisconsin freshman Jolene Anderson from scoring 21 points.
MADISON - For a team that has a never-say-die atti-
tude, a 20-point deficit is not an impossible situation to
overcome. While the Michigan women's basketball team
ultimately lost 79-71 against Wisconsin yesterday, the final
5:45 of the second half showed the team's determination to
never give up.
Sparked by the hot shooting of freshman point guard
Becky Flippin, the Wolverines got within six in a game that
looked over. Wisconsin took a 65-45 lead off a pair of senior
Ebba Gebisa free throws, but Michigan
was just getting started.
Flippin picked freshman Jolene
Anderson's pocket and found fellow
Michigan freshman Krista Clement for
an open 3-pointer. That three started a
26-point outburst for Michigan after the
Wolverines had scored just 14 points in
the first 14 minutes of the second half.
Flippin led the charge, connecting on three 3-pointers
and dishing out two assists.
"We did a great job at the end of the game finding our
shooters," Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett said.
All season, Michigan has lacked a third scor-
ing option behind senior Tabitha Pool and freshman
Ta'Shia Walker. Walker struggled throughout the
game, shooting just 1-for-7 from the field. But, this
time, Flippin picked up the slack in the second half,
netting 15 points on five 3-pointers. Nine of Flippin's
15 points came during the late rally.
In the first half, Michigan got 10 points from Clement,
even as she looked to be the third scoring option. Clement's
aggressive drives led to easy layups and open attempts for
her teammates.
"I don't think it was a plan before the game, but some-
times defenses are different, and that's what the defense
allowed us to do," Clement said.
With the two freshmen combining for 28 points, it looks
as if Michigan may play Flippin and Clement at the same
time more often, as it did earlier in the season.
THE SAME OLD SONG: 'A common concern for Michigan
all season has been its lack of size. Yesterday's game was
no different, as Wisconsin outscored the Wolverines in the
paint, 38-18.
"We've dealt with blocking out all year long," Burnett
BADGERS
Continued from page 1B
"Late in the game, she's doing a lot of
creating and finding our shooters. She's
kicking and really creating some open
shooting situations, and that's what
occurred, especially late in the game."
But Wisconsin never let Michigan get
too close. Although the Badgers couldn't
slow Michigan's incredible long-range
shooting - the Wolverines finished
12-21 from 3-point range - Wisconsin
made up for it with clutch free throw
shooting on its end. The Badgers made
all 16 of their second half free throws,
including eight in the last two minutes
to hold Michigan at bay.
"Everyone believed in the team and knew
that we had it under control," Wisconsin for-
ward Ebba Gebisa said. "It would have been
nice to have extended our lead more, but I
think everyone definitely felt confident that
we would take care of it."
The wild finish was just one aspect
of an entertaining, high-octane affair.
Michigan jumped out to an early 15-9
lead thanks to aggressive play by Pool,
who scored six points in the first six
minutes.
"We really tried to emphasize starting
the game well, and Ireally feel like we
did that," Burnett said.
But Wisconsin's offensive star, freshman
Jolene Anderson, wouldn't let Pool steal
the spotlight. With 8:02 to go in the half
and the Wolverines holding onto a 23-16
lead, Anderson went wild. She scored eight
points in the next three minutes, sparking a
19-5 Wisconsin run.
Despite Anderson's dominating
stretch, Michigan finished the half on
a positive note. With 10 seconds to go,
Pool grabbed a defensive board and
passed to Clement along the right foul-
line extended. Clement then fired a pic-
ture-perfect crosscourtpass to Flippin,
who swished a 3-pointer as time expired,
cutting the Wisconsin lead to 35-31.
Michigan's momentum didn't last
long. The Badgers controlled the first
14 minutes of the second half, outscor-
ing Michigan 30-14 during that stretch.
The Wolverines' ineptitude was most
apparent during a four-minute score-
less drought in which they committed
three turnovers and gave up 10 consecu-
tive Wisconsin points. But the Badgers
eventually built a lead so great that even
the Wolverines' best offensive perfor-
mance of the season couldn't put them
over the top.
Team
Ohio State
Penn State
Michigan State
Minnesota
Purdue
Iowa
Illinois
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Indiana
Michigan
Bl Ten Overall
8
8
7
6
5
4
4
2
2
1
:1
1
1
2
2
4
4
5
6
7
8
8
21
13
18
16
12
15
12
8
5
8
5
2
7
3
4
8
4
7
10
17
11
15
FG%: 47.5 FT%: 72.0 3-point FG: 5-14,
.357 (Rich 2-4, Anderson 2-5, Joseph-
son 1-3, Banks 0-2). Blocks: 5 (Rich
2, Gebisa, Ward, Wilson). Steals: 14
(Josephson 3, Rich 3, Ward 3, Ander-
son 2, Nelson 2, Banks). Turnovers: 18
(Anderson 9, Banks 3, Ward 2, Alexan-
der, Josephson, Nelson, Rich). Technical
fouls: None.
Michigan....... .....31 40 - 71
Wisconsin .............35 44 - 79
At: Kohl Center
Attendance: 7,721
BIG TEN STANDINGS
THIS WEEKEND'S RESULTS:
WISCONSIN 79, Michigan 71
PENN STATE 81, Minnesota 69
Ohio State 69, ILLINOIS 55
Michigan State 52, INDIANA 40
Purdue 68, NORTHWESTERN 65
MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily
Krista Clement netted 13 points against Wisconsin.
said. "We're a smaller basketball team without that height,
and we believe that blocking out is a discipline. But they
were hitting the glass hard."
The Badgers used freshman Danielle Ward's four-inch
height advantage against the smaller Wolverines throughout
the first half. The 6-foot-4 forward positioned well on the low
block and netted eight points against Michigan's defensive
combination of Walker and senior BreAnne McPhilamy.
"The coaches said to just go play and not worry about
messing up," Ward said. "Basically, I just take on coaches
personality and, most of all, get the ball back."
Ward was not the only Badger to use her height
against Michigan. The 6-foot-3 Ebba Gebisa pounded
the low post for eight of her 18 points. Gebisa's supe-
rior size also forced Michigan to foul her. She went to
the free throw line 10 times and nailed all 10 of her
opportunities.
THE POWER OF POOL: Tabitha Pool was just 3-for-li from
the field at halftime, but that did not hurt her confidence in
the second half. Pool kept shooting and finally found her
stroke. Pool hit 8-of- I shots in the second half to help keep
Michigan in the game.
Pool's 20 second-half points and positive attitude kept the
young Wolverines heads in the game.
"I was trying to just step up the intensity a little bit and get
everybody else going," Pool said.
THURSDAY'S GAMES
Penn State at Michigan 7 p.m.
Wisconsin at Indiana 7 p.m.
Illinois at Purdue 7 p.m.
Northwestern at Michigan St. 7 p.m.
SUNDAY'S GAMES
MINNESOTA AT MICHIGAN 2 p.m.
Penn State at Purdue 2 p.m.
Illinois at Michigan St. 2 p.m.
Indiana at Ohio State 2 p.m.
Wisconsin at Iowa 2 p.m.
KEY STAT
38
Number of points in the paint for
Wisconsin yesterday. The Bad-
gers used their size advantage
to create 20 more points inside
than Michigan. 6-foot-4 fresh-
man Danielle Ward netted eight
points in the post for the Bad-
gers in just 10 minutes of play.
MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily
Becky Flippin hit five 3-pointers in the Kohl Center yesterday.
0 WATER POLO
Rollercoaster weekend: 'M' splits in opener
I
By Kevin Wright
Daily Sports Writer
With just under a minute left in Sat-
urday night's game against No. 11 Indi-
ana, the No. 9 Michigan women's water
polo team had the ball in Indiana terri-
tory, trailing 7-6. Desperately needing
a goal, the Wolverines passed the ball
from wing to wing before finding junior
defender Megan Hausmann open in front
of the goal. The fans tensely watched
Hausmann raise her arm above her head
and pump fake a few times - trying to
find an opening - before rifling the ball
toward the goal. As the ball headed for
the back of the net, Indiana's goalie Jes-
t.- n..a~« 1, ..-+,_-_ -k
said. "It was a matter of one or two inches.
I knew it was going to come down to the
end of the game and that we would have an
opportunity to win it, which we did."
With the loss to Indiana, the Wol-
verines' unblemished record against
the Hoosiers came to an end. Until
Saturday, Michigan had held a 16-
0-1 all-time edge over Indiana, and
the Wolverines were relieved that, if
the streak had to end, it ended sooner
rather than later in the season.
"We were trying to uphold the tradition
of never losing to Indiana," sophomore
center Wesley Ellison said. "There was a
lot of adrenaline, and we felt a lot of pres-
sure because we were expected to win. I
the Wolverines to struggle offensively. At
halftime, the Wolverines trailed 7-0, but,
in the third and fourth quarters, the game
was much closer, with UCLA only out-
scoring Michigan 6-3.
"(Playing UCLA) was a good experi-
ence," Ellison said. "They're like USC
football; no one can play with them.
They're unbelievable. It's good that we're
playing the best team in the nation."
Anderson knew that UCLA would be
a tough team, but he was satisfied with
the way that his team rebounded from
the Indiana loss and gave full effort
on every play. He also understood that
playing high-caliber opponents can
only help his team in the long run.
solid performances.
Senior goalie Betsey Armstrong totaled
11 saves against Indiana and 15 against
UCLA while not playing against Colorado
St. or Slippery Rock.
"Against UCLA, Betsey showed why
she's the top goalie," Anderson said. "She
made saves against them that other goalies
wouldn't have."
Senior driver Sheetal Narsai moved
within one goal of the exclusive 100-goal
club. While she saw limited action against
Colorado St. and Slippery Rock and didn't
score against UCLA, Narsai notched two
goals against Indiana to bring her career
goal total to 99.
Anderson also thought that Elli-
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