The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - December 5, 2005 - 5B FASTBREAK Men's Basketball Saturday's Game Saturday's Game MICHIGAN 71- NOTRE DAME 67 Brown brings his A' game to South Bend By Kevin Wright Daily Sports Writer SOUTH BEND - Graham Brown was ready to play. During pregame warmups in Michigan's game against Notre Dame, the Mio native could be seen jumping up and down, enthusiastically offering high-fives to whomever passed him in the lay-up line. Brown transferred his energy from warmups to the court when the game rested in the balance. After Notre Dame took a 65-60 lead with three minutes remaining in the game, Brown responded by scoring the next seven Wolver- ine points. He posted up in the low block and powered in a lay-up while Luke Zeller fouled him. He converted the and-one to bring Michigan within two. When Michigan trailed 67-65, Brown came up with another crucial play. Off an Amaker time- out, Daniel Horton air-balled a corner three and Courtney Sims missed a put-back. Brown tipped in Sims's miss to tie the score at 67. On Notre Dame's following possession, Zeller missed a three, and Torin Francis couldn't convert a put-back attempt. As the ball bounced around, Brown snatched it away from the Irish forwards. The senior's key defensive rebound set up junior Dion Harris's game-winning shot. From the beginning of the game, Brown start- ed the Wolverines' scoring. He took a Horton pass and finished the lay-up to give Michigan a 2-0 lead. From those first two points, the senior made it clear that the Fighting Irish would have to reckon with him as well as the Wolverines' main threats such as Horton and Sims. "I was just trying to get a couple baskets for our team," Brown said. "Our guards finally found me down low, and I got some good post passes." Though Brown collected six points in the first half, his real contribution to Michigan's winning effort came in criti- cal moments of the second half. In the last frame, Brown had seven points and grabbed nine rebounds. After registering just one board in the first half, Brown jogged out of the locker room determined to make a difference on the glass. Throughout the second frame, the senior seemed to be everywhere around the bas- ket, fighting for defensive rebounds and keeping offensive possessions alive with offensive boards. With four lead changes and six ties, Brown's efforts on the glass allowed Michigan to keep possession and eliminated many second-chance opportunities for the Irish. In the first half, Notre Dame dominated the Wolverines and Brown on the offensive glass. The Irish continually penetrated into the lane with the dribble drive and then dished the ball off to an open post player. Michigan's frontcourt would rotate, leav- ing them vulnerable from the weakside rebounds. For Notre Dame, Francis and Russell Carter tallied a combined eight offensive rebounds. In the first three minutes of the game, Francis col- lected two offensive boards, creating extra scor- ing opportunities for the Irish. Brown recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds on the night. "I just wanted to try and go up strong," Brown said. "Last game (against Miami), I got blocked a couple of times, and I was trying to go up strong and just trying to go up to the rim." But it's not just Brown's statistics that made him an important factor 'in Michigan's victory over the Fighting Irish. It's also his attitude. From his demeanor before the game to his fist pump after making a lay-up while being fouled with 2:50 left in the second half, his teammates wouldn't want PLAYERS OF THE GAME Graham Brown Michigan Brown was in every key play for Michigan down the stretch. He scored 13 points and collected 10 rebounds for his first double- double of the season. Chris Quinn Notre Dame The senior guard's 20 points in the second half kept the Irish in the game. Hitting deep threes and finishing in the lane, Quinn ended with a game-high 26 points. WHAT DID YOU SAY? "If you lined him up on the playground with a bunch of guys, he probably wouldn't be the first pick, but he'd probably be one of your most valuable players." - Senior guard Daniel Horton on senior forward Graham Brown's importance to the team. KEY STAT The number of points that Michigan scored in the last 2:03 of the game. In that same stretch, Notre Dame did not score. SATURDAY'S GAME MICHIGAN 71 Player MIN FG FT REB A F PTS M-A M-A 0-T Brown 34 6-6 1-1 3-10 1 2 13 Abram 28 0-5 4-4 0-2 1 3 4 Sims 31 4-9 3-4 2-9 1 4 11 Horton 39 7-14 2-2 0-1 7 2 19 Harris 36 5-14 0-0 3-6 3 1 12 Smith 5 0-0 0-0 0-1 1 1 0 - coleman 15 2-6 0-0 0-2 2 0 6 Hunter 12 3-4 0-0 0-1 1 4 6 TEAM 1-1 ALEX DZIADOSZ/Daily Senior Graham Brown played a major role in helping the Wolverines defeat the Irish. anyone else on their side. the first pick, but he'd probably be one of your "He's the guy that you love to play with," Hor- most valuable players. I love playing with him. ton said. "If you lined him up on the playground He knows his role and embraces his role, and you with a bunch of guys, he probably wouldn't be love playing with guys like that." TEAM TOTALS 200 27-58 10-11 9-33 17 I 17 71 Friendly with Francis : Sims Bell takes slight overall lead as each team has at least one win. Scoring system: (Last game's points, overall points, single-game wins) FG%: 46.6 FT%: 90.9 3-point FG: 7-17, .412 (Horton 3-6, Coleman 2-4, Harris 2-7). Blocks: 6 (Brown 2, Sims 2, Abram, Horton). Steals: 8 (Abram 2, Horton 2, Sims 2, Brown, Harris). Turnovers: 13 (Sims 3, Abram 2, Brown 2, Horton 2, Hunter 2, Harris, Smith). Technical fouls: None.' Notre Dame 67 reunites with AAU teammate Player MIN FG M-A FT M-A RES O-T A F IPTS By Scott Bell Daily Sports Writer SOUTH BEND - Both sets of eyes were fixated solely on the orange ball that was in the referee's hand. But at tipoff, beginning Saturday's game, the sight of Michigan junior forward Courtney Sims and Notre Dame senior forward Torin Francis standing side- by-side must have looked very familiar to some. "We always had a little rivalry," Sims said. "When we used to play each other, it would always be a good game." That rivalry has its roots from when the two were growing up in Boston. The players were in the same league in high school and also played on the same AAU team. Though both wanted their team to win, they both must have wanted to show up their rival in the back of their minds. "In the first half, I was probably try- ing to rush shots," Sims said. "He got a hand on my shot, and he usually doesn't do that. I was trying to do a little bit too much, but then I settled down and started executing my normal stuff." Francis dominated the first half by outscoring (13 to six), out-rebounding (seven to five) and generally outplay- ing Sims. Francis also shot a higher percentage from the field and recorded more blocks. But Sims began the second half with one of his patented offensive outbursts. The 6-foot-11 forward backed down his former teammate and scored over him to begin the run. Following a Francis jumpshot that deadlocked the score, OFFENSE Continued from page 1B the second period to stifle Michigan runs. Quinn ended the night with 26 points, with 20 of them coming in the second half. But it was Michigan's leading scorer - senior Daniel Horton - who was able to shut Quinn down when it mattered most. "We stepped up our physical play (in the second half)," junior Courtney Sims said. "They came out with a lot energy, and we didn't match their energy at first. We weren't being smart." After Quinn's fourth and final trey of the half, a bomb with 3:03 remaining that gave the Irish a five- Oj Sims once again scored on Francis. This time, he took a Daniel Horton entry pass hard to the block, gaining position on the Irish's leading scorer this season. He calmly pivoted and laid it in. On the Wolverines' ensuing posses- sion, Sims secured the ball in the paint again. This time, he faced a double-team and kicked the ball out to junior Lester Abram, who found Horton open in the corner. Horton knocked down the 3-pointer, and Michigan had its biggest lead of the night. Sims found himself in foul trouble soon after, but he still managed a solid 11 points and nine rebounds for the game. Francis finished with 22 points and 13 boards, but the number that eluded him in this matchup against his rival was one - as in the number of wins that Sims picked up on Saturday. HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Whenever a Wolverine attempted a free throw in the second half, he had the daunting task of facing Notre Dame's student section - the Leprechaun Legion. Hundreds upon hundreds of students dressed in green packed the two sec- tions directly behind the south hoop. They were mixed with the Irish's stu- dent band, creating a very intimidating home-court advantage. But as the game came to a close, the Legion was quiet, and another student section took center stage. Tucked away in rows eight through 12 of section 106 - the upper deck behind the north hoop - were 85 die- hard Wolverine fans. The Maize Rage took two buses to South Bend in hopes of giving its team the support that it otherwise would have lacked in the pro-Irish arena. While its numbers were dwarfed by the Legion, the Maize Rage could be heard clearly during some of the second half's numerous lead changes and certainly made its presence known after the game. "I'm really happy with what we did - not only during the game but also before the game, chanting the play- ers' names and after the game as we chanted and sang while walking out of the arena," LSA senior and student section leader Griffin Hickman said. "It was one of our best road trips in terms of numbers, and certainly our best results-wise." THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE: Lester Abram's two free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining in the contest secured the win for Michigan, stretch- ing its lead from two to four. "I wasn't scared or nervous about shooting free throws," Abram said. "I just knew I had to go up there and make them." In all, the Wolverines were an impressive 10-for-l1 from the charity stripe. Their counterparts were 13-for- 18. But when it comes to free throw shooting, Abram's philosophy is as simple as can be. "I just try throwing it in the hole," Abram said. "If it goes in, it goes in. If it doesn't, hopefully I'll get another one." When there wasn't the option of get- ting "another one," Abram made sure he did his part to secure the team's road victory. He was a disappointing 0-for-5 from the field, but his 4-for-4 mark at the line showed he could contribute in other ways. Kevin Wright (D. Horton, J. Shepherd, B. Petway, T. Sanchez, P. Devries) (19, 92, 2) Jack Herman (L. Abram, R. Coleman, J. Smith, K. Price) (10, 94, 1) I guess that I can't be too dis- appointed with my team. Horton had a solid week, leading the Wolverines to two victories. The senior revealed why he is the leader of this Michigan team on Saturday when he answered Notre Dame's runs and came up big for the Wolverines down the stretch. Unfortunately, the computer for this low-class fantasy league doesn't factor in clutch points which Horton thrives on. Well, one week I praised the con- sistency of Lester Abram, and the next he goes 0-for-5 from the field in a four-point performance in the win over Notre Dame. My real concern, however, is the play of freshman Jerret Smith. After impressing fans with an eight- point, nine-assist showing in the season opener, he has scored just two points combined in the last four games. With his minutes continu- ing to decline, Smith needs to have another big game soon. I'm happy for Graham Brown. He always does the little things, but on Saturday, he got in the limelight. He drew four charges on Wednes- day, but let's be honest, that doesn't do jack for my team. On Sunday, along with 10 rebounds, Brown also tossed in a season-high 13 points - and didn't miss a shot in the process. Michigan actually ran a couple plays for Brown late in the game. For my team's sake- and for Mich- igan's - let's hope this continues. I guess last place overall isn't any- thing to be proud of. Then again, a week ago, I figured my team would go winless for the entire season. But calling out DiondHarris seemed to have worked wonders - he's averag- ing 14 points in the two games since. Maybe it's my motivation tech- niques as his "coach," maybe his newly shaved head or defenses col- lapsing on Daniel Horton, but Dion might have what it takes to carry my squad. And with Hunter asserting himself as well, I'm feeling all right. TEAM TOTALS 200 24-581 13-181 13-35 11 16 67 FG%: 41.4 FT%: 72.2 3-point FG: 6-20,.300 (Quinn 4-7, Zeller 2-6, Carter 0-3, Fails 0-3, Ayers 0-1). Blocks: 7 (Francis 3, Ayers, Falls, Kurz, Quinn). Steals: 5 (Carter 2, Falls, Fran- cis, Kurz). Turnovers: 14 (Carter 3, Kurz 3, Francis 2, Quinn 2, Comett, Falls, McAlarney, Zeller). Technical fouls: none. Michigan.......... 27 44 - 71 At: Joyce Center Notre Dame...... 27 40 - 67 Attendance: 11,418 'M' STATS Player GP Min Pts R A Horton 5 34.2 16.8 2.2 4.4 Sims 5 27.0 13.8 7.2 0.6 Abram 5 32.2 12.4 3.0 0.6 Harris 5 27.6 9.6 3.0 3.4 Hunter 5 15.4 5.8 3.2 0.6 Brown 5 25.0 5.4 7.8 1.0 coleman 5 14.4 4.4 2.6 0.6 Shepherd 4 9.5 2.0 1.8 .25 Smith 5 13.6 2.0 0.8 3.4 Ba 3 3.3 0.7 0.7 0.0 Grooms 2 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Harrell 2 1.5 0.0 1.0 0.5 BIG TEN STANDINGS Kurz 17 1-2 1-2 1-1 0 3 3 Francis 37 8-16 6-7 5-13 1 1 22 Quinn 40 9-18 4-4 0-2 3 0 26 Falls 28 0-3 0-0 0-2 1 2 0 Carter 33 2-7 0-0 3-7 4 3 4 Cornett 3 0-1 0-0 1-2 0 2 0 McAlarney 9 1-1 2-2 0-0 0 2 4 Zeller 10 3-9 0-3 3-6 2 3 8 Ayers 10 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 TEAM 0-1 Team Big Ten O Scott Bell (C. Sims, G. Brown, S. Harrell, A. Brzozowicz) (24, 96, 1) Illinois 0-0 Michigan 0-0 E Ohio State 0-0 Iowa 0-0 Wisconsin 0-0 Indiana 0-0 Mich. State 0-0 ! Minnesota 0-0 Penn State 0-0 : Northwestern 0-0 : Werall SATURDAY'S RESULTS: - I IowA 75, Fairfield 67; 7-0 MICHIGAN STATE 72, 5-0 Arkansas-Little Rock 67; 3-0 Michigan 71, NOTRE DAME 67; 7-1 MINNESOTA 75, 5-1 Coastal Carolina 57; TEXAS A&M 60, 4-1 Penn State 55; 5-2 NORTHWESTERN 61, 3-2 Delaware State 54; ILLINoIS 65, Xavier 62; 3-2 INDIANA 79, E. Michigan 63; 3-2 WISCoNSIN 71, 2-3__ Pepperdine 55; 2-3 IowA 72, Valparaiso 59; EVANSVILLE 75, Purdue 69. IRISH Continued from page 1B But Notre Dame still had a chance to tie the game. The Irish looked to Quinn - their leading scorer - to come through in the clutch. The senior took the inbounds pass and drove into the middle of the paint. He floated a shot, but the ball rattled in and out of the basket. Junior Courtney Sims grabbed the ball out of the air but had it poked out of his hands. The ball rolled out to the wing where junior Lester Abram picked it up and was promptly fouled. Abram made both free throws, cementing the Michigan victory. "In the past, we've been down in situations like this and not come out on top," Harris said. "But (Saturday) we came out on top." Throughout the second half, Notre Dame fed off the energy of the near-capacity 11,418 fans. After trailing early in half, 39-32, the Irish built a slim 65-60 lead with three minutes left after Quinn nailed a deep three at the top of the key. The senior scored 20 of his 26 points in the second frame. Although Notre Dame seemed on the cusp of taking over the game and dealing the Wolverines another crushing road loss, Michigan didn't buckle under the pressure and Purdue 0-0 THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE Matt Singer (D. Harris, C. Hunter, A. Ba, H. Grooms) (18, 79, 1) MONDAY'S GAMES TUESDAY'S GAMES WEDNESDAY'S GAMES Arkansas-Little Rock at Illinois, 8:00 p.m. Minnesota at Arizona State, TBA Michigan State at Boston College, 9 p.m. Chicago State at Purdue, TBA Indiana at Indiana State, TBA Iowa at Northern Iowa, TBA Delaware State at Michigan, 7 p.m. Wisconsin-Green Bay at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. Missouri-Kansas City at Penn State, TBA