THURSDAYS AT MOTT:
Michigan athletes take time every week
to visit C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
PAGE 8B
THE SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN:
Ian Herbert: The biggest mistake I've
ever made is underestimating 'Bron.
PAGE 3B
HELLER LIFTS BLUE:
The men's tennis team
wins close dual match.
PAGE 7B
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January 30, 2006
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MICHIGAN 85,
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Cagers top No.23 Wisconsin,
claim share of Big Ten lead
By Jack Herman
Daily Sports Editor
It's been a long time - almost
eight years in fact - since any-
one on Michigan has had the
chance to utter these very spe-
cial words.
"It's going to be interesting
to see what (our ranking) is,"
junior Brent Petway said. "But
we've all said that we know how
talented we are. But again, it is
nice to have nationwide recog-
nition and to have people note
we have some good basketball
going on over here and not just
football."
In front of a sold out Crisler
Arena crowd on Saturday, Mich-
igan topped No. 23 Wisconsin
85-76 for its second consecutive
win over a ranked opponent.
Coupled with last Wednesday's
victory over intrastate-rival No.
11 Michigan State, the Wolver-
ines' triumph ties them for first
place in the Big Ten. The victo-
ry almost assuredly guarantees
that Michigan - ranked 26th
in the coaches' poll and 32nd
by the Associated Press a week
ago - will join the top 25, a
feat it has not accomplished
since 1998.
"That's what we came here
for, to be ranked, to win cham-
pionships, to be on the national
stage," junior Courtney Sims
said with a smile. "We can't lie
about it; it's something every
player in this locker room has
been looking forward to. We've
been saying for years now that
we're one of the most talented
teams in the Big Ten, but when
we go and play other teams, we
haven't been proving it. But this
year, I think we are."
The game against the Badgers
(5-2 Big Ten, 15-5 overall) lends
credence to Sims's claim. Time
and time again, Michigan (5-2,
15-3) has relied on guard Daniel
Horton to lead it to victory. But
on Saturday, the rest of the team
proved it's just as willing - and
able - to take on that task.
"That's what we are - we're
a good group of guys, where
anybody can contribute at any
moment," Petway said. "(One
guy) going on a little scoring
tangent, and then somebody else
can come in and go on a little tan-
gent. We just got a good group of
guys, and we just got to continue
to share the ball like that."
See BADGERS, page SB
Wi over ranked Badgers was
no upset; the better team won
A s I was flipping through TV stations last
Mon day night, I came across Rece Davis
and Digger Phelps discussing the NCAA
Tournament on ESPN. When the topic of Final Four
sleepers came up, Phelps picked Michigan.
The look of shock on Davis's face
was priceless, and he proceeded to
laugh at his colleague.
And I was with Davis.
How could a Michigan team that
hadn't even beaten a ranked opponent
be thought of as a team that could.
make noise in the tournament?
Shouldn't it have to prove it could
even make the tournament first?Y
Well, after Saturday and Michigan's
second straight big win, maybe it's not SCO
quite time to have Phelps committed to BEL
an old folks' home. This team appears to
be for real, and others are finally takingTOO
notice.
Following Michigan's 85-76 win against No. 23
Wisconsin, I sat and watched to see if students would
rush the court like they did after the Wolverines beat
Michigan State on Wednesday. They didn't, and
rightfully so.
It wasn't an upset.
Forget the fact that Wisconsin entered the game
in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. It
didn't matter that Michigan hadn't beaten ranked
teams back-to-back in more than a
decade. The better team won.
The win puts the Wolverines in
unfamiliar territory - first place in
the conference - and will surely bring
them to another place they haven't
been since 1998 - the national rank-
ings. When they come out today, I'll
be shocked if Michigan isn't ranked at
least No. 20.
The Wolverines came up just short in
T their first three chances to make a state-
L ment against a ranked team. Late turn-
overs killed them against UCLA. The
In absence of Lester Abram proved to be
too much to overcome against Indiana.
And a red-hot Dee Brown put an end to any hopes
of getting over that hump at Illinois for the Maize
and Blue.
See BELL, page 5B
T
L
oo
STEVEN TAI/
Junior Courtney Sims scored 18 points in Just 15 minutes of play in Michigan's 85-76 victory against No. 23 Wisconsin on Saturday.
Blown lead leaves Icers feeling sick
By Mark Giannotto
Daily Sports Writer
DETROIT - Looking at the Michigan
State locker room after the game, you would
have thought they had captured a decisive
victory over arch rival Michigan.
Spartan players were joking and laugh-
ing, while the Wol-
verines walked to
the bus with heads
held low and frowns:
on their faces.
But the Wolver-
ines out-shot, out-hustled and generally
out-played the Spartans.
But it was all for naught.
Michigan gave away four leads, includ-
ing a two-goal advantage with less than nine
minutes remaining in the third period, and
skated to a 5-5 tie against Michigan State.
"It's a sickening feeling to have a game
like this where we had them where we
wanted them, and we really thought we were
outplaying them," alternate captain Brandon
Kaleniecki said. "We just let it slip away."
Trailing 5-3, Michigan State (8-7-6
CCHA, 14-9-5 overall) was on the brink of
defeat when Spartan junior Tyler Howells
scored his second goal of the night with just
8:23 remaining in the third period.
Three minutes later, Michigan freshman
give them credit. They are a good team."
In overtime, each team had chances to
come away with the victory. With just one
minute remaining in the extra period, Spar-
tan defenseman Corey Potter was called for
a penalty, and the Wolverines went on the
power play. Junior T.J. Hensick, who had
two assists in the game, fed sophomore Chad
Kolarik in the slot. The forward unleashed
a slap shot, but it was blocked by Michigan
State goalie Jeff Lerg.
The best opportunity in the extra stanza
belonged to the Spartans. Michigan was in
the middle of a line change when Michigan
State freshman Justin Abdelkader broke free
of the defense and skated in alone toward
Sauer. Abdelkader, the Detroit Red Wings'
second-round draft pick in 2005, juked right
and fired a shot at the net. But freshman goal-
tender Sauer made a nice pad save to rescue
the Wolverines.
"I was hoping it wouldn't go in, and Billy
made a nice save on it," freshman Andrew
Cogliano said.
Michigan has itself to blame for the
overtime period. The Wolverines built
leads throughout the game, but each
Michigan goal was countered by a goal
from their in-state rivals.
Four minutes into the first period, Michi-
gan had a two-man advantage and scored the
contest's initial goal.
N WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Badgers duo
By Daniel Bromwich
Daily Sports Writer
On the few occasions that Batman falters on a mission to save the world
from evil, his trusty sidekick Robin is right there to help him out. Together,
the two are always able to finish the job. The Michigan women's basket-
ball team would have done well to read up on its comic books before its
Sunday afternoon game against visiting Wisconsin.
Badger sophomore Jolene Anderson played the part of the caped cru-
sader, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the Badgers' 75-65
victory over the Wolverines. It was her 21st consecutive double-figure
scoring game, and it marked her conference-leading ninth game of the
season with at least 20 points.
But most of her damage came in the first half. In the second period,
Michigan (0-9 Big Ten, 6-15 overall) held Anderson to just six points on
3-of-10 shooting. But Robin, played by senior guard Ashley Josephson,
quickly came to the rescue, hitting two big threes down the stretch for
Wisconsin (2-7, 8-13) and icing the game with four free throws in the
final minute. She finished with 23 points and made 5-of-7 attempts from
beyond the arc.
"Those two are roommates, and they really know each other," Badger
coach Lisa Stone said. "They are going to look for each other, and they are
both willing to shoot it. Our team knows that 41 (Anderson) has to have
the ball in her hands at the end of the game. She can find Ashley, and if
Ashley is stuck, she's looking for Jo."
The Wolverines were able to stay with the superhero duo for most of
the game, and their offense showed some signs of life against Wisconsin's