BELL: GRADING RODRIGUEZ'S FIRST MONTH AS COACH
Where Rodriguez must improve to end Michigan's winless streak against Ohio State
PAGE2B
0 The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I February18,2008
MICHIGAN 80, OHIO STATE 70
0-H-I-OWND
WOMEN'S FASKE, TBALL
Blue can't
stop Hoosier
attack
With persistent inside pressure,
Indiana avenges prior loss to 'M'
By JASON KOHLER
Daily Sports Writer
BLOOMINGTON - Before yesterday's game against
Michigan, Indiana coach Felisha Legette-Jack told her
starters they'd be subbed out right away if they didn't
attack the basket.
They did, and Legette-Jack didn't have to go to her
bench much.
Indiana took the lead early in the game and never let
up, beating the Wolverines
74-65 yesterday at Assembly MICHIGAN 65
Hall. INDIANA 74
"We went back to who we
were, and that's attack the basket," Legette-Jack said.
"Once we attack the basket, great things happen."
On Jan. 24, the Hoosiers lost 65-54 at Crisler Arena.
The Wolverines flustered Indiana's motion offense
with various defensive looks, holding the Hoosiers to
34.4 percent from the field.
But yesterday, Michigan (7-7 Big Ten, 14-10 overall)
was unable to stop the Hoosier attack as Indiana (8-6,
15-11) constantly forced the ball down low, shying away
from the 3-pointer and instead scoring 38 of its points
in the paint.
"Indiana was walking right around us," Michigan
coach Kevin Borseth said. "Every kid that got the ball
drove it to the basket."
Indiana sophomore guard Jamie Braun led the Hoo-
sier attack with 22 points, while junior Whitney Thom-
as caused trouble for the Wolverine defenders down
low. Thomas finished with a double-double, throwing
in 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
See HOOSIERS, Page 2B
Wolverines notch
win over archrival
New mentality
producing results
Consistent play leads
Michigan to third
straight victory
By H. JOSE BOSCH
Daily Sports Editor
During halftime of yesterday's
basketball game between Michigan
and Ohio State, a group of Buckeye
fans held up a sign that read "1,548
days" - the length of time since the
Michigan football team's last win in
the bitter rivalry.
But after yesterday it's been less
than24 hours since Michigan topped
Ohio State in basketball.
In frontof a sold-out Crisler Arena
crowd, Michigan defeated the Buck-
eyes, 80-70. The Wolverines snapped
a seven-game losing streak against
their archrival and stretched their
winning streak to three.
"We told our guys this is the best
seven-win team I've ever seen,"
Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "I
think it's just clicking. I thought they
had great confidence today."
Led by the duo of sophomore
DeShawn Sims (22 points) and
freshman Manny Harris (27), the
Wolverines put together 40 minutes
of fundamentally sound basketball,
something they've struggled to do
this season.
The scoring droughts and turn-
overs that have plagued Michigan in
previous games didn't come to haunt
the Wolverines yesterday.
Instead, key shots allowed the
Wolverines (4-9 Big Ten, 8-17 over-
all) to take a lead into halftime, even
See BUCKEYES, Page 3B
wo weeks ago, Manny Har-
ris and Ron Coleman called a
players-only meeting.
The message was clear: be resil-
ient and accountable.
Yesterday, the Wolverines
defeated their hated rival Ohio State,
notching their
first extended
winningstreak
of the season.
The scene
ended with the
Michigan faith-
ful celebrating at
halfcourt.
But this team's IAN
not there yet. ROBINSON
A few weeks
ago, this team
had a confidence problem, and some
wondered how many more games
this team could win, if any.
' Then again, this is a different
team than it was three weeks ago.
For the first time all season,
Michigan played hard for a full 40
minutes. The Wolverines made the
necessary hustle plays. Even though
the Buckeyes shot nearly 70 percent
from the floor in the first half, the
Wolverines found ways to finish on
top.
Whether it was tipping a rebound
to a teammate, diving for a loose ball
or making the extra pass for an open
shot, yesterday the Wolverines did
the little things that are reflected in
just one place on the box score: the
final score.
Hopefully, the team that lost to
Central Michigan and Harvard
doesn't return. Hopefully, this
program maintains its newfound
mentality.
See ROBINSON, Page 3B
Kolarik key in
win over Lakers
Alternate captain scores four
goals on Friday, sustains
groin injury on Saturday
By ANDY REID
Daily Sports Writer
Kevin Porter for Hobey Baker? Not so fast.
For the last several weeks, the Yost Ice Arena
crowd has showered the senior captain with "Hobey
Baker" chants during pregame introductions. But he
wasn't the only one garnering such praise from the
fans before Saturday night's 4-2 win over Lake Supe-
rior State.
Senior Chad Kolarik, Por- MICHIGAN 4
ter's linemate, skated to the LAKE SUPERIOR ST. 2
blueline to cheers urging
him to win the award, too. MICHIGAN 4
The fans were obviously LAKE SUPERIOR ST. 2
impressed with Kolarik's
Friday night performance. After all, scoring four
goals and carrying your team through an otherwise
lackluster performance is pretty noteworthy.
Kolarik notched his second four-goal game of
the season, scoring all his team's goals in the Wol-
verines' 4-2 win Friday. With this weekend's sweep,
No. 1 Michigan has a firm five-point lead over Miami
(Ohio) and Michigan State in the CCHA standings.
Kolarik's stat line Friday night was enough to pull
him within one goal and five points of Porter, who
leads the nation intotal points with 48. The Wolverines
boast the only duo in the country with more than 40
points each.
"Good for Chad Kolarik that he was hot and making
his chances count," Michigan coach Red Berenson
"We were not sharp around the net, and obviously,
See LAKERS, Page 4B
FOOTBArLiLu
Rodrge Bh fBcky taut atsec
By DAN FELDMAN and
IAN ROBINSON
Daily Sports Editors
Hatred for Michigan football coach
Rich Rodriguez has spread beyond
West Virginia.
As Rodriguez began to address the
crowd at halftime of yesterday's bas-
ketball game against Ohio State, an
"asshole" chant came down from the
top rows behind the north basket at
Crisler Arena, where about 50 Buck-
eye fans were sitting. The Michigan
faithful began to boo and pointtoward
that section.
"Enjoy your seats up there," Rodri-
guez said, motioning toward the upper
level.
After being hired in 2001, Ohio
State coach Jim Tressel made a similar
speech to Buckeye fans at a basketball
game against Michigan.
"I can assure you that you'll be
proud of our young people in the class-
room, in the community and, most
especially, in 310 days in Ann Arbor,"
said Tressel, whose team beat the
Wolverines that year.
Rodriguez told the crowd he
wouldn't be making any guarantees
but said fans would be proud of his
team's hard work.
Seemingly disappointed, the crowd
started a "Beat the Buckeyes" chant.
Rodriguez looked uncomfortable, but
said, "Amen." When the chant got
louder, he said "All right, guys. I hear
you."
Rodriguez introduced the mem-
bers of his family and staff. Running
backs Fred Jackson, the only return-
ing Michigan coach, drew the biggest
applause.
After his speech, Rodriguez high-
fived members of the Maize Rage
before talking to reporters in the
See RODRIGUEZ, Page 3B