BELL:% RODRIGUE,.-,.Z SHINES BEHIND ME
In his first weeks on the job, Michigan's new football coach has
Page 2B
The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com ( January 14,2008
NARTHWESTERN 68
A SMALL STEP
In big win,
big rivalry
revived
By ALEX PROSPERI
Daily Sports Writer
It had been more than six years
since the Michigan women's bas-
ketball team beat Michigan State
on the hardwood.
But
with the MICHIGAN ST. 55
Wolver- MICHIGAN 64
ines no
longer occupying the Big Ten cel-
lar - and they did it, in front of a
record 5,596 fans at Crisler Arena
yesterday afternoon.
The Spartans fell victim to
Michigan's hot shooting from
beyond the arc in the Wolver-
ines' 64-55 victory, a game senior
Janelle Cooper called the biggest
win of her career.
Michigan State (2-4 Big Ten,
10-8 overall) was on a six-minute
field goal drought toward the end
of the second half, but junior Carly
Benson kept rolling for Michigan.
Benson had her best game of the
season, shooting 8-for-18 from the
field on her way to a career-high
23 points.
"Carly has started to be consis-
tently a really great player for us,"
sophomore Krista Phillips said.
"I wouldn't want to have to play
against her."
Michigan shot 12-for-29 from
downtown, including three each
from Benson, junior Jessica Min-
nfield and senior Krista Clement.
"They just shot the lights out,"
Michigan State coach Suzy Mer-
chant said. "They made shots, and
we didn't."
With 12 minutes left in the sec-
ond half, Clement drained a deep
three to put the Wolverines up 38-
36. Michigan never relinquished
its lead.
Instead of struggling under the
pressure of an emotionally tense
game, the Wolverines proved,
as they did against Kentucky on
Dec. 8, that they could win in the
clutch.
Cooper, who executed a text-
book spin move for a layup that
forced Michigan State to call a
timeout with 3:40 left, used that
move to clinch the victory for the
Wolverines.
Add on two free throws from
Minnfield and a Benson 3-pointer,
and Michigan extended its lead to
11.
Until Clement's three midway
through the second half, Michigan
(3-2, 10-5) could not have started
the second half worse. The Wol-
verines committed four turnovers
and were ice-cold from the field in
the first five minutes on their way
to giving up their halftime lead.
"We had no energy," Michigan
coach Kevin Borseth said. "Michi-
gan State had picked up the inten-
sity. We just looked like we were
physically exhausted and I fig-
ured, 'Oh boy, here we go.'"
Although Borseth said he didn't
know what got his team rolling in
the second half, it was Michigan's
3-point shooting (41-percent) that
allowed the team to stay unbeaten
at home this season.
When asked what the victory
would do for the program, Bors-
eth said the win will have reper-
cussions, even though it's just one
game.
"It's one game," Borseth said.
"It's not a whole season. From the
players' standpoint, they under-
stand that there is a light at the
end of the tunnel if they work
hard. That's probably the biggest
thing for us."
Junior Jevohn Shepherd shined in place of the injured Ron Coleman in Saturday's win. He notched eight points and five assists in his first start of the season.
Blue icks UP Swagger: All
Big Ten 'W' ' needed
By IAN ROBINSON
Daily Sports Writer
EVANSTON - It was a sigh of
relief disguised as a champion's
welcome.
When Michigan coach John
Beilein walked into the visit-
ing locker room at Welsh-Ryan
Arena to address his team after
its first victory in a month, his
players greeted him with a roar.
No one could criticize the
team for its warm welcome, fol-
lowing a 78-68 win over North-
western Saturday in which
Michigan displayed its clear tal-
ent advantage.
The Wolverines had just
snapped a five-game losing
streak.
They had won on the road for
the first time.
And they just picked up their
first conference win of the sea-
son.
While it was of the utmost
importance for Michigan to beat
the Wildcats, nobody wanted
to celebrate the victory too
much. When asked about the
win, freshman Manny Harris
was already looking ahead to
Wednesday's game against an
unusually weak Illinois squad.
"We got the confidence now,"
Harris said. "We got to go on
the road to Illinois and pull out
another one."
The Wolverines will have a
See WILDCATS, Page 3B
EVANSTON -
He might not realize it,
but sophomore Jevohn
Shepherd's
insertion
into the
starting
lineup was
just the
kickstart
Michigan
needed after MARK
starting the GIANNOTTO
season 4-11.
The
funny thing is, it had nothing
to do with the eight points, five
assists, four rebounds or three
steals he registered on the
court. Shepherd's impact was
felt before the Wolverines even
arrived at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
As the team left its hotel
Saturday afternoon, Shepherd's
message to his young team-
mates was simple.
"I mentioned it to a couple
guys, 'Don't forget your swagger
in the hotel room,"' Shepherd
said. "And guys brought it out
today."
That extra confidence was
evident from the moment
Michigan took the floor in what
turned into a 78-68 win over
Northwestern, snapping a five-
game losing streak and earning
the Wolverines their first
See GIANNOTTO, Page 3B
Kolarik battles illness and injury, tallies
career-best numbers in weekend sweep
By NATE SANDALS
Daily Sports Editor
KALAMAZOO - For senior
alternate captain Chad Kolarik,
Saturday's game against Western
Michigan was a fantastic four-
goal performance that almost
wasn't.
Kolarik was a little queasy
before Saturday night's game in
Kalamzoo,butthesenior alternate
captain found the perfect cure for
his upset stomach: Get absolutely
leveled by an opponent's check,
stand up and score a goal just sec-
onds into the game.
"I feltpretty nauseous," Kolarik
said. "Then I got hit and I felt
great. It might have something to
do with that goal I scored."
Kolarik's goal at the 30-second
mark was his first of a whopping
four in the game and set the tone
for a 5-1 win over the Broncos to
complete a weekend sweep.
It was the first four-goal game
for a Wolverine since Dwight
Helminen notched four against
Ohio State exactly four years and
two days earlier.
The scoring outburst was
surprising, considering Kolarik
couldn't make it through Friday's
6-1 home win over Western Mich-
igan, leaving the ice with more
than four minutes remaining in
the game after being nicked up a
few times.
"He had a Charlie horse, and
it was stiff," Michigan coach Red
PE ER SC HOT TENE LS/Daily Berenson said. "We wanted to get
Senior Chad Kolarik scored five goals this weekend, including a career-high four in him off, out of the game so they
Saturday's contest, in the Wolverines' two-game sweep of Western Michigan. could loosen it up, because you
never know if they're going to
tighten up."
Kolarik's first goal might have
gotten Michigan on the board,.but
it was his third goal that came as
the biggest surprise.
Though normally a winger,
Kolarik took the faceoff in the
right circle of Michigan's offen-
sive zone. Rather than drawing
the puck to one of his defense-
man at the point, Kolarik shoved
the puck toward the net just as
it dropped. The shot completely
fooled Bronco goalie Riley Gill.
"Coach told me to try and throw
it to the net, and it worked out, and
coach was loving it," Kolarik said.
Aside from Kolarik's four-goal
night, Saturday's game was a
plodding and inconsistent affair
because of constant penalties and
TV timeouts.
The refs called 12 total penal-
ties in the game, but eight were
enforced in the first period, mak-
ing it hard for the players to get
into a rhythm early in the game.
"It's hard," Berenson said of the
almost two-and-a-halfhour game.
"Some guys don't get in the game
enough, and you lose the momen-
tum. You lose your sweat."
Unlike Friday night, when it
was doubled in shots, Western
Michigan (6-15-1 overall, 2-12
CCHA) hung tough Saturday. The
play was much closer than the
score would suggest.
The Broncos put constant pres-
sure on Michigan goalie Billy
Sauer, but beat him just once, on a
See BRONCOS, Page 3B
Phillips huge in
lane despite size
disadvantage
By ANTHONY OLIVEIRA to sophomore Lauren Aitch for the
Daily Sports Writer easy layup.
But for most of the game,
When 6-foot-6 sophomore Kris- DeHaan wasn't much of a factor.
ta Phillips takes the court, people The usual .521 shooter went 4-for-
are usually in awe of her height. 11 from the field.
But during yesterday's matinee, Phillips deserves much of the
6-foot-9 Michigan State sopho- credit for DeHaan's lackluster
more Allyssa DeHaan stole her showing.
thunder. What Phillips lacked in height,
DeHaan entered the game aver- she made up in strength. Phillips
aging 15.6 points per game and pushed the lanky DeHaan out of
4.71 blocks per contest, second in the key several times.
the nation. "I think the biggest thing was I
No matter who matched up, get- had some muscle on her, so I used
ting a body on DeHaan would be it," Phillips said. "I gave her a cou-
one tall task. Still, Phillips was up ple nudges with the forearm, and
for the challenge. then she would push up herself
"In my Canada basketball years, so I really didn't have to do it for
I've come up against some pretty her. And that was the whole game-
tall girls," Phillips said of her pre- plan."
Michigan playing career. "But it Another part of the gameplan
was a challenge to play against was makingsure Phillips stayed on
someone who was 6'9. the court for as long as possible.
"ButI embraced the assignment In last year's meeting, foul trou-
and said, 'All right, I'm going to do ble limited her to just 17 minutes.
all I can to get her out of the paint The same seemed to be unraveling
and stop her scoring."' yesterday when Phillips picked up
Though Philips couldn't com- her second foul with five minutes
pletely clear out the post, DeHaan's remaining in the first.
production was held to just nine But Phillips wasn't called for
points. DeHaan's only points in another foul and played 18 minutes
the first half were scored on the in the second half.
opening basket of the game. For Borseth, having Phillips on
"I thought Krista did a real good the court will contribute greatly to
job on her," Michigan coach Kevin Michigan's success. But it will be a
Borseth said. "We were, obviously, while until she reaches her poten-
trying to keep her away from the tial as Borseth works to turn Phil-
basket as much as we could. She lips into a strong post presence.
didn't get away from us a great "She's got great size and she's
deal. She is the primary focus of got very good ability," Borseth
what they do." said. "But, you know, I'm real hard
Without Phillips on the court, on her. I am. I expect too much too
DeHaanshowed whysheis aninte- fast. It's going to take some time
gral part of the Spartan offense. to really get her first in shape and
In the closing minutes of the first then get her physically equipped
half, DeHaan drew a double team with the tools that she needs to be
in the paint, allowing a quick pass successful."