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."