The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com { December1, 2008
MICHIGAN 66, SAVANNAH STATE 64
SIMS CITY
Blue overcomes
20-point deficit
to topple Tigers
By ANDY REID
Daily Sports Editor
Trotting off the Crisler Arena court at halftime,
the Michigan men's basketball team was at the lowest
point of its surprisingly successful young season.
The Wolverines were down 20 points to asteam that
finished 17-92 in the last four years. They had a goose
egg (0-for-8) from beyond the arc, a1:4 assist-to-turn-
over ratio, an eight-minute field goal drought and a
crowd with nothing to cheer about except the Alumni
Band director's crazy dances.
But Michigan still had 20 minutes to play.
The Wolverines began the second half with an
explosive seven-minute, 15-0 run to squeak past a sup-
posedly overmatched Savannah State squad 66-64 in
overtime. It was Michigan's first overtime win since it
topped Notre Dame in the NIT on March 20, 2006.
And it took every second for the Wolverines to pull
out the win. Junior DeShawn Sims hit a wide-open
jumpshot as the buzzer sounded to clinch the win.
Including the second it took Sims's shot to drop,
Michigan led Savannah State (4-2 overall) for a mea-
sly two minutes and 17 seconds. So, what happened in
the first half that allowed the Tigers to take such an
enormous lead?
"Man, they hit all those lucky shots," Sims said.
"That's what went on in the first half. That team was
good, and they didn'tmiss a shot.We couldn't rebound
and run like we wanted because they didn't miss a
shot."
Senior David Merritt agreed, saying Michigan
played pretty sharp defense in the first half. The team
See TIGERS, Page 4B
Sims's energetic
presence needs to
befeltfrom the start
In front of the largest crowd at Crisler Arena yet
this season, the Michigan men's basketball team
overcame a 20-point halftime deficit to win in
overtime over Savannah State.
The team was ecstatic after
the game, trading congratulatory
hugs and high-fives. The crowd
celebrated like the Wolverines had
just pulled off a miracle. The first
20 minutes of the game, in which
Michigan scored just 19 points,
were largely forgotten when junior
DeShawn Sims's buzzer-beating
shot sealed the victory. ANDY
It was the fourth game in a row REID
the Wolverines got off to a slug-
gish start. Four-minute field goal
droughts plagued them against
UCLA and Duke in the 2K Sports Classic in New York.
Those droughts lasted until Sims checked in to pro-
vide some much-needed energy off the bench.
Against Norfolk State, Michigan started the game
0-for-10 before Sims came in to help flip the switch.
The Spartans were - and I'm being nice - a terrible
team, and Michigan was luckyto overcome such a bad
start and stilliwin by more than 30.
And Saturday, the openinglull lasted for the entire
See REID, Page 4B
Junior power forward DeShawn Sims takes the game-winning jump shot in overtime to give Michigan a 66-64 win over Savannah State. Sims led the Wolverines with 23 points, 12 rebounds
and two blocks. He shot 9-of-12 from the field and added two steals. Despite his impressive numbers, Sims has come off the bench in each of Michigan's six games.
Wolverines upset
No. 1 Minnesota
After beating
Gophers, 'M' can't
use momentum to
sweep Showcase
By CHRIS MESZAROS
Daily Sports Writer
MADISON - Both Minnesota's
and Michigan's sweaters have
a big letter "M" stitched to the
front, one a maize block "M" and
the other gold with slanted legs.
But entering Friday's matchup,
that's all the two teams had in
common.
The Gophers entered the game
as the top-ranked team in the
country, while the Wolverines
were swept in a disappointing
series against No. 6 Miami (Ohio)
the previous weekend.
Minnesota had just one loss
coming into the weekend, in its
previous game to Denver, while
Michigan had lost its last three
Friday games.
But for 60 minutes Friday
night, it looked like the two teams
swapped jerseys.
No. 14 Michigan (9-7-0 overall,
5-5-0 CCHA) dominated No. 1
Minnesota 6-3 in its first game of
the College Hockey Showcase.
The Wolverines lost the second
game 3-0 to Wisconsin on Satur-
day.
But Friday, Michigan attacked
early, amassing four even-strength
goals before the Gophers (7-2-5)
pulled
their MICHIGAN 0
starting WISCONSIN 3
goalten-
derAlex MICHIGAN 6
Kangas, MINNESOTA 3
with 16
minutes
to go in
the second period.
"We don't want to overreact to
it," Michigan coach Red Berenson
said about the upset win through
the athletic department. "But
it's a good solid win over a really
good, solid team. Now whether
it was a fluke we'll find out in
future games."
Senior forward Brandon
See GOPHERS, Page 3B
'M' bounced by Indiana again
By CHANTEL JENNINGS,'
Daily Sports Writer
BLOOMINGTON - They say
the ball doesn't lie. But they never
said anything about the score.
Yes, the score can tell you how P
many times the ball ended up in fa.
the back'
of the
net, but MICH!GAN S
that's it INDIANA 3 W
- it says
nothing
more.
For the No. 11-seeded Michigan
men's soccer team, Saturday's 3-0
loss to the sixth-seeded Hoosiers
is an example of just that.
The Wolverines (13-6-3) were
excited to take the field against
Indiana (14-6-3) in the third round
of the NCAA Tournament. It was
a chance to avenge their early exit
from the Big Ten Tournament and .
advance to play St. John's in the
Elite Eight next weekend.
And for the first 30 minutes
it looked like Michigan had the SAID ALSALAH/Daily
momentum and would accomplish Senior defenseman Michael Holody, shown against UC-Davis, and the rest of the Wolverines lost in the Sweet 16 Saturday.
both goals.
The Wolverines had two qual- into the game, and the first goal offense struggled to find an equal- team's outside backs to overload
ity scoring chances within the was all the Hoosiers needed. izer before halftime as the momen- one side of the field and create
opening five minutes, coming from "The first 30 minutes, the game tum shifted to the Hoosiers. problems for the Hoosier's defense
senior forward Steve Bonnell and a really seemed like it was ours for During the break, Burns talked by making runs down the sides of
shot off the deflection of Bonnell's the taking," Michigan coach Steve to his team about getting the ball the field.
shot from redshirt junior defense- Burns said. "We just didn't take behind Indiana's defense so the "It is always frustrating when
man Daniel Gray. it." Hoosiers had to turn their bodies you are close to scoring," senior
But Indiana scored 34 minutes After the goal, the Wolverines' and retreat. He also wanted his See HOOSIERS, Page 2B