2B - December 7, 2009

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 0

2B - December 7, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom *

...

Michigan pulls off
upset in Iowa City

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Junir DoovanCLIF REEDER/Daily
Junior Donovan Warren is seriously considering leaving Michigan to enter the 2010 NFL Draft.
Donovan Warren:Please.
stay one more year

By AMY SCARANO
Daily Sports Writer
IOWA CITY - With Michigan up
by one against Iowa and two min-
utes left in the game, both teams
were desperate for possession.
But as the 2,300-person crowd at
Carver-Hawkeye Arena yelled and
screamed, the Wolverines calmly
held onto their lead.
Despite Iowa's home-court
advantage and lopsided 41-15 all-
time series edge, Michigan was able
to eke out a 54-51 victory to open Big
Ten play.
"Most of the games thatare being
won are by big margins," junior
guard Veronica Hicks said. "But I
think this win was something great
for us because it shows that even
if you try to slow us down, we can
fight that adversity and come out
on top, and I think that's something
that's really huge."
The fans came alive in the last
minutes of the game after the
Hawkeyes surged in the second half
to narrow Michigan's lead to five
with just five minutes left on the
clock.
"I don'tcknow that we were overly
aggressive," Michigan coach Kevin
Borseth said. "I don't know that
many of our players wanted the ball.
At the end I think (Hicks) knew she
needed to have it. I think (senior
center Krista Phillips) wanted it.
They are veterans. But I don't think
the other kids really wanted to have
the basketball and you have to want
that, especially at crunch time."
The Wolverines (1-0 Big Ten, 6-2
overall) were able to use momentum
from early in the game to stave off
the aggressive Hawkeyes when it
mattered most. Michigan's energy
was evident prior to the game as the
team jumped and danced in its pre-
game huddle. And that energy was
crucial in Michigan's fight until the

6

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AARON AUGSBURGER/Daly
Junior Veronica Hicks posted 11 points and five rebounds in Michigan's win.

buzzer.
Early in the game, when Phil-
lips won the tipoff and later got the
ball back for a layup, the Wolverines
took advantage. That momentum
translated into a 12-2 run in the
first five minutes for Michigan, who
never relinquished the lead.
But the Hawkeyes pulled within
five with three minutes left in the
first half before Michigan went on a
9-0 run, led by Phillips' shots from
the post and Hicks' consecutive
layups.
Michigan held its lead comfort-
ably for much of the second half, but
was unable to keep the Hawkeyes
from making the game a nailbiter in
the last two minutes. Iowa (0-1 Big
Ten, 5-4 overall) threatened with
a 7-1 run to make the score 52-51
Michigan. Neither team scored
again until freshman guard Day-
eesha Hollins scored a layup at the
buzzer.
In Michigan's most physical

game this season, bothsides record-
ed numerous fouls. Iowa was able to
capitalize on those fouls late in the
game to put pressure on the Wolver-
ines.
"(Iowa's defense) is definitely
an in-your-face kind of thing, and
you just run right into it," fresh-
man guard Jenny Ryan said. "So
it's everything that people say, and
then, I guess you get ready for it
mentally."
Once Iowa narrowed Michigan's
lead to one with less than two min-
utes remaining, fouls became even
more important. Luckily for the
Wolverines, the Hawkeyes weren't
able to capitalize on any of those
opportunities.
After Iowa's last chance at the
line, it took a team effort by the
Wolverines to score that lastbasket.
Hollins's layup increased the lead
to three and sealed the victory that
could have so easily slipped away in
the waning minutes.

open letter to Donovan answered" to "panic-stricken,
Warren, second-team full-on disaster mode."
All-Big Ten defensive We get it - you're good. Good
back and one of the few beacons enough tobe mentioned as a
of hope for the 2010 Michigan potential mid-second round
defense: pick, even. But you have the
Donovan, please don't leave potential to be so much more
Ann Arbor. than that:
Shortly A leader, a personal savior of a
after the Ohio Michigan defense that has fallen
State game, on extremely hard times. And,
when you were for more personal reasons, a
surely stricken much higher pick - with a much
with some bigger signing bonus - after
pretty intense next season.
emotions, you Without you, the future looks
hurriedly said, ANDY pretty bleak. The third worst
"Uh, yeah," REID passing defense in the Big Ten
you'd be back needs a senior leader - and
next year. although Troy Woolfolk can pro-
You gave Michigan fans false vide some of that, he needs your
hope that the defense might turn help and your skill on the other
the corner in Year Three of the side of the field.
strange experiment that is the But more than that, you'd
Rich Rodriguez era. Your pres- bring some stability to a unit
ence alone could help shore up a that was a downright mess at
defensive backfield that, without times this season. Look at the
you, will likely have to start at situation opposite you - Bou-
least one player who has never bacar Cissoko started, then J.T.
seen the field. Floyd, then Troy Woolfolk. It
And regardless of how fluid got to the point that it wouldn't
Cullen Christian's hip movement have surprised me to see Bran-
is, he's never going to be able to don Graham matching up with
fill the void left by you. a wideout - he was willing to
At last week's end-of-the-year do just about everything for the
Football Bust, you told reporters team this year.
that you were heavily leaning Speaking of Graham, you,
towards entering the NFL Draft Donovan, could learn a lot from
in April. That announcement him. He put off the NFL for
alone plummeted Michigan's another year in college - he just
defensive outlook from "cau- "didn't want to grow up too fast"
tiously optimistic with alot of - and had one of the best years a
big questions that have to be defensive end could have.

Sure, his success was bitter-
svteet, since the team tanked in
the second half of the season,
but he's never going to regret the
decision. He believes in Michi-
gan football, and he wanted to
help Rodriguez lay a foundation.
You, on the other hand, could
really negatively affect the team
by jumping ship.
You have four years to be
in Ann Arbor - don't cut that
short. You haven't yet had the
full experience of being a Michi-
gan Wolverine: two years with-
out a bowl game, a losing record
against Michigan State, no 'W'
over the Buckeyes.
And this isn't all about the
team. With another dominant
year, you could vault into first
round, where the Draft's big
money is.
What's it going to be: the
fourth best cornerback on the
Draft board this year, or hands-
down No. 1 next year?
The fact of the matter is,
Michigan has a very good histor-
ical track record of keeping tal-
ented juniors in school. Braylon
Edwards and Leon Hall stayed.
Sure, Desmond Howard and
Charles Woodson left - but you
haven't cemented a legacy even
close to as large as theirs in your
three years in Ann Arbor.
Please stay - for you, the
team, the coaches and the fans. I
promise you won't regret it.
-Reid can be reached
at andyreidoqlumich.edu.

Blue's speed kills Hawkeyes

By ZAK PYZIK play of speed when she blocked
Daily Sports Writer an Iowa 3-pointer, took the ball
inside two defenders and finished
IOWA CITY - Because of its with a layup.
lack of size and physicality, the STRONG COACHING LEADS
Michigan women's basketball TO SUCCESS: With the exception
team might of last year, when the Wolverines
have a tough NOTEBOOK finished 10-20, Michigan coach
time matching Kevin Borseth is known for win-
up with other Big Ten teams. But ninggames. His Wisconsin-Green
the Wolverines think otherwise, Bay teams made the NCAA Tour-
and last night's win over Iowa nament seven times during his
proved to be pretty good evidence nine-year coaching tenure. And
for their case. this season, Michigan is again
Besides 6-foot-6 senior Krista enjoying what it feels like to win
Phillips, Michigan doesn't have largely because of Borseth's smart
an advantage in height. But it decisions.
stunned Iowa last night with In the last five minutes of last
team speed. night's game, Iowa cut its deficit
"Being aggressive and fast is down to seven. Borseth handled
what we like to do," junior guard the problem very unconvention-
Veronica Hicks said. "That's real- ally. Instead of playing conserva-
ly what we want to do." tively on defense in order to avoid
Michigan racked up points on a giving up big plays, he told the
12-2 run in the game's first three- Wolverines to take a risk.
and-a-half minutes. The Wolver- Borseth called for a full court
ines also finished the evening press, which forced the Hawkeyes
with 12 fastbreak opportunities to work the ball quicker than they
to the Hawkeyes' two. were prepared for. Michigan
"We like playing fast, and I forced two turnovers in the last
think we play better when we play four minutes.
in the frontcourt," Phillips, said. "We were trying to slow them
"That's what works for us right down," Borseth said. "We were
now so that's what we're going to trying to get the ball out of their
keep sticking with." hands a little bit, trying to up the
Freshman guard Jenny Ryan tempo a little bit, instead of just
showed the most impressive dis- getting to half-court and lay-
q et iC~igan 4ai~j P RE S EN

ing low and taking punches like
Muhammad Ali. Better tobe more
aggressive."
Borseth is consistently playing
every athlete on the active roster,
which includes six freshmen. It's
difficult to get every freshman
game time while the team wins
by 15 or more points, as Michigan
has done in five of its six wins.
The benefit of having 13 play-
ers on the court - all of whom the
coach can trust at any point - is
that it allows rest for a team that
is attempting to play at a faster
pace than its opponents.
DEFENSIVE STRENGTHS:
Every week, Michigan fans hold
signs that read "team defense."
The signs are deserved -- the
Wolverines' style of defense
makes up for their size disadvan-
tage. Even though Michigan was
outrebounded 41-37 last night,
the team made up for it, forcing18
turnovers compared to Iowa's 14.
"I love 'team defense,' " Ryan
said. "I love to get into the pass-
ing lanes, and right now, it's about
taking what I know about being
aggressive and jumping on the
floor and getting the defensive
rebounds."
Even more impressive was the
Wolverines' edge in blocks. Mich-
igan finished with seven blocks
compared to Iowa's five.
T1.

. .. .. ........ ....

.WOLVERINE FANS!
WATCH YOUR WOLVERINES BATTLE
FOR THE 45th ANNUAL GREAT LAKES INVITATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY*
Drive one.
COLLEGE TUE. DEC 29, 2009
HOCKEY v.Ij vs
AT THE JOE

4:00 PM

7:30 PM

Tickets are available at the Joe
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Bal Office, all 1ickelnsaster
locations or call 1-800-745-
3000. St purchase online at
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FAMILY 4-PACK-$44
4 General Admission Tickets,
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WED. DEC 30, 2009
3rd PLACE GAME - 4 PM /
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - 7:30 PM

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