The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I February 22,2010
Blue falls to lowly Penn State
By NICOLE AUERBACH
Daily Sports Editor
These days, it's almost not
worth asking Michigan coach
John
Beilein
if his PENN STATE 55
0 team's MICHIGAN 51
team's
most
recent loss is frustrating. For that
matter, it's not worth asking any
of his players the question, either.
The answer is always, "Yes,"
followed often by silence and a
gloomy look, more dispirited than
angry.
Penn State's 55-51 victory over
Michigan on Saturday - its sec-
ond Big Ten win of the season -
was just the latest salt added to
the wound that is the Wolverines'
2009-10 campaign. And it became
another addition to the growing
list of frustrating losses.
"There's no question about
it," Beilein said in the postgame
press conference. "Sometimes,
you're helpless, you're absolutely
helpless in it - and I know those
times are helpless. But I know
we're capable of more."
The Wolverines shot 35 percent
from the field and just 21 percent
from beyond the arc. And Michi-
gan didn't make much of its miss-
es, failing to scramble to collect
offensive rebounds. Excluding
senior forward DeShawn Sims,
who pulled down two on one play,
the team combined for just five
offensive boards. The defensive
glass wasn't much better, and the
Nittany Lions outrebounded the
Wolverines by 14.
Penn State, the team sitting at
the bottom of the Big Ten rank-
ings, went ice cold late in the
second half. The Nittany Lions
were held scoreless for more than
seven minutes near the end of the
game, and they scored just two
points in the final 7:50.
But those two points came
to Penn State on its most criti-
cal possession of the game, with
under a minute to play in regula-
tion. After 39 minutes dominated
by streaky shooting and scoring
on both sides, the Nittany Lions
clung to a two-point lead as the
clock ticked down.
The Crisler Arena crowd
expected Penn State to give the
ball to its star, junior guard Talor
Battle, for the shot that could put
the game away. But he dished the
ball to junior forward Jeff Brooks.
"I know I definitely expect-
ed (Battle) to take the shot,"
junior guard Manny Harris said.
"(Brooks) stepped up, made a big
shot - credit him. I wish it would
have went the other way, but it
didn't. That's it."
Brooks's mid-range jumper put
Penn State up four points with 14
seconds left, which proved to be
an insurmountable lead.
"I think we had good looks, we
just missed shots," said Harris,
whose personal 7-0 run brought
the Wolverines within two before
Brooks's shot. "They made big
plays."
Before Saturday's game, this
matchup didn't look like it would
See PENN STATE, Page 3B
Latest loss feels
like lowest of lows
W as rock bottom the how weak Iowa is this year, but
15-point loss to North- the fact is it's really, really tough
western in Evanston? to win on the road in the Big Ten
Or was it the 62-44 loss at home - against anyone. And this game
to Wisconsin, ateam to which the wasn't about the opponent for the
Michigan men's basketball team Wolverines. It was about proving
lost by just six in Madison? they could get a gutsy win away
Either way, from home when the bounces
fans figured it weren't necessarily going its way.
had to get bet- Following that game, things
ter. This team were looking up for the first time
just wasn't as since the victory over Connecti-
bad as it played cut on Jan. 15. Fans were even
for those thinking about the tournament
consecutive again.
games. "Well, if we run the table and
And it did JOE win two or three games in the
get better. A lot Big Ten Tournament, that gives
better, actu- STAPLETON us two signature road wins and
ally. about 19-20 wins. I mean, they'd
The Wol- have to let us in, right?"
verines traveled to Minnesota Unfortunately, those thoughts
and stole one from the Gophers, didn't have much time to linger.
shooting a stellar 50 percent both Like most of the season, the fans
from behind the arc and from the who got their hopes up saw them
field while keeping the rebound- dashed pretty quickly.
ing defAcit at a manageable six. Against Penn State at home
After that they went to Iowa on Saturday, the Wolverines
and gutted out a tough overtime regressed in almost every
win. Say what you want about See STAPLETON, Page 3B
Wolverines force split with come-
*from-behind win against Wildcats
M' drops close one
to No. 2 Oklahoma
By TIM ROHAN
Daily Sports Writer
Northern Michigan forward
Mark Olver stood in line to shake
hands with the Michigan hockey
team Saturday with his palms
to his
knees. N. MICHIGAN 3
He was MICHIGAN 1
bent
over,
looking N. MICHIGAN 4
for air - MICHIGAN S
and pos-
sibly an explanation.
Olver solemnly shook hands
with senior captain Chris Sum-
mers and then the rest of the Wol-
verines with his head focused on
the ground, not looking anyone in
the eye after Michigan's 5-4 win.
Just moments before, he had
missed a point-blank opportunity
to tie the game and send it into
overtime. Junior goalie Bryan
Hogan blocked a shot and the
rebound bounced right to Olver's
stick on the backside of the play
with less than a minute remain-
ing in the game. His shot clanged
off the post and everyone at Yost
collectively exhaled.
The eighth-leading scorer in
the country just plain missed it.
"How can the best scorer in the
league miss the net like that?,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson
wondered after the game.
After losing 3-1 Friday, Michi-
gan's win Saturday came in a
back-and-forth contest that
included multiple comebacks
by the Wolverines. After falling
behind 1-0 and 4-3, Michigan was
able to string together quick-hit-
ting attacks to respond.
Sophomore forward Luke
Glendening and freshman for-
ward Kevin Lynch scored within
10 seconds of each other to come
back and take the lead in the inid-
die of the second period. It was
the fastest two goals have been
scored all season for Michigan.
Then, down 4-3, junior defense-
man Chad Langlais and sopho-
more defenseman Greg Pateryn
scored within a minute in the
third period to take the lead for
By MICHAEL LAURILA
DailySports Writer
In a competition where teams
average 350 points, losing by just a
fraction of a point can be disheart-
ening, but also motivating.
And for the No. 3 Michigan
men's gymnastics team, which fell
short of No. 2 Oklahoma Saturday
afternoon 354.450 to 354.000, just
.45 of a point, it was just that.
Due to a lingering hand injury
involving a sprain to his middle
and index fingers, nationally
ranked junior Chris Cameron was
unable to compete in his normal
events. He did compete in the
rings and high bar, as they were
the only events that would not
strain his hand too much.
"We had two botched perfor-
mances, and we still only lost by
four tenths," Cameron said. "We
really have the depth and are a
great team. We just need to pull.
it all together when it really mat-
ters."
Cameron said he wasn't sure
when he'd be back to full steam.
"It's really hard to tell," he
said. "It's just a sprain and I got it
x-rayed and there's no fraction or
broken bones. I've been surprised
how much it's been bothering me
from day to day, but no matter
what, I'm going to load it up and
go for all six (events) at Big Tens
and NCAAs."
Oklahoma came into the meet
with the top-ranked floor exercise
routine in the nation. And their
skill was evident when the Soon-
ers hit the floor, finishing with
the top two scores. Michigan was
unable to match Oklahoma after
poor performances in its parallel
bar and vault routine, largely due
to a low hit percentage and failed
dismount landings.
"We dug a lot of holes," Michi-
gan coach Kurt Golder said. "We
dug more holes than we could get
ourselves out of. When the pres-
sure was really on it looked nearly
impossible to pull it out, and the
guys really performed well on the
See OKLAHOMA, Page 3B
TOREHAN SHARMA A/Daily More photos at
Junior Louie Caporusso had three assists in the ° Mrhts t
Wolverines'5-4 win over Northern Michigan Satur- k I''% o m
good. od. But I think we played with-
"Our team has been chal- more conviction, more resolve.
lenged, not just by me but by the Sure, you need a break. But we
situation," Berenson said. "They made our breaks, and we found a
came out to play harder and bet- way to win the game."
ter and stronger (Saturday). And Five different players tallied
here we were with our backs goals on the night, and each came
against the wall in the third peri- See NORTHERN, Page 3B
TAYLOR-MADE
The fourth-ranked Wolverines were
led by junior Jordan Taylor's no-hitter
in the Tiger Classic on Friday. Page 2B
RUNNIN' AWAY WITH IT
The Michigan women's gymnastics
team pulled off a stunning upset against
the fifth-ranked Utes. Page 4B