The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, March 12, 2010 -9 Blue gets past Iowa in Big Ten opener First-round win keeps to Michigan State, in which Harris Michigan's slim posted a career- low four points, it NCAA Tournament was reassuring that his scoring touch hopes alive returned. After the early By NICOLE AUERBACH burst of scoring Daily Sports Editor and a comfortable lead, the Wolverines INDIANAPOLIS - For a fleet- cooled off toward ing moment, all the pain, disap- the end of the first pointment and frustration of this half. Iowa (4-14, season disappeared from Laval 10-22) switched to a Lucas-Perry's face. zone defense which He had launched a three - like forced Michigan he has coach John Beilein so many IOWA 52 to adjust his game times this MICHIGAN 59 plan regarding Har- Y season - ris and Sims. and this time, with a little over 11 The Wolverines minutes left in yesterday's game could no longer against Iowa, the shot fell. score at will, and Lucas-Perry clapped his hands they didn't make a and exhaled. field goal in the final And just like that, the rest of six minutes of the the Michigan men's basketball first half. That cold team also relaxed and watched its spell carried into crucial shots fall - en route to a the first few min- 59-52 victory over the Hawkeyes utes of the second in the first round of the Big Ten half as well. Tournament. But once more, all It was a pattern that kept it took was a spark. repeating itself throughout yes- Or rather, two. terday's game: struggle, hit a With 14 minutes shot and breathe a sigh of relief. left in the game Junior guard Manny Harris was and Michigan's lead the first; he knocked down a dwindling in the three in transition in the game's single digits, Novak opening minutes. After that, he stepped behind cruised to another 19 points, and the arc and fired better yet for the Wolverines, his a 3-pointer. That, teammates found their strokes, followed shortly too. by Lucas-Perry's In the game's first ten minutes, monster three, gave For more pictur Michigan (7-11 Big Ten, 15-16 the Wolverines not check out the D overall) quickly jumped out to a only a cushy lead, michigandaily.c 24-8 lead, and it all started with but also confidence. Harris's spark. Suddenly, the two- "It was just good for our man show of Harris and Sims had psyche," sophomore guard Zack some company. Novak said. "We came out, shots 'We got a little bit of something were falling, people were making from everybody, and that helps good plays, and (it) kind of built Peedi down low and definitely us a little bit of a cushion there. helps Manny," sophomore point Any time you can do that in a guard Stu Douglass said. "Some- tournament, in any game, that times, it turns into almost a two- really helps." headed monster. You watch Peedi Harris stayed hot, and senior and Manny, and that's where we forward DeShawn Sims got in just crumble. on the act, too. In fact, for nearly "We all need to stay together, 10 minutes to start the game, the and even if we're not shooting, duo accounted for all of Michi- contributing, then cutting hard gan's points. After Sunday's loss and running the offense smooth- A scrt made for the Wolverines By JOE STAPLETON Daily Sports Editor INDIANAPOLIS - (Cut to: Con- seco Field House, home of the 2010 Big Ten Tournament) The Michigan men's basket- bail team has just won its first-round matchup against Iowa. It moves on to the second round of the tournament JOE and will play STAPLETON at noon tomor- row against Ohio State. (Cut to: the stands of Conseco, where two Michigan fans have just finished singing the Victors after the game. They sit down next to each other) Michigan fan 1: Well, they almost gave that one away. Michigan fan 2: Oh, come on. They couldn't hit anything, but this time they found a wayto win. Fan 1: They were up by 16! How do you let Iowa get to within five with two minutes left? Fan 2: Iowa did a good job fight- ing back. That Cully Payne kid kept them in the game. What'd he have, like, 20 points? Fan1: Twenty-five Apparently guarding him was optional. Anyway, it was the same old story as the rest of the season. They still can't shoot and they're still inconsistentoffen- sively. I mean, they were under 30 percent from three, right? Fan 2: Twenty-four percent. Fan 1: (rolling his eyes) Good lord. Fan 2: Yeah, except it's not the same old story because this time theywon. Look, you're thinkingtoo much about the season that was. They weren't continuing to shoot poorly, they just had a bad shooting night. Trust me it's healthier to do- what the team's doing: just forget about this season and focus on the next game. Remember? It's a "new season." Fan 1: Did Coach Beilein give you that line? Whatever, it's not like your "new" (makes quotations in the air) season is going beyond Ohio State tomorrow. Fan 2: What?! Firstof all, air quotes are really lame. Secondly, they obviously match up great with Ohio State! Theybeat them at home and played them real tough in Columbus. Hell, they were ahead at halftime! Fan 1: Yeah, theybeat them at home without Evan Turner, the Big Ten Player of the Year, and they had no business being ahead at halftime in Columbus. I want them to win as much as you do, but I just don't see it happening. Yeah, Michigan won, but Iowa sucks. They won'tbe playing Iowa tomorrow. Fan 2: Or the third-best, depend- ing on how you look at it. Whatever. I think they're gonna win. Fan 1: Well, I think they're gonna lose. (Fade to black) Michigan fans, like most fan bases, are split between optimists and pessimists. This season has undoubtedly dealt a serious blow to the number of optimists in Michi- gan's camp,but they're out there. The thing to remember, no mat- ter what camp you fall into, is that today's game against Ohio State may be the last game of the Manny Harris-DeShawn Sims era. Sure, they could win, but if this season is any indication, they will not. (I guess I'mbetraying what camp I fall into. Oh, well) Barringablowout like the Wol- verines suffered last weekend at Michigan State, my advice to Michi- gan fans is this: just try to enjoy watchingthese two play.I'mriot taking anything away from Anthony Wright or Zack Gibson, but these are the two players who have defined this program for the past three years. And today mightbe the last time they take the court together in Michigan uniforms. Take it in, and just watch. Stapleton can be reached at jstaple@umich.edu res ::o:: te gee:: t"Ifl Junior Manny Harris bonced b'ck agains' thn ily's Sports blogat HawkeyesrMacyris2bpointsin the firsround om/blogs/TheGame game matchup. ly - things we just didn't do at Michigan State, and it turned out terrible." Beyond just balanced scoring and offensive involvement, there were other major differences between yesterday's game and the Wolverines' last loss. One area they showed vast improve- ment in was turnovers - they forced 14 Hawkeye turnovers, compared to turning the ball over just eight times. Another was Harris's involvement on both sides of the ball. After a dreadful scoring and rebounding perfor- mance at Michigan State, he put up 22 points and nine boards yes- terday. Michigan's win over Iowa was its third of the season, and it catapults the Wolverines into a second-round matchup with No. 1 seed Ohio State on Friday at noon. "It might be a little bit of how we match up with Iowa, but we've had that contribution from, a little bit of everybody against them all three games this year," Douglass said. "We've got to keep it going into Ohio State." 'M'to take on State in East Lansing No. 1 seed Ohio State looms in second round By RYAN KARTJE Daily Sports Editor The Michigan hockey team's sea- son has been one chock-full of story- lines. The team's 19-year NCAA Tour- nament streak is in jeopardy. Michigan at Its goaltender is injured. And " now a senior cap- Matchup: tain who won't Michigan play in the team's . 21-17-1; Michi- most important gan St. 19-11-6 games of the sea- When: Today, son against rival 7:05 p.m. Michigan State, Where: Munn a best-of-three Ice Arena series that starts TV: Comcast tonight. And with the Wolverines' 1-3 season record against the Spartans, Michigan coach Red Berenson will be the first to tellyou how this series is not short on plot twists. "There's a lot of stories going into this weekend," Berenson said with a laugh. And as much as the Wolverines may miss their top defenseman in senior captain Chris Summers, Berenson remains confident that the team's defensive corps is more than capable of contending with the Spar- tans' high-octane offense. "When you lose a player, senior, leader, captain, it speaks for itself," Berenson said. "But that's the way it is. We can't sit here and feel sorry for ourselves." After Michigan handily defeated the No. 10 seed Lake Superior State last weekend, the Wolverines are heading into the weekend with argu- ably their most momentum of the season. Over and over, the players and coaches have assured that the team is playing its best hockey of the sea- son right now. The Wolverines accounted for 11 goals last weekend against the Lak- ers, tying a season series high. But more important than the proficiency' on offense was the defense's perfor- mance, allowing just two goals on the weekend in one of its most com- plete series of the year. Considering the Spartans boast three of the league's most talented scoring forwards in Corey Tropp, Andrew Rowe and Derek Grant, playing smart, mistake-free defense is what Berenson says will be Michi- gan's key to success, especially with- out an experience blue liner like Summers suitingup. "If we let the defense get out- numbered time and time again, then it won't matter who's on defense," Berenson said. "You saw what happened the last time we played Michigan State (at Munn Ice Arena). Outnumbered rush, outnumbered rush and a turnover. That's three goals." Senior defenseman Steve Kamp- fer, who will be the de facto leader of the defense with Summers out, says that situations like what happened last time against the Spartans have plagued the Wolverines' perfor- mances on the blue line all season. "That's been our Achilles heel," Kampfer said. "We've had some breakdowns this year in our defen- sive zone and teams have capitalized on us, and when you have a team like Michigan State who can put pucks in the back of the net, you have to make sure you're playing as tight as pos- sible defensively." If there's a bright side for the Wol- verines, it's that Michigan State is limping into the CCHA Tournament, having finished the season with a record of 4-4-2. But on the flip side, the Spartans' disappointing finish has put them squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, which Berenson says will provide Michigan State coach Rick Comley with enough motivation to light a fire under his struggling Spar- tans. Regardless, with playoff hockey in full swing, Berenson insists that nothing is guaranteed for either side, especially in a matchup of two rival- ry teams. "You don't have any script for how a playoff series might go," Beren- son said. "We want to win the game Friday, not give the home team any confidence. But I've seen it work the other way whereteams have lost and bounce back. They're going to have something to say about that too." Bausher successfully fills nine-hole for Blue By CHRIS MESZAROS Daily Sports Editor INDIANAPOLIS - Playing a top-five team at any time is a daunt- ing task. Add in that it's a heated Michigan vs. rival, in the h middle of a con- ference tour- Matchup: nament, and it Michigan could poten- 15-16; Ohio tially be the State 24-7 last game of the When: Today, season - and 12:00 p.m. it's clear that Where: tomorrow's Conseco game between Fieldhouse the Michigan TV: ESPN basketball team and Ohio State isn't ordinary. But despite the standings, the Wolverines have fared reasonably well against their rival this season. While the Buckeyes are the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten and the fifth- ranked team in the country, the reality is, Michigan has bested Ohio State in three of the four halves they've played this year. While BigTen Player of the Year Evan Turner was out with a back injury in the Wolverines' 73-64 win over Ohio State on Jan. 3, Michigan did play the Buckeyes tough later in the year, losing 66-55 at Value City Arena. "I mean, we beat them for a full game, and I think we beat them for a half then the next game," sopho- more Zack Novak said. "We're confident going in. They're a really good team. They've got a lot of tal- ented guys. But we're going to be ready to play, and just go out there and have fun, see what happens." After quickly falling behind in that second game, the Wolver- ines (7-11 Big Ten, 15-16 overall) stormed back behind a first-half team effort. While senior forward DeShawn Sims boosted a 14-4 run, it was threes by Novak and fellow sophomore Stu Douglass thatreally sparked the Wolverines, pulling Michigan to a one-point halftime lead. Really, the only one not involved was junior guard Manny Harris, who scored just10points that game. But Michigan kept it close by having five players score in double figures. While the Buckeyes found a way to shut down the Wolverines in the second half, Harris's lack of pro- duction was the key. And once again, the matchup will be between Michigan's star offensive player and Ohio State guard William Buford, who was able to shut Harris down. What should really scare the Wolverines about the Buckeyes is the improvements they made with Turner not in the lineup. With him out, they found secondary scorers in Jon Diebler, Buford and David Lighty who all average more than 12 points per game. Additionally, the Buckeyes boast the Big Ten's second-best scoring defense, allow- ing justh60.4 points per game. "The second time we played them, they'd all gotten better with- out (Turner)," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "And then adding him, it's just an X' factor to really make them one of the league co- champions or tri-champions and a great chance to win the National Championship." To beat the Buckeyes (14-4 Big Ten, 24-7 overall) , Michigan will need Harris to be at his best against arguably the toughest defensive matchup he will face all year in Buford. While it's a given that the Wolverines don't stand much of a chance without a third or fourth scorer - like they haven't all sea- son - against Ohio State, it requires something extra. The Wolverines know their season will end with a loss tomor- row against the Buckeyes, and the message the last few days has been to put it all on the line. With Ohio Statelookingfor apossibleoneseed in the NCAA Tournament, both teams have something to play for. "We just have to go and it's all or nothing, and try to win it," Sims said. By LUKE PASCH Although . fans will forever DailySpors Writer attribute the Cards' 1998 season improvements to Mark McGuire's The nine-hole in the lineup often 70 home runs, La Russa believes presents a dilemma for baseball and his managerial switch made a sig- softball coaches, including Michi- nificant difference. gan coach Carol Hutchins. Tradi- And Michigan softball coach tionally, it's saved for the weakest Carol Hutchins has appeared to hitter in the lineup - often times take a page out of La Russa's book times the pitcher - allowing the by batting senior center fielder coach to stack the first eight spots Molly Bausher last in the lineup. with more effective hitters. "She's making our offense tick But MLB manager Tony La from that nine-hole." Hutchins Russa was the first to take a differ- said. "She's really gotten in a ent route. He famously shook up groove, and it will really help our his St. Louis Cardinals lineup in team down the road if she can keep 1998 by batting his pitcher in the doing what she's doing." eighth spot and replacing the ninth And early season trends for the with the speedy Willie McGee. fifth-ranked Wolverines (14-4) This created a double-leadoff hitter tend to reflect nothing less - offen- scenario in which the bottom of the sive success has been far more like- lineup flowed smoothly back into ly when Bausher sets the table for the top where the scrappy Delino the top of the order effectively. DeShields led off. In the team's four losses this season, Bausher has mustered just one hit in 11 opportunities. But she's hitting an impressive .333 over Michigan's 14 victories. And the team has won by a margin of at least seven runs in each of her multi-hit efforts. Bausher's production may seem unprecedented - she finished with a career-best .244 batting average in her junior season - but she's not intimidated by the goal of main- taining her average that's currently 40 points higher than last year's finish. "This season is a little different than the rest because I am a senior now." Bausher said. "I've figured out what works and what doesn't work, and I know what I need to do to continue to be successful." A major ingredient to maintain- ing her success is patience. The ability to wait for the right pitch and not being overly aggressive at the plate has been a three-year- long progression. And it's one she's still working on. Through 18 games, Bausher has still drawn just one walk. Although her teammates want to believe she can sustain her production without taking more free bases, she knows that's not the case. "It's especially important for me to not swing at too many balls." Bausher said. "I have to let the pitcher throw to me and avoid let- ting her get two quick strikes." In Hutchins's opinion, it makes more sense to bat Aman- da Chidester, Nikki Nemitz, and Stephanie Kirkpatrick - who all have lower batting averages than Bausher - sixth, seventh and eighth. And that's the look she's gone with through the first quarter of the season.