2B - February 21, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
2B - February 21, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
There's hope
for after this
Snowpocalypse
F or the three days prior to share of hopeful columns, but
Snowpocalypse 2.0 - my more often than not, there's
name for the six-inch been aslot of criticism soaking
combo of snow and freezing rain through the paper in Sports-
terrorizing Ann Arbor outside of Monday. And can you blame me?
my window right now - before Or anyone?
the snowstarted piling down The football team finished its
from the sky, worst three-year stretch in the
there was history of the program. The bas-
a fleeting ketball team can't even publicly
semblance, speak about the Fab Five, pos-
a brief dash sibly one of the greatest teams to
of hope for ever play any sport at Michigan.
spring. And the hockey team is about as
You inconsistent as it gets - the ulti-
know what RYAN mate definition of a sports tease.
I'm talk- KARTJE We've all forgotten what the
ing about: sunlight feels like.
when the But the best part about
gray skies of Michigan winters Michigan Winter is that it has
begin to part for brighter skies to end sometime. For all of our
and studentsubegin to wear complaining and apocalyptic
shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops in blizzard names, there is a finite
55-degree weather. end to this harsh Winter. Sooner
Two days ago, it seemed like or later, the snow will melt away
this day of weather-related glee and the ice will soak into the
was on itsaway. Sure, maybe concrete below our feet. Sooner
you can brush those few days of or later, we'll all remember
sun and the 10-degrees-above- surviving Snowpocalypse 1.0
average temperature as a fluke, through 4.0.
a sure sign of global warming in And in the same way, sooner
all its ozone-tearing glory. or later, Brady Hoke will lead
But as evidenced by the the Michigan football team
annoyingly repetitive weather back to prominence. Sooner or
statuses on my Facebook later, we won't lament the Fab
newsfeed and the snow drift I Five because they won't be the
dragged along with me into the last Michigan basketball team
offices of The Michigan Daily, to reach a Final Four. Sooner
there's still some time to wait or later, the Michigan hockey
before the May flowers or even team will buckle down and Red
April showers of a Michigan Berenson will win another title
spring. and go off into the sunset.
We all see the signs of hope, I may not have seen the other
glimpses of spring poking end of Sportspocalypse as a
through blizzards. But as Face- Michigan student and sports-
book indicated, there's only so writer.
many Snowpocalypses one can But that doesn't mean I'll
take before forgetting what the forget those brief moments of
sun feels like. . .j;sunshine: Denard's 502, Shawn
Hopefully you understand byeHunwick'sepic postseason run
now thpt I'm not exactly talk- as Michigan's bite-sized goalie
ing about the weather. Iam a or even Michigan's upset win
sports columnist after all. But over Duke at Crisler.
there's something all of us can It all reminds me of one day
learn from the recent string of during my freshman year. It
blizzards-to-end-all-blizzards. was the beginningof April, as
It'd be an understatement I emerged from Oxford Hous-
to claim that Michigan sports ing wearing just an orange
hasn't seen much of the sun in tie-dye shirt with cargo shorts
the past four years. and blue flip-flops. After some
There were brief glimpses of the coldest walks of my life
of warm, hopeful sunlight: that winter, that brief day of
the 2009 March Madness run, 60-degree sunshine made
Denard Robinson's first half much of that shiver-induced
of the 2010 season, a few non- suffering worth it (OK, it
revenue sports' national chain- might've helped that it was
pionships. Hash Bash, too).
But as Michigan sports fans So don't let the basketball
- fans dominated bythe pre- team's likely NIT berth bum
disposition to winning national you out. Remember, this team
championships, to establishing is one of the most athletic and
national prominence and to talented, albeit young, teams
being the ones with the most to we've seen in a while. And don't
brag about at the dinner table - be too sad if the hockey team
we've been obsessed for the last falls a step short of the Frozen
four years in declaring how bad Four. Let's be honest, you'll see
things have been. And maybe them win a title sooner rather
that's inherently American (we than later.
did after all name something It may be hard to remember
"Snowpocalypse." Come on the better times now, butjust
now.), but it's something that's trust me when I say the winter
become increasingly frequent has to end sometime. And some-
among the student body and thing tells me, the sunshine is
alumni of the University of going to be brighter than ever
Michigan. this time around.
I'm just as guilty in doing this
as any of you on my Facebook -Kartje can be reached
newsfeed. I've written my fair at rkartje@umich.edu
Boylan's heroics deliver key win
By KEVIN RAFTERY
Daily Sports Writer
With five minutes remainingin
the Michigan women's basketball
team's game against Wisconsin on
Saturday, junior guard Courtney
Boylan had just two points.
But during the next five min-
utes, Boylan scored arguably the
most important eight points of
her career,
allowing the MICHIGAN 68
Wolverines WISCONSIN 66
to squeak by the Badgers, 68-66, in
Madison. The win left Michigan
in third place in the Big Ten stand-
ings with just two conference
games left to play.
"I guess it was just kind of my
turn at the end," Boylan said after
the game. "I saw some openings
driving the lane, and I was able to
make a few shots at the end, so it
was great."
It was her bucket with eight
seconds left that proved to be
the winner. With the game tied,
Boylan came off a screen and
drove left, cruised by the Wis-
consin defenders and finished the
drive with a kiss off the glass to
give the Wolverines the victory.
But early on, it was the Rachel
Sheffer show. The sophomore
forward scored Michigan's first
seven points of the game and 15 of
the team's first 20.
The Badgers dared her to
shoot the deep ball - and she
did. After Sheffer hit a 3-pointer
to start the game, Wisconsin (9-5
Big Ten, 14-12 overall) tightened
up its defense on the perimeter
and Sheffer moved her game
inside.
"All week, we practiced on them
doubling down, because Wiscon-
sin always doubles the post," Shef-
fer said. "But they weren't really
doing it alot in the first half, or as
much as we thought (they would).
So it was more one-one-one post-
ing."
Sheffer took advantage of the
one-on-one situations, converting
a myriad of post moves and hitting
layups with both hands, making it
look easy in the process.
"In the first half, she carried
us," Michigan coach Kevin Bors-
eth said .
I
Junior guard Courtney Boylan scored the Wolverines' final six points in Michigan's win over Wisconsin on Sunday.
She ended the first frame with ers in the final six minutes of the be in a man (defense), we knew
18 points, and the Wolverines (9-5, game to help Wisconsin climb exactly what we could run with-
16-10) went into the break with a back. And with just four minutes out any second-guessing, and it
34-25 lead. left, Davis's third 3-pointer of the worked."
The Badgers switched up their game gave the Badgers their first Following a Badger timeout,
defense in the second half, often lead since early in the first half. Wisconsin came down the court
doubling Sheffer in the paint, Wisconsin upped its lead to looking to win it with a shot from
holding her to just four points in four with just over two minutes behind the arc. With time expir-
the frame. to play, but Michigan quickly tied ing, Davis got the ball on the wing
But having multiple players it back up with buckets by Shef- and had an open look at a 3-point-
with the ability to make big shots fer and Boylan. After a defensive er.
is something the Wolverines pride rebound by Sheffer with the score "I thought it was going in,"
themselves on - and it showed on tied and 22 seconds to play, Boylan Borseth said. "We went into a
Saturday. took the ball down with a chance zone, forced them to pitch it out.
After Wisconsin cut the lead to to be the hero. The ball was in the air and all I
three on a jumper from senior for- "I actually thought we were figured was, 'Oh boy, all I could
ward Lin Zastrow with 12 minutes going to call a timeout to set some- see was that ball going in the bas-
to play, sophomore guard Jenny thing up for the last play," Boylan ket and the place goingnuts.'"
Ryan hit a 3-pointer and sopho- said. "I wasn't really sure, but the Instead, the ball clanged off
more Kate Thompson hit two of ball just kind of ended up in my the back of the rim and into the
her four total shots from behind hands." hands of senior Veronica Hicks,
the arc to increase the lead back Borseth was confident in his and Michigan secured one of its
to 10. decision not to call a timeout, say- most important victories of the
"That's what we do," Borseth ing he didn't want to give the Bad- year.
said. "Every player has got the ger defense a chance to set itself "It's a huge win," Boylan said.
ability to make shots, and we're up. "Going into it, everybody on
not a one-player team. We're a "It's one of those things where our team knew how big it was,
group, and everybody has got to be people either say, 'Jeez, nice play,' especially with them being in
able to contribute." if it works, or if it doesn't work third (place) and us only a game
But the Badgers wouldn't go then it's, 'Jeez, you're an idiot,' " behind.
away. Junior guard Jade Davis Borseth said. "It was a ball screen, -. "We knew we hac to come in
caught fire, hitting three 3-point- assimple an t.We knew they'd here and win this."
Despite injuries, 'M' easily tops UIC
By MICHAEL LAURILA
Daily Sports Writer
Taking at least the top-two
spots in the first four events, the
No. 6 Michigan Men's gymnas-
tics team defeated No. 13 Univer-
sity of Illinois-Chicago this past
Saturday at Cliff Keen Arena.
Even without freshman Sam
Mikulak - the Wolverines top
vault competitor - and senior
Ben Baldus-Strauss, Michigan
still defeated the Flames 341.90-
322.70. Mikulak was suffering
from a sternum and lower back
problem and Baldus-Strauss
wore a sling on Saturday, while
recovering from a previous inju-
ry.
Senior Chris Cameron com-
peted after missing last week,
but his ailments aren't complete-
ly gone. The U.S. Senior National
Team member took third place
on the pommel horse and still
rings, but was troubled by falls
and poor dismounts on the high
bar and floor exercise. As he's
still recovering, he couldn't per-
fect most of his routines this
week in practice.
"(Cameron) wasn't prepared
well, and he's still battling some
mystery illness," Michigan coach
Kurt Golder said. "At least he
was better enough to feel like
'I can get in the meet,' but that
doesn't mean the preparation
has been there. Hopefully if he
can get feeling better, than we
can get him back on track and
back where he belongs."
But injured gymnasts aside,
senior's Thomas Kelley and
Ian Makowske, redshirt junior
Andrew Vance, sophomore
Rohan Sebastian and freshman
Michael Myler led the way for
Michigan
Kelley captured first place
on the parallel bars and second
place on the still rings and high
bar. And Myler took second place
on the pommel horse and floor
exercise, respectively.
Senior Adam Hamers equaled
his highest pommel horse score
of the season en route to win-
ning the event. On the pommel
horse, along with the still rings
and vault, the Wolverines swept
the events, taking first through
fourth.
"I thought I did pretty well,"
Myler said. "I've been struggling
a little bit on pommel horse late-
ly, butI kind of pulled it together
this week and focused more on
form and trying to maximize my
execution score."
Without the usual high vault
score of Mikulak, Sebastian
earned the event title. His score
of 15.75 surpassed his season-
best score.
Since UIC isn't one of the
strongest opponents Michigan
has faced this season, the Wol-
verines came into the competi-
tion with a different preparation.
"I felt the team today didn't
really rise to the occasion," Kel-
ley said. "We were trying to go
into this meet competing against
ourselves and competing against
our team score. I feel like we
performed to the standards of
our competition as opposed to
ourselves."
This was particularly evident
on the last two rotations.
After the fourth rotation, the
Wolverines led by 16.20. Nor-
mally on the last two rotations
- parallel bars and high bar -
Michigan is competing to earn a
victory. On Saturday, none of the
pressure to hit a set was there on
those last rotations.
"It's a little more difficult
when you know you've got them
beat," Golder said. "Sometimes
it's difficult to keep the incentive
up."
Michigan will have plenty
of opportunity for a close meet
next weekend as No. 4 Stanford
travels to Cliff Keen Arena. Last
season, the Cardinal were the
runner-up to the Wolverines at
the NCAA Championships.
"They're going to be coming
after us big time," Golder said.
"We are the target. They were, at
least I thought, supposed to win
NCAA's last year, and then we
knocked them off. I'm sure their
whole year since NCAA's has
been pointed to this meet."
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