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." Cooley Open HouseWeek Experience Cooley - visit any~of our campuses. u¢4! March 7-10,2011 * 4-7 P.M. Monday, March 7 Tuesday, March 8 Wednesday,March 9 Thursday, March 10 GRAND RAPIDS LANSING ANNARBOR AUBURN HILLS Attend a Cooley Law School spring open house atany of Cooley's four Michigan campuses.Cooley administrators,departmentrepresentatives,students,and faculty members will be available to answer your questions about Cooley Law School. Register online to attend the campus or campuses of your choice at cooleyedu or register onsite, Learn about cooley at cooley.edu Thomas n Cooley Law School is conuotted to a fair and objective admissions policy.subject to space lnitations Cowley offers the opportunity for legal education to al qualified appicantsCooley abides by all federal and state taws against discrimination. In addition. Cooley abides byAnerican Bar Association Standard 211 (a). which provides that "a law school shall foster and maintain equality of opportunity at legal education, including employment of faculty and suaf. without discrimination or segregaion on the% . basis of race, color Million, national origin, gender, sexual orientaion, age or dimaiity"LermoeautC lyOpnH ss 'zit aa^S and register online to attend 3 34) 3 Amts Arbor, MI48104