U The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com 1aJanuary10, 2011

NOT UTTE

Kansas 67
Michigan 60

Despite
poor
shooting,
.Blue
holds its
own with
Kansas
By ZAK PYZIK
Daily Sports Editor
After missing four 3-point-
ers and giving the ball away four
times, there were few options left
for Michigan men's basketball
guard Darius Morris in the Wol-
verines 67-60 loss against No. 3
Kansas at Crisler Arena.
The net began to shrink on
Sunday, but the sophomore knew
he had to do something. With just
34 seconds left in the game and
Michigan down two points, Mor-
ris cranked a six-foot turnaround
jumper that sent the Wolverines
into overtime against the Jay-
hawks - it was the first time the
score was tied since tipoff.
"Coach drew up a play and we
ran it and they countered it, kind
of stopped it for a little bit, coun-
tered it," Morris said on Sunday.
"And I was blessed enough to hit
a shot."
Carrying a lot of momentum
from the end of the second half,
the Wolverines took their first
lead all afternoon in overtime
when junior guard Zack Novak
drained a 3-pointer to open the
extra period.
"When Zack Novak hit that
three in overtime to put us up by
three after they had missed the
first opportunity, I really thought
that I wouldn't be standing here
in this situation," Michigan coach
John Beilein said. "We played
well enough to hang in there on
defense, just their defense is dif-
ficult ... There's a reason they're
such a good team."
See KANSAS, Page 3B

Too
little,
too late
for M
Morris
Beilein
By LUKE PASCH
Daily Sports Writer
Sometimes, there is such a
thing as too much patience.
In the first half of yesterday's
men's basketball game against No.
3 Kansas, Michigan point guard
Darius Morris would look for his
options from the top of the key.
He'd swing the ball to his wing
men, and they'd pass it back. He'd
drive to the high post, hesitate and
back it out to the perimeter. He'd
look for one of his big men under
the hoop, but they were consis-
tently smotheredby the Jayhawks'
Morris twins.
All too fast, the Maize Rage
would start counting down from
10. It was like a warning siren that
suddenly owned Morris's head,
telling him that 35 seconds on the
shot clock just wasn't enough time
to penetrate the Kansas defense.
IRIS RYBA/Daly He'd have to do it himself - he'd

Freshman Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Wolverines with 19 points in Michigan's 67-60 loss to the third-ranked Jayhawks.
No moral victries in Kansas loss

Zack Novak was finally
spent.
The junior guard fouled
out with seven seconds remaining
in overtime
Sunday eve- BEN
ning against ESTES
No. 3 Kansas.
Time hadn't On Men's
expired yet, Basketball
but the game
was over. The
Jayhawks had a five-point lead.
They'd soon add two free throws

to give the game its 67-60 final
score, but they were inconsequen-
tial.
Michigan, despite somehow
willing its way to the extra period,
and even after taking its first lead
of the night a minute into over-
time, was going to lose.
Its potential upset - the same
kind of win that propelled the
team to the NCAA Tournament
two seasons ago when the Wol-
verines defeated then-No. 4 Duke
at Crisler Arena - was off the

table. Fans may remember this
one for months or even years, but
it's still doomed to its place in the
Michigan annals: a loss, and noth-
ing more. '
Novak - the Wolverines' spiri-
tual leader, the one guy who can
be counted on every time out to do
everything he can to get his team
a win without giving a thought to
the damage his body may incur -
was now powerless.
All he could do was slowly
trudge off the Crisler court,

resigned to his team's fate.
The junior took his time get-
ting to the bench. He knew that
once he got there, the brief ray of
light that had grown and grown
as Michigan fought hack against
mighty Kansas would be defini-
tively gone.
Novak doesn't believe in moral
victories. He certainly wasn't
thinking about one as he walked
off the court. And when asked
by reporters after the game if his
See ESTES, Page 3B

have to create his own shot.
And that's exactly where Kan-
sas coach Bill Self wanted the
Michigan offense. As a sopho-
more, Morris has played with
the ability of an upperclassman,
pacing the Wolverine offense in
points and assists along the way.
But there's no getting around it -
Morris is still young. He still feels
the pressure when facing one of
the nation's top defenses.
And in those situations, Mor-
ris's athletic ability can be over-
shadowed by his lack of poise.
"It was just the atmosphere,"
Morris said of the offense's first-
half play. "There were a lotof emo-
tions going around. That's normal
See MORRIS, Page 3B

Michigan resilient in MSU split

By MARK BURNS overtime victory at home on Fri-
Daily Sports Editor day night while the Wolverines
bounced back and trounced Michi-
A hockey observer looking at gan State, 4-0, at Yost Ice Arena on
the CCHA standings might think Saturday.
Michigan State is just a basement "I think they were maybe a
dweller without much promise. little overconfident after the Big
After all, MICHIGAN 3 Chill game and the Joe Louis
the Spar- MICHIGAN STATE 4 experience," Berenson said of his
tans are -- team after Saturday night's game.
sitting MICHIGAN STATt 0 "Maybe our team thought we had
in 10th MICHIGAN 4 an edge."
place In the first game of the week-
coming into the second half of the end series, the Spartans had a clear
regular season. edge through the first 55 minutes
But Michigan hockey coach Red of play inside Munn Ice Arena. And
Berenson knew the Wolverines' in- with a 3-1 lead heading down the
state rival would be a "better team" stretch, Michigan State looked to
in the latter part of conference play. be in control.
And the 27-year head coach was That was until the Wolverines'
right - at least for the first week- special teams and David Wohlberg
end in January - as Michigan and emerged.
Michigan State split their weekend After surrendering two power
home-and-home series. play goals earlier in the night to
The Spartans secured a 4-3 Spartan captain Torey Krug - who

eventually notched a third goal
against Michigan - freshman Luke
Moffatt tallied the Wolverines'
second power play goal, tipping in
a wrist shot with just under three
minutes left in the game to bring
Michigan within one goal.
Looking for the equalizer with
less than a minute to play in regu-
lation, Berenson pulled senior net-
minder Shawn Hunwick to gain the
extra attacker. And with 13 seconds
left on the clock, junior forward
David Wohlberg threw a backhand
from behind the goal line off Spar-
tan goalie Will Yanakeff's back and
into the net.
The goal was eerily similar to
Wohlberg's game-tying goal at Fer-
ris State on Oct. 28, when he scored
with 13 seconds left on the clock as
well.
Against the Spartans, the
momentum at the end of regulation
didn't carry into overtime. Spartan

defenseman Matt Grassi let a slap
shot go from the right point, which
was tipped in by Daultan Leveille.
"It's a tough loss for sure," senior
co-captain Carl Hagelin said. "We
showed a lot of character today
coming back the way we did ... Right
now, it doesn't feel good, that's for
sure. (Saturday's) another day, and
we know we can beat these guys."
Berenson added: "Good home
win for Michigan State, and it's a
bad road loss for Michigan."
Even with the tough loss, Michi-
gan (10-4-1-0, CCHA, 13-6-4 over-
all) had the opportunity to bounce
back and secure a series split. And
prior to the second game on Satur-
day, the Wolverines had their cus-
tomary morning meeting in which
Berenson and the coaching staff
address the team, discussing the
previous night's contest and the
gameplan for the upcoming game.
See MSU SPLIT, Page 3B

AKE FROMM/Daily
part of a physical weekend split with MSU.

Junior defenseman Greg Pateryn was


SMC: LES IS MORE
* Daily Sports Editor Ryan Kartje says that
LSU's Les Miles should be Michigan's choice
to replace Rich Rodriguez. Page 2B

DEFENDING HOME ICE
U Backed by four power play goals,'M' earns
split in home-and-home series, Hunwick is the
first Michigan goalie since 19-7 to blank te
Spartans twice in the same se: .n. Page 

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