Sports mond y
UThe Michigan Daily j michigandailycom Januaryl14,2013
IN
AND
OUT
Michigan 53
Ohio State 56
Albrecht sparks
near comeback
Buckeyes spoil chance
at top ranking in nation
Freshman point
guard brought 'M'
back from brink
By STEVEN BRAID
Daily SportsEditor
COLUMBUS - Michigan
coach John Beilein glanced down
his bench. He was looking for
someone, anyone, who was going
to play with control, play with
heart, play like they wanted 'to
be on the court at the Value City
Arena against No. 15 Ohio State
in Columbus.
The enormity of the stage
appeared too large for the sec-
ond-ranked Wolverines, the
pressure too high. They commit-
ted eight turnovers in the first10
minutes of action. Their offense
was stagnant, and their defense
was soft.
And so with less than seven
minutes remaining in the first
half, and Michigan down 29-8,
Beilein inserted backup point
guard Spike Albrecht into the
game.
"We just wanted him to keep
things simple," Beilein said.
"He's a single hitter."
See ALBRECHT, Page 3B
Burke's 3-pointer
rattles out in final
seconds of loss
By EVERETT COOK
Daily Sports Editor
COLUMBUS - A win would
have made Michigan the No. 1
team in the country for the first
time since 1992.
A successful showing in
Columbus would have made the
Wolverines 17-0, their best start
in program history.
Beating Ohio State would
have given Michigan coach
John Beilein his best start to a
season as a coach anywhere, at
any level.
Maybe most importantly, a
win would have proved that the
relatively untested Wolverines
could compete with the best
teams in the country on the
road, and it could have made the
upcoming gauntlet that, is the
Big Ten seem a little more man-
ageable.
But in its biggest game of the
season, on its biggest stage, No. 2
Michigan was outmatched, out-
played and beat up for most of
the contest in a 56-53 loss to No.
15 Ohio State on Sunday.
Sophomore point guard Trey
Burke, a Columbus native who
grew up wanting to play for the
Buckeyes, started the game off
with a confident 3-pointer. This
was the Michigan fans had seen
all season - bold, strong and at
times, cocky. This was expected.
The Wolverines not scor-
ing for the next seven minutes
and 44 seconds of game time
was not. By the time freshman
forward Glenn Robinson III
hit Michigan's second bucket, a
3-pointer, Michigantrailed 16-6.
The Wolverines couldn't move
the ball against Ohio State's
physical perimeter defenders
and struggled to get the ball
even close to the key.
"This team - and (Ohio State
coach Thad Matta's) teams have
always been this way - but
this one, the perimeter defense
in particular is exceptional,"
Beilein said of the Buckeyes.
See MICHIGAN, Page 3B
Wolverines extend
streak, beat Badgers
ICE HOCKEY
Making history,
only the wrong kind
Michigan off
to best start in
program history
By ALEXA DETTELBACH
Daily Sports Writer
It wasn't pretty for the Michi-
gan women's basketball team
Sunday, but, as they have each
of the previous eight games, the
Wolverines found a way to win.
Michigan beat Wisconsin 54-43
at the Crisler Center to extend
its winning streak to nine and
to improve upon its best start in
program history.
"Golly that was ugly," said
Michigan
coach Kim WISCONSIN 43
Barnes MICHIGAN 54
Arico.
"But we've said multiple times
to this point, an ugly win is bet-
ter than a pretty loss."
It took the Wolverines (3-0
Big Ten, 14-2 overall) 6:33 to
hit their first field goal, and by
then, the Badgers led 9-0. The
basket came from senior guard
Jenny Ryan and was quickly fol-
lowed by a turnover by Wiscon-
sin (0-3, 8-9) and a jump shot on
the other end from senior center
Rachel Sheffer.
Little did Michigan know,
those four points would be
almost a quarter of the points
scored in the first half by the
Wolverines, who produced their
second-lowest scoring half this
season with just 19 points.
In the first 12 minutes of play,
Michigan shot a measly 16.7 per-
cent from the field. The Badgers'
offense, though, was no better,
ending the half shooting 33 per-
cent from the field.
"Wisconsin really exposed
us offensively," Barnes Arico
said., "They did a tremendous
job on the defensive end. I was
happy we were able to make
(some) plays in the second half
and come from behind which is
something we haven't had to do
much all year."
In the second half, the Wol-
verines were unable to clean up
their offensive slump, but they
This is what history
sounds like.
Techno music blaring
from the visitors' locker room.
A hearty chuckle from Alaska
coach Dallas Ferguson - nearly
two decades worth of stress alle-
viated with a game that wasn't
even close.
This has become a historical
season for the Michigan hockey
team, and not the good kind.
On Sat-
urday night
Michigan
made dubi-
ous history
again. Alas-
ka, winless
since Nov.
16 entering
the weekend, MATT SLOVIN
swept the
Wolverines for the first time in
an all-time series that isn't at
all close. Entering-the weekend,
Michigan led 42-10-1.
Ferguson knew that the
Nanooks were making his-
tory, but forgive him if he's still
adjusting to takingsix points in
one weekend. This season, six
points in amonth was closer to
the norm.
"To be honest with you, it's
the first sweep we've had in a
long time as a program," Fer-
guson said. "Michigan - I've
always had so much respect
for their program and for their
coaching staff. For our team to
come in on the road and get six
points, it's real big for us."
If Alaska was trying to play
the role of the underdog this
weekend, it didn't do a very good
job.
Red Berenson is adjusting
too; it's the sweepers who have
become the sweepees.
"In years past, we would lose
a game but we'd bounce back
the next night," Berenson said.
"I can't remember being swept
like we are this year. Look in the
records, I don't think that's hap-
pened in a long time."
Michigan has now been swept
twice this year, both at home. It's
See HISTORY, Page 2B
Senior guard Jenny Ryan scored a career-high 19 points against Wisconsin
and was the only Michigan player in double digits.
did just enough to get by. Shoot-
ing 48 percent in the second half,
and making all ten free throws,
Michigan was able to rally.
Leading the way was Ryan,
who stole the show with a huge
3-pointer six and a half min-
utes into the half. Ryan ended
the game with a career high 19
points while adding four steals;
she was the only player in dou-
ble digits for Michigan and
played the entire game. Overall,
the Wolverines ended the game
shooting 38 percent.
See STREAK, Page 3B
SHORT TRACK
Against Eastern Michigan, the No.1
Michigan men's swimming and diving
team became the first team since 1967 to
compete in a 20-yard pool. Page 2B
NOBODY'S PERFECT
For the Michigan men's basketball
team, Sunday's smackdown was a reality
check and a long fall down from its perch
atop the basketball world. Page 2B
C