4B - November 17 2014 Sport'SMo*nday The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4B - November 17,2014 SportsMoilday The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wolverines rally to top Bucknell MEN'S BASKETBALL Transition spurns M' over Hillsdale By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Writer For the aecond straight game, the Michigan women's basketball team found itself battling more adversity than expected against a low-tier, non-conference opponent. A BUCKNELL 61 number MICHIGAN 68 of players found themselves in foul trouble all game, the tired defense allowed a 26-13 run to close the first half, and the offense struggled with the turnover bug. But yet again, the Wolverines bailedthemselvesoutwith timely shooting. Hitting 53.8 percent of its shots from behind the arc and riding strong performances from two starting guards, Michigan (2-0) eked out a 68-61 victory over Bucknell on Sunday. Senior guard and leading scorer Shannon Smith exited the kame with two fouls in the first four minutes, forcing other Wolverines to shoulder the offensive load. Sophomore guard Siera Thompson keyed aS-1run in the first half, knocking down three 3-pointers and forcing the Bison into a22-8 hole early on. After a defensive lapse allowed Buck ell to take the lead early in the second half, it was freshman guard Katelynn Flaherty's turn. to step up. After the Wolverines fought back to claim a 50-47lead, Flaherty hit a layup in heavy traffic, and tk7e lead neverslipped within one possession again. Flaherty finished with a team- high 15 points, shooting 6 of 9 from the floor. "When (Smith) came out, we distributed the ball as best we could without her," Flaherty said. "We did a good job holding up herend of the points today." Smith never quite lpoked herself after the early fouls, throwing up a few errant shots and managing just seven.points. Her saving grace was a 3-pointer early in the second half that put By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Writer It wasn't pretty at the start, but by the end of the Michigan men's . basketball team's 92-68 win over ,\lIi&lUdale, the familiar sights of raining 3-pointers and two- handed, breakaway dunks ruled the day again. Trailing early, the Wolverines used their speed on defense and in transition to grab a lead on the Chargers they did not relinquish. At the game's outset, the Wolverines appeared to be forcing shots from beyond the are early in the shot clock. That, combined with Hillsdale's Stedman Lowry opening the game with 11 points in the first 4:37, prompted the Wolverines to amp up their intensity on defense. And once they did, they found their rhythm. Creating fast breaks led to easy dunks and often resulted in open space on the offensive end, leading to uncontested 3-pointers. Michigan made 9 of 11 triples to close the first half after starting 0-for-3 from deep. "I think they were a little more comfortable with us sitting back and trying to negotiate screens and make sure we weren't getting back cut and stuff like that," said sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. "Once the guys kind of put more heat on the ball, we generated more steals and leak- outs, and we're really good in transition, so (we) got some easy baskets." Walton, sophomore forward Zak Irvin and junior guard Caris LeVert hit consecutive 3-pointers in a one-minute span to pull Michigan back into the game. The Chargers operate out of the swing offense, which emphasizes ball motion around the perimeter to create open cuts to the basket. But while Michigan worried about those cuts, Hillsdale was hitting shots from outside. Lowry sank two triples in the first three minutes before the Wolverines went to a more aggressive defensive set. Michigan went on a 28-9. run over a 10-minute span in the middle of the first half and went into the break up 50-33. Of those 50 points,16 were off turnovers. The Chargers cut the Michigan lead to 10 early in the second frame, but the Wolverines clamped down again, allowing just eight points in the last eight minutes. "We just put more pressure on the ball," said Michigan coach John Beilein. "Get the guy so he's got to pivot a little bit more and then get in some passing lanes. That was the difference to let us get away, or that could have been an 8-10 point game." One of the most active defenders was freshman forward Kameron Chatman, who had three steals in the first half and finished the game with four. Chatman used his length to break up telegraphed passes and hit outlets to push the ball up court. And when the run was on, LeVert was usually in the thick of it. The junior finished with 21 points and nine assists, dishing if he was pressed and taking lanes when he saw them. Michigan's superior speed and athleticism showed in the open court, while Hillsdale struggled togetbackon defense. "We were just talking more, talking and communicating, which led to getting in transition," Irvin said. "When our defense turns into our offense, we're pretty good." RUBY WALLAU/Oaily SieraThompson helped the Michigan women's basketball team go on an early run, scoring 13 points total Sunday, Michigan on top f "It changes e player's mindset, up an early foul,' coach Kim Bar think that kind with Shannon (s she was kind of out of it a little bit. We have to be smart. We'll try to keep our hands off and try to set the tone without fouling." Smith and Flaherty each finished with four fouls, and though Barnes Ar with some of the: the referee's ear blocking foul on violations were it for good. physical defense Michigan was ach individual forced to play. when they pick The Wolverines' front court said Michigan had its hands full as well. Senior nes Arico. "I forward Cyesha Goree spent of happened most of the game matched up Smith) tonight, against Bison center Audrey Dotson, who put up 17 points and "It changes each 11 11 rebounds. player's mindset Another senior when they pick up forward, Nicole' an early foul. Elmblad, found herself at a height disadvantage against ico didn't agree 6-foot-1 forward Claire DeBoer, m - she was in which forced her to play with after an early a very aggressive, high-octane Smith - the style. Elmblad fouled out with ndicative of the just under two minutes to go, forcing freshman forward Jillian Dunston into action. "(Elmblad) did a, great job defensively tonight," Barnes Arico said. "She got some tough calls that I wasn't sure were hers, but she just plays so hard. When she's not on the court - her experience gives us a calming presence - it's tough for us. I was a little concerned with her fouling out and Jillian having to be out there, but Jillian did a good job." Both Goree and Elmblad reached double figures in scoring and had 18 combined rebounds. As the defense scrapped and clawed to keep the game close, Michigan's balanced scoring attack put it over the hump. Five players finished in double digits, which proved to be enough to hold off a surging Bucknell offense. VOLLEYBALL Wolverines take care of Ohio St. Trio forming imposing line By OLIVER HENRY For the Daily After losing to No. 17 Ohio State in Columbus earlier in the season, the Michigan volleyball team got revenge Saturday, winning a four-set thriller, 25-22,25-14,21-25,25-23. Unlike the previous meeting, the Wolverines controlled the tempoofthematchandgarnered much-needed momentum to win two of the first three sets. Despite Michigan's fast start, the Buckeyes refused to go down easily, Just as the Wolverines began tasting a victory at 24-17 in the fourth set, Ohio State rallied to make the score 24-23. However, freshman defensive specialist Caroline Knop ended the late threat with a kill to give Michigan (7-9 Big Ten, 12-14 overall) the much-needed win. Despite the score, the Wolverines encountered their share of struggles during the match. The first set was off to a shaky start with three Michigan errors, but after an Ohio State timeout, theWolverines' quality of play improved. Throughout the set, Knop, freshman outside hitter Adeja Lambert, freshman middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright and sophomore middle blocker Abby Cole paced the Wolverine attack with 15 combined kills. Even while struggling serving, Michigan was able to capitalize on Buckeye errors and gain a 17-12 lead midway through the first frame. Ohio State (9-7, 18-10) foughttoclosethemarginto19-18, but the Wolverines persevered through great play from junior defensive specialist/libero Tiffany Morales and senior setter Lexi Dannemiller. Morales had three key digs while Dannemiller posted an impressive 14 assists to leadMichigan to a 25-22 first-set victory. The second set exemplified the growth of this young Wolverine team and its ability to rally and triumph. After trailing 7-3, Michigan rallied to take a 15-11 lead. Following an Ohio State timeout, the rest of the second set belonged solely to the Wolverines. Michigan went on a 10-3 run, highlighted by a. succession of kills by Knop and three straight thundering kills by Lambert to secure a 25-14 victory for the Wolverines. Despite losing the second set, the Buckeyes were able to battle back and win the third. Both sides traded points early in the set, leading to a 9-9 tie. However, Ohio State received help from an assortment of players who contributed kills to attain a 19-16 margin late in the frame. The lead held, despite Lambert and Cole posting five and four kills, respectively. Michigan came out with a distinct ferocity in the fourth set and displayed increased effort to attack and frustrate its rivals. "If you play with energy, effort' and enthusiasm," Knop said. "That's allyou need, and you will win 95 percent of the time." Michigan jumped out to an early 8-4 lead, and then extended that to 14-7 when Ohio State called a timeout. Knop and Lambert paced the attack with four and three kills, respectively, and Knop made the final kill to sealithe victory. With four games left in the season, Michigan coach Mark Rosen believes the team can go at least 3-1 to reach the needed overall record of .500 in order, to earn an NCAA tournament bid. But for that to happen, Rosen knows improvement is still needed. "We have really tried to adopt this mindset of growth mindset," Rosen said. "We need to continue to get better.... We want to walk in the gym and make sure we walk out at a different level, and that's a daily process." ByJASON RUBINSTEIN Daily Sports Writer And just like that, Red Berenson has seemingly struck gold again, using his wizardry to form another formidable line that can create countless chances for the Michigan hockey team. This past week, the Wolverines' coach moved sophomore forward JT Compher back to center - his normal position - after he struggled on the wing. He shifted junior forward Boo Nieves from center to right wing and completed the line with sophomore forward Max Shuart. Berenson said prior to the weekend that this line could be the team's best. And he may be right after the trio tallied a combined seven points - two goals and five assists - in Michigan's weekend sweep over American International College. From the opening draw Friday, Compher, Nieves and Shuart found chemistry in Compher's playmaking ability, Nieves' speed and length, and Shuart's skating ability and toughness. At the 10:54 mark in the second period Friday, sophomore defenseman Michael Downing dumped the puck into the Yellow Jackets' zone, and Nieves raced down the ice to beat out an icing. Once, he did, he found Compher at the right circle, and the center immediately slid a puck across the zone to Shuart who then found twine to finish a tic-tac- toe goal.. "I can't say enough about those guys - they're both really good players," Shuart said. "Obviously, I was just in the right spot at the right time. Anyone probably could have put that in, so it was just a really good play from the start. Boo beating out the icing, using his speed to get on there off a great pass by JT. 6 0 ALLISN FARRAND/Daily Sophomore forward Max Shuart was part of a retooled line that tallied seven points in Michigan's weekend sweep. "I'm really enjc with these guys take as much adv opportunity as I c Shuart's tally w many scoring oppc line created this w 12:41 remaining ii period Saturday corralled a puck zone. With seemingly no open passing lanes, he managed to find one - to AIC netminder Hunter Leisner's surprise - connecting with Nieves for the score. "It was kind of a Nieves said. "JT toward the net, it a backdoor thing yelled. A guy like the puck through skates and he did. easy for me to put of the net after tha oying playing Simple or not, Berenson , trying to knows Nieves' tally could be the antage of the spark the talented junior has an." been searching for all season. as just one of Nieves had looked lost playing ortunities the center through Michigan's first eekend. With seven games but, this weekend, n the second he looked like a new player on , Compher the wing - fighting for loose deep in the pucks, creating space for his linemates, finding the open line and re ll 1 'R peppering r l shots at the enjoy1ng- net. Part of that, Nieves playing w ith said, is because thes of Compher eguys. and Shuart, who have made playing "easy." Moving forward, Berenson said he broken play," believes Nieves' newfound was going confidence will help the was kind of Wolverines' right their shaky and I just start to the season. that can put "I think that is going to give a few guys' him confidence," Berenson said It was pretty of Nieves' goal. "I think this it in the back weekend, as much as we think t." we have to play better down the stretch, I think it gave a lot of our players confidence. They hadn't scored much, or they were a little bit stuck. I think they got some confidence, and Boo was one of those guys." More so, Nieves, Compher and Shuart have impressed despite the line's most potent scoring threat, Compher, not finding the back of the net through nine games. This isn't new to Compher, though, as he also failed to find twine through nine games last season. And even though he may not be scoring as much as he'd like, the Wolverines know it's not for a lack of effort. Berenson said Compher is "starting to be the JT we saw last year." And his teammates agree. "He usually does find the back of the net," Nieves said. "But he seems to be struggling here, but it's nothing to worry about, because he's a goal- scorer and he'll find a way. Once he scores one, I'm sure he'll score 100 more." For now, it appears Berenson has found the right linemates to get Compher going.