Page 8-The Michigan Daily-Sports Monday-January21, 1991
F0 COURTL
Women head 'back to
Women drop two on the road
the basics'
after losses
by Albert Lin
Daily Basketball Writer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Michigan lost two games this weekend, but
hopefully these losses will not go for naught. The Wolverines now know
what they must do to get on the winning track: go back to basics.
All the problems of this weekend can be tied to mental awareness. The
things Michigan did not do on the court were a result of a lack of focus..
Many baskets this weekend were scored on individual efforts, whether
one-on-one moves or offensive putbacks. The few open jumpers Michigan
got were the result of passes from the low post. But the Wolverines took
most of their shots with a defender in their face.
And the reason for all this? The lack of a fundamental basketball skill. In
fact, it is a talent that does not even require much basketball ability: setting
screens.
It does not take a whole lot to be able to stand in someone's way, so
your teammate can get open. Yet that is just what did not happen.
"We're not headhunting; we're just not screening and setting the picks
we need," senior Carol Szczechowski said.
"We have to screen if we're going to run an offense," Michigan coach
Bud VanDeWege said. "We never really were fluid offensively in either
game. I just hope (the team) learns something about the need to screen, and
the need to make sharper cuts. You can't make rounded cuts against a man-
to-man and expect to get open."
Patience is another attribute the Wolverines lacked; an ability to not
panic when the other team is playing tough.
"We're not staying in the offense," Szczechowski said. "We're getting
out of the offense too easily because of the good defensive pressure." ..
"We always want to make the play in the first ten seconds," redshirt
frosh Michelle Hall said. "We have a lot of time we should be using."
The Wolverine offense was also hindered by another aspect of the mental
game. Hall admitted that there were times when she was not in the right
place on the floor. How can a team function if, when running plays,
members are not even where they are supposed to be? This is clearly not a
lack of ability, but a lack of concentration.
Finally, there was something that absolutely should not happen.
Basketball people will tell you that shooting free throws involves mostly
concentration. After all, getting a shot off with no one in your way is not
difficult. Yet, on Sunday, Michigan shot a dismal 43 percent from the line.
There was one stretch in the first half, when on five of six possessions,
the Wolverines missed the front end of a one-and-one. It seemed like the
Illini were fouling on purpose, knowing that they would get the ball back
with no harm done.
Michigan must shore up these difficiences before the season progresses
any further. If not, everyone will be in for a long, unpleasant ride.
by Albert Lin
Daily Basketball Writer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The
Michigan women's basketball
team found out this weekend just
how tough winning on the road in
the Big Ten can be. After suffering
a defeat Friday night at Purdue,
the Wolverines fell to Illinois yes-
terday, 81-66.
"I am a little disappointed be-
cause we're better than this, better
than the way we're playing,"
Michigan coach Bud VanDeWege
said. "But Illinois was the better
team today - there is no question
they outplayed us."
In a game similar to its
matchup with the Boilermakers,
Michigan (8-7 overall, 1-4 Big
Ten) fell behind big at the half
against the Illini, 44-30, but man-
aged to claw back to a 57-52
deficit.
At that point, Illinois junior
Sharmella Walker took over.
Walker scored 12 of her 20 points
in the last nine minutes, as the
Illini (7-9,;4-2) put the game out of
reach.
"We just couldn't get over that
hump," Michigan guard Carol
Szczechowski (27 points) said.
"It's hard to go down by that much
at halftime and come back, let
alone get over that other hump,
especially when you're on the
road."
"I knew going in, it was going
to be a game we needed to play
well and play hard for 40 min-
utes," Illinois coach Kathy Lind-
sey said. "I thought our defensive
effort was probably one of our bet-
ter ones for the season. I don't
think there was much time for
them to rest."
The big difference in the game
was in the paint and, subsequently,
at the foul line. Illinois had 24
more attempts than the Wolver-
ines, who were frequently frus-
trated by the Illini's big people.
Even though Illinois didn't
reach the penalty situation in the
second half, VanDeWege was not
upset by the officiating.
"(The free throw disparity) was
clearly a case of our inability to
get the ball inside... and their abil-
ity to do so," VanDeWege said. "I
did not think the game was poorly
officiated."
The Wolverines didn't help
their cause in the first half by
missing the front half of five one-
and-ones.
"I think our free throw shooting
just killed us - absolutely killed
us," VanDeWege.
Despite their inability at the
line, the Wolverines hung tough in
the first half, playing the Illini
even through the first twelve min-
utes. But Illinois began to pull
away, opening up a ten-point lead.
With 33 seconds remaining in
the half, Wolverine Jen Nuanes
was called for a foul. VanDeWege
protested and was assessed a tech-
nical. Mandy Cunningham sank all
four free throws to give Illinois a
twelve-point lead.
"I don't think it's appropriate
that I got a technical for what I
said," VanDeWege admitted. "Ob-
viously, it hurt at that time to give
up four quick points."
Friday night, the Boilermakers
(15-1, 6-0) showed why they are
No. 8 in the country, by trouncing
Michigan 72-52.
The pivotal point of the game
came at the 14-minute mark of the
second half. With Purdue leading
47-40, Michigan threw the ball on
MICHIGAN (66)
Plamcr TFG FT R A PF TP
McCal 2.-5 0-1 3 2 2 4
VanSte 0.2 2-2 4 1 0 2
Sczec owski 12-18 3-5 6 7 2 27
Loerw 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0
Nuanes 1-S 0-0 4 1 1 2
Beaudry 03 0-3 5 0 5 0
Wooldridge 02 0-0 0 1 1 0
Jones 2.3 0-1 3 1 0 4
Durnd 6-12 1-2 4 3 1
Andrew 6-10 0-0 6 0 4 1
Hall 1-9 0-0 5 1 4 2
Jokisch 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0
Totals 30-69 6-14 44 18 2166
3-pt goals: 05 (Szc chowski 0-2, Nuanes 02. Durand 0
1) 0%-..435, 3-pt P0%. .000, FT%- .429. Bks: 6 ( An-
drew4,Nuanes 1,Hall 1).Tunovers: 19.steals: 3(Mc-
Call 1, Szczachowski 1. Wooldridge 1).
ILLINOIS (81)
Plan1, TFG FT R A PF TP
Estey 1-4 2-2 2 11 1 4
Roach 0-0 0-0 0 0 2 0
Booker 1-3 0.0 2 3 2 2
Klinger 2,3 0-0 0 3 1
C wmingham 5-13 10.12 10 1 2
Sharp 3-10 6-6 5 2 3 13
Walker 5-7 10-12 9 0 2 20
Riley 1-4 1-2 7 2 2 3
Wars 6-21 3-4 9 0 4 15
Totals 24-65 32.38 46 22 19 81
3-pt. goals: 1-6 (Sharp 1-3, Cunningham 0-3). FG%-.369.
.3-pt. FG%-.167. FT%-.842. Biks: 1 (Waters 1). Turnovers.
12. Steals: 10(Estey 3, Sharp 2, Waters 2, Booker 1, Roach
1 Walkcr 1).
consecutive possessions directly
into the hands of Boilermaker Joy
Holmes, who scored on two break-
aways to put Purdue up by 11. TA
Wolverines didn't get any clos
the rest of the game.
I,
Men's
by Kevin Sundm
Daily Sports Writer
track makes strides at Michigan Relays*
an
The Michigan men's track team
entered the Michigan Relays look-
ing for some hint of early-season
improvement, but it was greeted
with only mixed results.
The team had some notable
performances, but Michigan coach
Jack Harvey wasn't entirely satis-
fied with his team's effort.
"We had some bright spots, but
we still have some areas where we
need guys to make the necessary
improvements to help the team,"
Harvey said.
The Wolverines' strongest
event at the meet was the Invita-
tional Mile, in which the team gar-
nered four of the top six places.
Seniors Brad Barquist and Neal
Newman took second and third, re-
spectively, while junior Dan Oden
captured fourth.;
The squad also had two NCAA
provisional qualifying efforts. So-
phomore Dan Reddan cleared 7'
1/2" in the high jump, while junior
Jerry Douglas posted a time of 7.38
in the 55 meter hurdles.
These performances could be
enough to get them into the NCAA
indoor meet if not enough partici-
pants qualify through the auto-
matic qualifying standards in both
events.
The Wolverines were predict-
ably strong in the pole vault where
senior Brad Darr and frosh Toby
Van Pelt finished second and
fourth, respectively, both clearing
a height of 16' 6 1/2".
In the shot put, junior Mike
Hennessey continues to make
strides in bettering his first-place
effort of a week ago by claiming
second place this week with a toss
of 52' 3 1/4".
"You can't expect a whole lot
early in the season," Harvey said.
"But some of our guys know they
can definitely do better. We still
have a long way to go, but I would
like to think we are on our way to
becoming a very competitive
team."
NN
:: .:n'"^.J,:: ,., "firM...:fi~wv.n.":Jt r MO°9
'
'' .c'-
(4, : : r:> s.
,
J f 4'
+' Nr' . ..
/ '1
+
i_
...._.,eeL319f4__""
<\*129
:~
Victorious Bills, Giants head
to Empire State Super Bowl
BUFFALO (AP) - The Buffalo The Bills, seemingly unable to
Bills had the no-huddle and the Los wait to get to Tampa for their first
Angeles Raiders had no chance. Super Bowl, didn't huddle, didn't try
to eat up the clock and didn't take
one step backward Sunday in a
record-setting 51-3 rout of t*
Raiders for the AFC Championship.
The Bills (15-3) overwhelmed the
Raiders from the beginning, scoring
a record 41 points in the first half,
operating almost exclusively from
the no-huddle attack and the shotgun.
:.:. . Thurman Thomas ran over,
around, and through the befuddled
Raiders as the Bills piled up 503 to-
tal yards.
Thomas showed exactly why l#
led the NFL in total yardage with
170 yards in the opening half. He
finished with 138 rushing, five re-
ceptions for 61 yards and scored the
second touchdown on a 12-yard run.
It was the Bills' first champi-
onship since winning the AFL title
in 1965, the year before the first
Super Bowl.
GIANTS 15, 49ERS 13
SAN FRANCISCO - Lawrenc'
Taylor, the Giants' superstar
linebacker and undisputed leader,
recovered a fumble by Roger Craig
to set up Matt Bahr's 42-yard field
goal as time expired Sunday to give
the Giants a 15-13 victory and ruin
the the 49ers' bid for an un-
precedented third straight Super Bowl
championship.
Bahr's fifth field goal of tho
game, tying a playoff record, gave
the Giants their second NFC cham-
pionship in five years and sent them
into next Sunday's Super Bowl
against the Buffalo Bills.
With 2:36 left, quarterback Joe
Montana out of the game with a
bruised sternum and the 49ers lead-
ing 13-12, as Craig ran into the link
Giants nose tackle Erik Howar-
poked the ball loose. Taylor caught
it in the air at the New York 43.
Seven plays later, from the 24,
Bahr kicked the winning field goal
just inside the left upright and kicked
the 49ers out of the history books.
American Exress
Announces A Great New
Travel Program.
Now students can get the Card
and get 3 roundtrips on Continental
Airlines, for only $129 or $189 each.
48 contiguous states. And you can fly almost anytime-because
there are no blackout dates. But you must make your reservations
within 14 days of the day you leave. And the maximum stay is
7 days/'6 nights and must include a Saturday night. -
In addition to this great travel program, you'll also enjoy all
the benefits of Cardmembership as well as other exclusive student
privileges. They include a quarterly magazine filled with informa-
tive articles on summer jobs, careers, campus life. Plus valuable
discounts from leading retailers.
But remember, there's only one way to get all this-and that's
by getting the American Express Card. Just call us (have your bank
: ; address and account number on hand). What's more,
kianko'~s
k44
COPIES
with this couponf
8 1/2 X 11, white, Wtfserve or auto fed only
expires 41 3091
Open 24 Hours 4
r
There's only one way to cover a lot of territory without spending
a lot of money And that's by getting the American Express* Card.
It's the only card that offers an exciting new travel program.
exclusively for students-including three roundtrip certificates on
Continental Airlines.
w"49
Y
E
,
I :19MMAle, ,,-