4B — January 11, 2016
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Michigan opens 
series with rout 
in East Lansing

Wolverines knock 
out Hildebrand in 
second period after 

seven goals

By MINH DOAN

Daily Sports Editor

EAST LANSING — If it wasn’t 

already clear this season, the 
Michigan 
hockey 
team 
can 

score goals.

Friday, the Wolverine offense 

exploded once again in a win 
over Michigan State (1-4-0 Big 
Ten, 5-14-2 overall) by a score of 
9-2 at Munn Ice Arena.

“It’s obviously nice when you 

beat State,” said junior forward 
JT Compher. “The offense was 
going today, which it has been 
most of the year.”

It didn’t start out well for 

the Wolverines (3-1-1, 12-3-3), 
though.

The Spartans put the first 

point on the scoreboard 9:26 
into the first period. Michigan 
State defenseman John Draeger 
found forward 
Mason 
Appleton 
alone 
inside 

the left faceoff 
circle 
and 

made 
the 

cross-ice pass. 
Appleton 
took the one-
timer off the 
shot, 
which 

ricocheted off 
a skate past senior goaltender 
Steve Racine for the freshman’s 
fourth tally of the season.

But as Michigan has done 

many times already this season, 
the Wolverines came right back, 
pouncing on a Spartan mistake 
less than three minutes later. 
Compher collected the puck off 
a Michigan State miscue and put 
the puck upstairs past Spartan 
goaltender Jake Hildebrand.

“(Junior 
forward 
Tyler 

Motte) did a great job keeping 
the puck in,” Compher said. “I 
was able to have a two-on-one 
with (freshman forward Kyle 
Connor), and saw (Hildebrand) 
creeping a little bit and put it 
over his shoulder.”

The Wolverines weren’t done, 

though — not by a long shot.

Fifty-seven 
seconds 
after 

Compher’s goal, with Michigan 
State forward Ryan Keller in 
the box less than 10 seconds, 
Michigan scored again.

A tic-tac-toe play saw senior 

forwards 
Boo 
Nieves 
and 

Justin Selman pass the puck 
before 
sophomore 
forward 

Tony Calderone finished off the 
play, one-timing the puck past 
Hildebrand.

And just 18 seconds later, 

junior forward Alex Kile found 

himself alone just outside the 
left faceoff circle and hit twine.

After Michigan State came 

back with a power-play goal 
of its own, Michigan cruised. 
Freshman forward Kyle Connor 
tallied his team-leading 13th goal 
of the season, and sophomore 
forward Dexter Dancs added his 
own to close out the scoring in 
the first period. 

While the second featured 

much less scoring, Michigan 
tallied each goal.

On the power play, junior 

forward Alex Kile found a 
trailing sophomore defenseman 
Zach 
Werenski, 
who 
had 

returned two days prior from 
captaining the U.S Junior Team 
at the World Championships, 
wide open in the slot. Werenski 
gathered the puck and buried it 
past Hildebrand.

Another Michigan goal from 

Connor was all Michigan State 
coach Tom Anastos needed to 
see to pull Hildebrand, the 2015 
Big Ten Player and Goaltender 
of the Year.

“You know you have to move 

(Hildebrand) 
side 
to 
side,” 

Compher said. “You have to try 
to beat him up top. You got to try 

get people to 
the net.”

Compher 

and 
Motte 

scored in the 
third 
period 

to round out 
the 
game’s 

scoring. Their 
line, 
which 

also includes 
Connor, 
finished 
the 

game with five goals and 13 
points.

“JT and Tyler have played 

solid all year,” said Michigan 
coach 
Red 
Berenson. 
“And 

with this kid (Connor) on the 
left wing, he just adds another 
dimension.

“It’s 
been 
good. 
They’ve 

been moving the puck, they’re 
working 
hard 
and 
they’re 

leaders. They’re a big part of our 
team.”

In net, Racine continued his 

run of good play since coming 
back from injury, stopping 24 
shots for his third straight win.

“(Racine’s) goals against are 

two a night,” Berenson said. 
“He’s made some good saves. 
Now, he’s only played three 
games in a row so I can’t tell you 
this is a trend, but good for him.”

It’s no surprise that Michigan 

can score goals. What the 
Wolverines 
have 
lacked, 

though, is consistency. After 
scoring seven and eight goals 
on Dartmouth and Minnesota, 
respectively, Michigan could 
muster just one and two goals 
the following nights.

So the real question for the 

Wolverines is: Can they come 
back and score nine goals 
tomorrow night?

‘M’ seeks scoring answer

Wolverines struggle 

to score against 
Purdue’s tough 

inside-outside ‘D’

By LEV FACHER

Daily Sports Writer

Purdue coach Matt Painter 

waited eight minutes before 
sending Michigan’s nightmare 
onto the court: two men who, 
stacked one atop the other, 
would weigh 532 pounds and 
stand an inch shy of 14 feet tall.

Caleb Swanigan, at 6-foot-

9 and 250 pounds, was more 
physically 
imposing 
than 

anybody on Michigan’s roster. 
Isaac Haas, at 7-foot-2 and 282 
pounds, was just there as a 
redundancy measure.

With 
Michigan 
junior 

forward Zak Irvin, 35 pounds 
lighter and three inches shorter 
than 
Swanigan, 
and 
junior 

forward 
Mark 
Donnal, 
42 

pounds lighter and five inches 
shorter than Haas, attempting 
to guard them, respectively, 
the result was a predictable 
dismantling. 
The 
Wolverines 

(2-1 Big Ten, 12-4 overall) were 
eaten alive Thursday in their 
87-70 loss, the fourth time this 
season they have crumbled in 
the face of larger opposition.

“Post defense is something 

that you try and work at,” said 
Michigan coach John Beilein. 
“But when you play the best in 
the country at post offense, it’s an 
eye-opener. That didn’t help us.”

Irvin’s defensive play against 

Swanigan, as it turned out, was 
one of Michigan’s best individual 
efforts of the evening. However, 
the image of Irvin, known 
principally as a shooter and 
undersized as a power forward, 
that remained was him getting 
physical in the post with a 250-
pound freshman.

Swanigan 
and 
Haas 

combined for 10 points and 14 

rebounds, and the Boilermakers 
outperformed Michigan on the 
defensive glass, 30-19. Purdue’s 
other 7-footer, A.J. Hammons, 
did even more damage, scoring 
17 points and recording four 
thunderous blocks.

“You can run some cute stuff 

and get right to the rim, and 
somebody’s sending you back,” 
Beilein said. “It really deflates you.”

Outgunned inside, Michigan’s 

only option was to win from 
behind the 3-point arc, a task made 
considerably more difficult by 
the absence of senior guard Caris 
LeVert, who missed his second 
consecutive game with a leg injury.

Redshirt 
sophomore 
guard 

Duncan Robinson, who ranks 
fifth nationally in 3-point shooting 
percentage, was healthy. But 
with the defensive blanketing he 
received from Purdue’s Rapheal 
Davis, he might as well have been 
on the bench as well.

Davis, one of the country’s 

elite 
defenders, 
stuck 
to 

Robinson 
like 
ice 
on 
an 

unshoveled Ann Arbor sidewalk, 
holding him to five attempts 
from beyond the arc, two of 
which were desperation heaves 

with the shot clock winding 
down. Robinson did what he 
could, impressively nailing a 
transition 3 with a shooting 
motion that began before he 
landed in his preferred spot on 
the right wing. But his 10 points 
weren’t enough, especially with 
Irvin shooting a frigid 2-for-10 
from the field.

“(Davis) is a really good 

defender,” 
Robinson 
said, 

offering little else by way of 
explanation. 
“That 
poses 
a 

challenge for us.”

With 
Michigan’s 
shooters 

either injured, locked down 
or unable to find twine, the 
outside game turned to two of 
the Wolverines’ own big men: 
Donnal and redshirt freshman 
D.J. Wilson, who combined to 
shoot 3-for-7 from 3-point range.

That was in line with the 

game plan, Beilein said. If the 
Wolverines could make one-
third of their 3-point attempts, 
the 
strategy 
would 
prove 

a 
bargain 
against 
Purdue’s 

defensive efficiency rating of 
83.6 points per 100 possessions, 
which leads the nation. The 
hope was for Michigan’s bigs 

to attempt between five and 10 
shots from that range.

Wilson had attempted just 

13 3-pointers this season before 
Thursday, 
the 
majority 
of 

which came in garbage time 
against markedly inferior non-
conference 
opponents. 
He 

attempted five from beyond the 
arc Thursday, making only one. 
Donnal fared better, draining 
both of his attempts.

“Those guys, they can make 

’em in practice,” Beilein said. 
“They’ve got to make them, 
obviously, at Mackey Arena, in 
front of a crowd.”

The formula could be one 

Michigan turns to more often, 
especially 
if 
size 
continues 

to 
limit 
the 
Wolverines’ 

inside presence and if a single 
perimeter defender like Davis 
can 
wreak 
havoc 
on 
their 

traditional, guard-based outside 
game. Even against Purdue’s 
impressive perimeter defense, 
Wilson 
and 
Donnal 
were 

reliably open from straightaway 
after 
early-possession 
ball 

screens. Whether that pair can 
consistently shoot 3-for-7 is a 
different discussion.

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Junior forward Mark Donnal had his hands full with Purdue’s massive front line in Thursday’s 87-70 road loss.

JAMES COLLER/Daily

Michael Downing and Michigan routed Michigan State in East Lansing on Friday.

MICHIGAN
MICH. STATE 

9
2

“The offense 

was going today, 
which it has been 
most of the year.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WRESTLING

Wolverines win 
second straight

Michigan holds 

off late Minnesota 

rally for win

By TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

The 
Minnesota 
women’s 

basketball team nearly created 
déjà vu for Michigan on Sunday 
afternoon.

At 
one 

point 
in 

the 
first 

quarter, Michigan led by 17 — 
the same deficit it overcame 
Thursday in a comeback against 
Iowa. Minnesota chipped away 
at the Wolverines’ early lead, but 
it could not catch up late.

Sophomore guard Katelynn 

Flaherty iced the game from the 
free-throw line, and Michigan 
(2-2 Big Ten, 10-5 overall) came 
out on top, 93-86.

The Gophers (2-2, 10-5) face-

guarded Flaherty, even away 
from the ball, but Michigan’s 
leading scorer shot 9-for-14 to 
earn 33 points.

Flaherty, who averaged 21.2 

points before Sunday, passed 
that mark midway through the 
third quarter.

The Wolverines’ win moves 

them to .500 in conference play 
after they opened the Big Ten 
season with devastating back-to-
back losses to Purdue and Indiana.

What they couldn’t do against 

either 
of 
those 
opponents, 

though, was jump ahead early, 
but Sunday they had no trouble 
lighting up the field from the 
opening tip. Michigan scored 
35 points in the first quarter, 
leaving its coach amazed.

“I didn’t know we could score 

35 points,” said Michigan coach 
Kim Barnes Arico in an interview 
with MGoBlue after the game. 
“To do that in one quarter, that’s 
pretty incredible.”

Michigan 
embarrassed 

the Gophers’ defense in the 
first quarter. During the first 

10 minutes, the Wolverines 
built up a 17-point lead and 
outrebounded Minnesota, 14-5. 
Seven of those 14 rebounds were 
offensive rebounds.

“(Minnesota) has only been 

outrebounded one time this year, 
and really that was our number-
one goal today — to outrebound 
them,” Barnes Arico said. “We 
did a terrific job. They had a lot 
of long shots down the stretch, 
and we had to battle, and we had 
to fight, and we missed a couple 
long ones in the end, but we did a 
great job on the boards.”

Sophomore 
guard 
Jillian 

Dunston led the team with 15 
rebounds, an impressive showing 
in just 22 minutes off the bench. 
She averaged 5.7 rebounds before 
the contest. Dunston was also 
one bucket away from a double-
double, scoring eight points.

Aided by Dunston’s ferocity 

on the boards, Michigan won 
the rebounding battle, 46-33.

Dunston was not alone in 

the race for the double-double, 
though, as junior guard Siera 
Thompson (18 points, eight 
assists), senior forward Kelsey 
Mitchell 
(13 
points, 
nine 

rebounds) and freshman center 
Hallie Thome (16 points, eight 
rebounds) were all knocking on 
the door of the feat.

Three Gophers scored 20-plus 

points 
to 
help 
Minnesota 

creep back into the game, but 
the 
Wolverines’ 
consistency 

from the free-throw line kept 
stretching the lead.

Michigan is now 9-0 this season 

when scoring at least 80 points.

Consecutive 
wins 
after 

consecutive losses brought out 
the Wolverines’ strengths and 
weaknesses. Two games saw 
Michigan fail to convert free 
throws and struggle to score in 
the paint. Two others featured 
the 
Wolverines 
lighting 
up 

opponents from beyond the arc 
and dominating on the glass.

Sunday, Michigan was the 

latter, and Minnesota’s time 
ran out.

MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA 

93
86

‘M’ beats Buckeyes

Michigan rallies 

again with 12 

unanswered points

By NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

Even though the No. 13 

Michigan 
wrestling 
team 

defeated No. 6 Ohio State, 21-11 
on Saturday, there was a time 
when 
things 
appeared 
to 
be 

trending the Buckeyes’ way.

In 
the 
165-pound 
class, 

Wolverine sophomore Garrett 
Sutton was dominated by the 
Buckeyes’ second-ranked Bo 
Jordan, 19-4. Jordan won by 15 
points, earning the Buckeyes 
five team points and giving 
them an 11-9 lead with No. 19 
redshirt 
freshman 
Davonte 

Mahomes 
of 
Michigan 

scheduled 
to 
take 
on 

No. 15 Myles 
Martin.

Mahomes 

turned 
the 

tide. Trailing 
1-0 with 1:30 
to go in the 
third period, Mahomes nabbed 
an escape point to send the bout 
into overtime. The sudden-death 
extra frame didn’t last long.

Mahomes was awarded a 

takedown 13 seconds into the 
period to earn a 3-1 victory, 
which 
put 
the 
Wolverines 

ahead, 12-11.

“Mahomes is really tough,” 

said 
Michigan 
coach 
Joe 

McFarland. “It was a great win 
for us and for him, and it put the 
momentum on our side.”

It was all Michigan from 

there. After a scoreless first 
period, No. 10 junior Domenic 
Abounader took total control 
of the 184-pound match to 
top No. 12 Kenny Courts, 5-0. 
Abounader accumulated 3:16 of 
riding time in the process.

It was fifth-year senior Max 

Huntley, though, who clinched 
the meet for the Wolverines. 

He defeated Mark Martin, 8-3, 
in the 197-pound class, giving 
Michigan an insurmountable 
18-11 edge and a signature 
road victory.

Junior heavyweight Adam 

Coon put the icing on the cake 
as he scored a win over Nick 
Tavanello, 4-1.

“It was a great team effort,” 

McFarland said. “We got our 
offense going, and I think that 
is important.”

Added Mahomes: “I feel like 

the team performed at a very high 
level. We were all fired up and 
ready to go. It was really awesome 
to get to experience a dual meet of 
this caliber with so much heat and 
tension against each other.”

Yet, what was arguably the 

Wolverines’ most impressive 
individual victory came in the 
133-pound class.

In a match that many picked 

to end in favor of Ohio State, No. 
16 senior Rossi Bruno notched 

two 
escape 

points 
and 

2:09 of riding 
time to upset 
No. 8 Johnni 
DiJulius, 4-1.

Bruno’s 

win 
knotted 

up the score 
at three, as it 
came on the 

heels of a close loss by No. 19 
redshirt junior Conor Youtsey 
at the hands of No. 1 Nathan 
Tomasello, 4-2, in the 125-
pound match.

“Even though he didn’t win, 

I thought (Youtsey) controlled 
most of his match,” Bruno 
said. “That really helped me 
out with my match in terms of 
getting momentum.”

While Michigan is riding 

high following its triumph 
over the defending national 
champion, 
the 
Wolverines 

will not have much time to 
celebrate. They will have to 
face No. 11 Illinois at Cliff Keen 
Arena on Jan. 15.

“We 
have 
to 
keep 
an 

aggressive mindset,” McFarland 
said. “If we go out there, 
concentrate and focus on our 
execution, the wins will take 
care of themselves.”

MICHIGAN 
OHIO STATE

21 
11

“We were all 
fired up and 
ready to go.”

