The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 — 7

Wolverines growing on the defensive end

On Jan. 11 in Champaign, 

the Michigan men’s basketball 
team allowed Illinois to shoot 64 
percent from both the field and 
beyond the arc in a game which 
the Fighting Illini scored 1.393 
points per possession.

It was a contest that Michigan 

coach 
John 
Beilein 
labeled 

as the potential “low point” 
of the season, and there were 
seemingly very few solutions 
to the Wolverines’ defensive 
problem.

Twelve 
days 
later, 
spirits 

around the team are much 
higher.

Saturday, 
Michigan 
had 
a 

chance at revenge against the 
same Illinois team. This time, 
the game was back in Ann Arbor, 
and the Wolverines took their 
opportunity and ran with it.

Michigan held Illinois to just 

0.891 
points 
per 
possession, 

forcing 17 turnovers en route to a 
66-57 victory.

“That’s why our (defensive 

efficiency rating) was so good,” 
Beilein said. “They still shot 45 
percent, but they turned it over 
some, they threw it away.

“I just thought we were there. 

We were active. We were in gaps. 
We were swarming to the ball. We 
were flying around.” 

Fighting 
Illini 
forward 

Maverick Morgan, who scored 16 
points on 8-for-9 shooting in the 
game in Champaign, was held to 
just six points Saturday.

Overall, Illinois shot 46 percent 

from the field and just 17 percent 
from behind the arc, a stark 
difference from the two teams’ 
first matchup.

All in all, Michigan’s defense 

seemed 
to 
be 
a 
completely 

different unit than the one that 
took the court in Champaign ten 
days prior.

“We just want people to be 

what we call ‘quick men’, ” Beilein 
said. “Get to the ball, be there 
quick, if you have to give help, 
give help. But definitely be more 
physical on post ups, and make 
their catches higher and more 
difficult.”

In 
the 
last 
meeting, 
the 

Wolverines allowed the Fighting 
Illini too much space to shoot, 
paving the way for Illinois’ 
85-point outburst.

Saturday, 
Michigan 
closed 

down that space, allowing the 
Fighting Illini little room to 
operate.

“We wanted to take (shots) 

away from them because they 
were 
exceptional 
last 
time,” 

Beilein said. “I haven’t seen Black 
shoot like he did against us, and 
the same with their big guy, 
Morgan. He really shot the heck 
out of it. We ran at people and 

tried to get them to make quick 
decisions, and some of that led to 
turnovers.”

Added senior wing Zak Irvin: 

“The big thing is knowing the 
scouting report, and knowing and 
executing our game plan the way 
we want to. It’s big for us to be able 
to win this afternoon, and as long 
as we do that, we put ourselves in 
a position to win games.”

But 
this 
type 
of 
defense 

requires stamina, especially for 
the players who need to be able 
to track and close out shooters on 
a consistent basis. And with the 
starting five soaking up most of 
the minutes, fatigue becomes an 
issue.

So the Wolverines have had to 

adapt a new mindset.

“The biggest (challenge) has 

been fighting fatigue,” Irvin said 
after Saturday’s win. “Being out 
there and playing a lot of minutes, 

you can’t really take any plays off, 
especially on the defensive end 
because you never know what 
possession will change the whole 
game. Everyone on the team had 
that mentality, and it worked out 
well for us.”

With 
this 
renewed 
sense 

of confidence in its defense, 
Michigan heads into a crucial 
portion of its schedule. The 
Wolverines will play four of their 
next six games at home, and that 
stretch of six games will include 
matchups against both Indiana 
and Michigan State twice, as 
well as Ohio State and No. 15 
Wisconsin.

It’s a precarious position for 

Michigan to be in, but after a 
narrow loss to the Badgers last 
Tuesday and a win over Illinois on 
Saturday, the Wolverines are in a 
much better place than they were 
12 days ago in Champaign. 

After hitting its low point in Champaign on Jan. 11, Michigan showed signs of 
improvement, holding the Fighting Illini to 46 percent shooting in the rematch

MINH DOAN

Daily Sports Editor

EVAN AARON/Daily

Senior wing Zak Irvin has stressed that Michigan can’t fall prey to fatigue if its defense is to remain at a high level.

Michigan’s preseason 
goals within its reach

Entering the 2016-17 season, 

the Michigan women’s basketball 
team had two goals. The first 
was to finish in the top four of 
the Big Ten standings for the 
first time in Michigan coach Kim 
Barnes Arico’s tenure. The second 
was to earn its second NCAA 
Tournament berth in five years.

The Wolverines (5-2 Big Ten, 

16-5 overall) are right where they 
wanted to be in the Big Ten — 
sitting at third in the conference 
standings behind No. 15 Ohio 
State and No. 3 Maryland. The 
Wolverines are half a game ahead 
of Northwestern and one game in 
front of both Iowa and Purdue.

Michigan — currently No. 35 

in the Ratings Percentage Index 
— is also sitting pretty in its quest 
to crack the 64-team NCAA 
Tournament field. 

ESPN.com’s 
Bracketology, 

which was updated Jan. 16, has 
the Wolverines as a nine seed 
playing California. The website 
College Sports Madness is even 
more optimistic about Michigan’s 
chances, giving it a No. 6 seed 
facing off against Oregon. Its 
chances are buoyed by the fact 
that it boasts four wins against 
teams ranked in the RPI top 
100, a measure used to select 
tournament squads.

“I think this is our deepest 

team,” Barnes Arico said. “My 
first year, I was fortunate to 
inherit a group of seniors that had 
played together for four years, 
that were experienced and were 
hard workers. But they couldn’t 
score the basketball like this team 
can.”

The Wolverines’ success is in 

large part due to the emergence 
of 
sophomore 
center 
Hallie 

Thome 
and 
freshman 
guard 

Kysre Gondrezick, who have 
begun to complement junior 
guard 
Katelynn 
Flaherty’s 

scoring ability. The trio have led 
Michigan’s scoring offense, which 
is fourth in the Big Ten averaging 
79.7 points per game.

Flaherty was recently dubbed 

an honorable mention on the Big 
Ten Player of the Week list thanks 
to her 30 points in the Wolverines’ 
93-80 loss to the Terrapins last 
Thursday and her 27 points in an 
84-51 victory over Nebraska on 
Sunday. It was her fourth such 
honor this season.

Thome, 
meanwhile, 
has 

notched 
four 
double-doubles 

this year, while Gondrezick has 
scored at least 10 points in 14 of 
Michigan’s 21 contests.

“I think we’ve tried to, and 

we’ve improved on, sharing the 
basketball,” Barnes Arico said. 
“Making extra passes, taking 
high-percentage shots instead of 
the first shot. We want to get the 
best shot.”

The offensive firepower has not 

come at the expense of the defense, 
as the Wolverines are allowing 
just 58.5 points per game, good for 
second in the conference. Against 
the Cornhuskers, Michigan did 
not allow a field goal in the final 
9:48 of the contest.

To be sure, the Wolverines’ 

season has not been one of 
perfection. They have lost all four 
games they have played against 
opponents currently in the AP 
top 25, none by fewer than nine 
points. Michigan will not face 
another ranked opponent unless 
it meets Maryland or Ohio State in 
the Big Ten Tournament, but that 
doesn’t mean the Wolverines have 
no opportunities to further their 
NCAA Tournament resume. 

Michigan will face five more 

teams who currently sit in the 
RPI top 100, though none are 
above the Wolverines. Michigan’s 
best opportunity for another 
quality win comes in its next 
contest, Wednesday night against 
Northwestern, which is ranked 
No. 45 in the RPI.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

Lockwood reacclimating after injury

After 
dislocating 
his 

shoulder 
in 
the 
Michigan 

hockey team’s Dec. 10 game 
against Wisconsin, freshman 
forward Will Lockwood made 
his return to the ice at the Great 
Lakes Invitational almost three 
weeks later.

Though 
the 
Wolverines 

struggled in the first game of 
the GLI against Michigan Tech, 
the offense exploded for four 
goals against Michigan State 
in the third-place game, with 
Lockwood tallying one himself.

But late in the second period, 

things 
went 
wrong. 
While 

killing a penalty, Lockwood 
reaggravated 
his 
shoulder 

injury and needed to get off the 
ice. At the time, the Spartans 
were 
camped 
out 
in 
the 

Wolverines’ zone, threatening 
to score. While holding his 
injured arm with one hand, 
Lockwood remained on the ice 
and even blocked a shot from 
the point before mercifully 

making his way to the bench.

It’s the kind of play that earns 

respect from teammates and 
coaches alike, but for Lockwood, 
it was just something he knew 
he had to do.

“The easiest thing to do is 

just ignore the pain,” Lockwood 
said. “Getting off the ice at that 
point gives them a 5-on-3, which 
is a pretty high percentage 
chance 
that 

they’ll score. So 
if you have to 
stay out there 
for 
a 
couple 

extra 
seconds 

of pain, I think 
it’s 
worth 
it 

from 
a 
team 

aspect.”

Michigan 

coach 
Red 

Berenson 
took notice, too. And to him, 
it reaffirmed his feelings on 
Lockwood’s commitment and 
toughness.

“Will has got a lot of will,” 

Berenson said. “He’s got a lot 
of drive and mental toughness 

and so on. He brings it. I would 
have told him to get off the ice 
at that point, but he couldn’t. 
It was a tough change, and he 
stayed out there and showed his 
teammates what he’s made of. 
It’s a bit of a character test.”

After reaggravating the injury, 

Lockwood was out of action 
for an even longer absence. 
He 
missed 
the 
Wolverines’ 

series 
against 

Minnesota 
two 

weekends 
ago 

before returning 
to play against 
the Spartans last 
weekend.

But 
even 

though he was 
back in the lineup 
last 
weekend, 

Lockwood 
had 

been wearing a 

red jersey in practice the week 
prior, signifying that he was 
not a full-contact participant. 
Facing off against Michigan 
State, Lockwood was forced to 
reacclimate to game speed.

“At first I was a little hesitant, 

because I wasn’t completely 
confident 
with 
how 
strong 

my shoulder was,” Lockwood 
said. “But after getting hit a 
couple of times and delivering 
some hits, it was just kind of 
back to my old game, where I 
play that physical game. I had 
100-percent confidence going 
into the corners and taking a 
guy out of the play.”

Michigan is eager to have 

Lockwood 
back 
in 
a 
full 

capacity. He is the team’s 
second-leading 
scorer 
with 

13 points, and his offensive 
capabilities could have helped 
the Wolverines against the 
Golden Gophers.

While Lockwood may have 

wanted to return earlier than he 
did to help his team, Berenson 
knew that Michigan needed 
him to be at full health when he 
came back.

“Most of us would want to 

play anyway,” Berenson said. 
“The number one thing for me 
as a coach is the kid’s safety. 
Like I’ve told kids in the past, 
‘You can play with that. It’s 
not going to get any worse,’ 
whatever the injury is. Or, if 
it’s an injury, like a knee, that 
it could get worse, ‘Forget it, 
you’re not playing. You’ve got 
to get it better.’ We’ve had 
enough experience with hockey 
injuries — between the trainer, 
myself and the doctors — that 
we’re going to do what’s best for 
the kids.”

For Lockwood, the time off 

was enough to motivate him to 
rehabilitate his injury properly 
so that he won’t have to sit out 
again any time soon.

“A lot of hockey players would 

agree that watching your team 
play from the stands is one of 
the hardest things,” Lockwood 
said. “You always want to be 
out on the ice and helping your 
team. It’s hard to be out in the 
stands and thinking you could 
be making an impact on the 
game.

“It’s a tough thing to battle 

injuries. But I’ve been doing 
a lot of rehab right now and 
strengthening 
my 
shoulder. 

So hopefully it won’t happen 
again.”

FILE PHOTO/Daily

Freshman forward Will Lockwood has been plagued by a shoulder injury this season, but has now returned to the ice.

MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Editor

The easiest 
thing to do is 
just ignore the 

pain

Artz highlights strong
outing for Wolverines

Though Crisler Center was 

just a quarter full Sunday, 
the crowd’s presence seemed 
much greater, especially when 
senior 
Nicole 
Artz 
earned 

a perfect score on her floor 
routine. With the fans cheering 
loudly for each of the Michigan 
women’s 
gymnastics 
team’s 

frequent sticks, the Wolverines 
tallied a score above 197.000 
for the first time in 2017. The 
12th-ranked Wolverines (1-1 
Big Ten, 3-2 overall) defeated 
No. 19 Illinois (0-1 Big Ten, 1-2 
overall), 197.050 - 195.300.

Artz’s 
perfect 
score 
in 

Sunday’s home opener was the 
first time in three years that 
a Michigan gymnast scored 
a 10.0 during a meet. Joanna 
Sampson last accomplished the 
same feat on the floor at the Big 
Ten Championships in 2014. 
Artz has been 
approaching 
perfection 
for 

some 
time, 

scoring a 9.975 
four 
times, 

most 
recently 

on floor at the 
2016 
Big 
Ten 

Championships 
on floor. 

“I 
do 
that 

(floor) 
routine 

about 
three 

or four times a week and one 
really good one in here every 
weekend,” Artz said.

Immediately 
following 

her floor routine, the crowd 
erupted and Artz was swarmed 
by her teammates. Finally, the 
score was announced and Artz 
had done it — a perfect score. 
In her first meet of the year 
competing in the all-around, 
Artz ended the day with a 
total of 39.425 points, earning 
her the all-around title for the 
meet.

“I didn’t know it, but I 

finished and I looked at the 
judge and was like ‘Please!’,” 
Artz said. “I was just so excited 

to get over to my teammates.”

In addition to Artz’s perfect 

10, several Wolverines had 
career records, and Michigan 
swept the event titles.

On the vault, senior Talia 

Chiarelli captured the event 
with a 9.900. The Wolverines 
finished the vault event with 
49.000 points.

On the uneven bars, three 

Wolverines received a score of 
9.900 or higher. For the first 
time in their careers, both 
freshman Polina Shchennikova 
and junior Lauren Marinez 
earned a 9.900 in the event. 
Junior Paige Zaziski ended 
her routine on the uneven bars 
with enthusiastic yelling as she 
landed her dismount to earn a 
score of 9.975 — a career best.

Following 
her 
career-

best on the uneven parallel 
bars, 
Marinez 
fed 
off 
of 

her momentum and scored 
a season-best 9.875 on the 

balance 
beam. 

This 
score 

earned her the 
event title.

The 
top 

five 
scores 

in 
the 
floor 

routine 
event 

were 
recorded 

entirely 
by 

Michigan 
athletes. 
Leading 
the 

scoring 
was 

Artz with her perfect 10, 
followed by sophomores Emma 
McLean and Olivia Karas with 
a score of 9.900. McLean’s 
score of 9.900 was a career 
best. Freshman Maddy Osman 
and 
Chiarelli 
tied 
Illinois 

sophomore Lizzy Leduc with a 
score of 9.825.

“It’s just nice to be at home,” 

Artz said. “It’s nice to be back 
in Crisler and have such good 
momentum going into floor.” 

By the end of the meet, 

Michigan couldn’t have had 
much better of a day. And after 
four years, Artz finally put an 
exclamation point on the day 
with her perfect 10.

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS

GRACE BOYLES

For the Daily

I didn’t know it, 
but I just looked 
at the judge and 
was like ‘Please!’

