8 — Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

‘M’ struggles but wins

Even though the team managed 

to pull out a win, the No. 3 
Michigan women’s gymnastics 
team (2-0 Big Ten, 3-0 overall) 
feel some disappointment in their 
performance.

The Wolverines took on its first 

road meet of the season versus No. 
21 Illinois on Saturday. With a final 
score of 194.975-194.325, Michigan 
won by a narrow margin.

But it wasn’t only the final scores 

that were close. The Wolverines 
lost vault by 0.15 points, won 
bars by 1.475 points, lost beam by 
0.1 points and lost floor by 0.575 
points.

“It wasn’t what we are capable 

of,” said junior Emma McLean. 
“We have more control than we 
used today.”

Added Michigan coach Bev 

Plocki: “We couldn’t find a landing 
to save our lives.”

Plocki did, however, praise 

the 
performances 
of 
senior 

Briana Brown and freshman Syd 
Townsend, calling Townsend’s bar 
routine “flawless.” Brown received 
a 9.825 for her floor routine.

When asked if being away from 

home for the first time this season 
changed the team’s dynamic, 
McLean said she felt that being 
on the road did slightly affect the 
team.

“(We have to) be able to bring 

the same level of energy and 
confidence that we have at home 
with us on the road,” Plocki said.

Top performers in Saturday’s 

meet include senior Paige Zaziksi 
with a winning 9.900 on the uneven 
bars. McLean also impressed with 
a 9.875 floor — which also brought 
her a win — and sophomore Polina 
Shchennikova with a 9.850 beam 
debut.

Shchennikova’s 
last-minute 

addition to the beam routine as 
the anchor was one of the meet’s 
most remarkable moments for the 
Wolverines.

“(Shchennikova) was ready to 

go,” McLean said. “We couldn’t 
ask more from her.”

While the outcome of the meet 

was favorable for the Wolverines, 
many mistakes were made. Still, 
as McLean put it, the result will 
allow the Wolverines to continue 
“building on what we’ve created 
so far.”

“Overall I’m still super proud of 

every single person on this team,” 
McLean said. “We fought like no 
other, it wouldn’t have turned 
out how it did if we didn’t keep 
fighting.”

Michigan’s next meet will 

again be on the road as it travels to 
Nebraska. By then, the Wolverines 
will hope to have found a way to 
correct the mistakes they made in 
Champaign. 

MAYA SALINAS

For The Daily

ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily

Junior Emma McLean thinks Michigan could have done better against Illinois.

No. 2 Michigan defeats 
Ohio State on the road

Before Vanessa Krause dove 

into the pool at Ohio State’s 
McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, the 
sophomore made sure to take a 
sharp look at everything around 
her: the locks, the pads, even the 
scarlet and gray-clad stands.

It’s important for Krause and 

the No. 2 Michigan women’s 
swim team to get familiar with 
this setting. Its wins over Ohio 
State (176-124), Virginia Tech 
(224-76) and Rutgers (233-67) 
were just one of three potential 
meets in the Buckeyes’ home 
pool.

Those 
other 
two 
meets? 

None other than the Big Ten 
Championships and the NCAA 
Championships.

“It was pretty 

interesting 
to 

see the pool and 
the nice facility 
that they have,” 
Krause 
said. 

“Unfortunately, 
it was all red 
instead 
of 

maize 
and 

blue, but it was 
a really good 
experience with 
the team. … It was a good start to 
the season, swimming in their 
pool, checking out everything.”

That 
extra 
look 
around 

seemed to benefit Krause in her 
first meet there this season too, 
as she came out as one of three 
double winners on the team 
along with senior Clara Smiddy 
and junior Rose Bi. Krause noted 
that it was important to change 
her energy strategy to win the 
100 and 200-yard butterfly.

“They all told me ‘You really 

like to back-half your races and 
you really like to sit on everyone 
until the very end,’ ” Krause said. 
“I guess that’s when they say I 
like to come back and finish.

“Today, we really tried to 

focus on taking it out in the 
beginning and not being afraid 
of dying down at the end. 
That’s 
something 
that 
I’ve 

really struggled with, but also 
something I’ve really pushed 
myself to be better at.”

While the Wolverines were 

adjusting to the hostile Ohio 
State environment, they also 
became 
familiar 
with 
the 

prospect of swimming without 
the constant presence of star 
junior Siobhan Haughey.

Although Haughey returned 

to action after missing last 
week’s 
dual 
meet 
against 

Indiana, she only swam the 
200-yard freestyle. Michigan 
coach Mike Bottom was pleased 
with the team’s performance 
in 
her 
quasi-absence, 
but 

was noncommittal to stating 
that Haughey would be fully 
available 
for 
the 
Big 
Ten 

Championships and the NCAAs.

“I hope so,” 

Bottom said. “I 
hope so.”

Contrary 

to 
the 
sport 

of 
swimming 

itself, the road 
to 
success 
is 

not 
always 

straightforward. 
Injuries 
like 

Haughey’s 
are 
almost 

inevitable. The team spent three 
months 
without 
swimming 

at home. Time will tell what 
other twists and turns will be 
thrown the Wolverines’ way, but 
in the moment, they’re staying 
confident.

“It definitely has boosted 

my confidence,” Krause said. 
“Knowing where I’m going to 
swim and knowing what the 
pool is like, helps me initialize 
and look forward to better 
things in the future hopefully. 
I’ll know what the pool looks 
like, where we are sitting for 
Big Tens, how long it’ll take us 
to get there from the hotel. It’s 
just really good mentally for me 
to know those things.”

If they can hold on to the 

familiar, as Krause started to 
do this weekend, anything is 
possible.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

RIAN RATNAVALE

Daily Sports Writer

“It’s just really 
good mentally 
for me to know 
those things.”

Robinson gets his break amidst trying month

January hasn’t been easy for 

Duncan Robinson.

Just take last Thursday, when 

the fifth-year senior forward 
went scoreless against Nebraska 
— his first time pointless since his 
debut for the Michigan basketball 
team.

The 
0-for-2 
effort 
was 

representative of a career-worst 
season 
for 
Robinson, 
who’s 

shooting 37 percent beyond the 
arc. At times, a once dependable 
outside 
stroke 
has 
looked 

anything but.

That has caused a major shift 

for Robinson and the Wolverines. 
After 
a 
series 
of 
breakout 

performances, freshman forward 
Isaiah Livers took Robinson’s spot 
in the starting lineup.

Robinson, 
meanwhile, 
is 

playing fewer minutes than ever 
coming off the bench.

“The past 21 days have been 

a whirlwind,” Robinson said 
Sunday.

It’s the type of month that 

could have challenged Robinson’s 
relationship with coach John 
Beilein.

In 2014, the New Hampshire 

native left Williams College after 
one year for the chance to play 
Division I basketball in Beilein’s 
3-point-minded 
offense. 
The 

two clicked and in his first year 
of eligibility, Robinson averaged 
nearly four 3-pointers and 11 
points per game as a reserve. 

Last year, Robinson returned 

for his first shot at a starting job. 
But with size and athletic ability 
that Robinson couldn’t match, 
D.J. Wilson won the competition 
and much more, playing his way 
to a first-round selection in the 
2017 NBA Draft. Conversely, 
Robinson saw his usage drop by 
roughly eight minutes per game.

But this season seemingly 

provided Robinson with a fresh 
slate paired with junior center 
Mortiz Wagner in the front court. 
Robinson was effective early on, 
averaging 13 points in Michigan’s 

first seven contests.

Things 
began 
to 
change, 

however, in Michigan’s first game 
of the calendar year. Livers, the 
young reserve in waiting, scored 
13 points in 27 minutes in a win 
at Iowa. Robinson played just 13 
minutes and scored a mere five 
points.

That extrapolated over the 

next two weeks 
— Livers was a 
budding 
star, 

Robinson 
was 

lackluster 
— 

giving 
Beilein 

a 
predicament. 

It’s not often a 
fifth-year senior 
is benched for 
a player a half-
decade younger.

Still, 
Beilein 

chose the latter.

“It was a conversation between 

coach and I,” Robinson said. “A 
lot of it will stay between him and 
I, but I kind of looked at is as a 
leadership moment to earn some 
credibility in that regard.”

Leadership 
was 
about 
all 

Robinson was good for in his 
immediate return to the bench. 
Last week, he made just three 
field goals in as many games.

But Sunday was different.

Robinson first awoke to a text 

from his coach, reaffirming his 
ability with a bit of advice.

“I sent him a quick text today,” 

Beilein said. “‘Duncan, you’re 
gonna be terrific today. Just come 
off shooting.’”

Hours later, Robinson did 

just that and more in a win over 
Rutgers: 12 points, five assists, 

four rebounds and 
three steals.

“I just tried to 

be 
aggressive,” 

Robinson 
said. 

“In that role, I 
just try to come 
off and provide a 
spark. Offensively, 
I made some shots 
and defensively, I 
sat down.”

Added Beilein: 

“Duncan Robinson — it was what 
we needed today from him. He’s 
probably more rested than some 
of our guys, and when he made 
(his first) three when Isaiah was 
in foul trouble, it was a sign to play 
him more.”

Robinson took advantage of the 

extra opportunity, taking shots 
that he passed on in prior games. 
Midway through the first half, 
even with a defender draped over 
him, Robinson pulled the trigger 

and sank the Wolverines’ final 
go-ahead 3-pointer.

It was the sort of play that 

might earn others a trip to the 
bench. 

But Robinson has been through 

thick and thin with Beilein over 
the past four years. Now, despite 
some hesitation, Robinson can 
take more chances.

“What we see (from Robinson) 

in practice in his drills is 
phenomenal,” Beilein said. “But 
when we go into practice sessions, 
he’s asking for permission. He 
doesn’t need permission, I trust 
him.”

No matter the minutes or 

starting designation, Michigan 
needs Robinson to leverage that 
trust. When on, his shooting 
stroke can be dangerous. Rutgers 
coach 
Steve 
Pikiell 
credited 

Robinson’s triples as a momentum 
killer Sunday. 

But their significance is far 

greater. Finally, in the midst of a 
testing month, Robinson got his 
break.

“That’s the dude I know,” 

Wagner 
said. 
“That’s 
my 

roommate. That’s the player I’ve 
played with the last three years, 
so I’m not surprised at all. I’m 
very proud of him the way he 
bounces back.”

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Fifth-year senior forward Duncan Robinson had a good game on Sunday in the midst of a tough month of January.

MARK CALCAGNO

Daily Sports Editor

“He doesn’t 

need 

permission, I 
trust him.”

Sixteenth-ranked Wolverines look to stay hot

The 
Michigan 
women’s 

basketball team has been hot 
recently.

After upsetting then-No. 8 Ohio 

State in Columbus last week, the 
Wolverines returned home and 
pounded Illinois, 86-42, Saturday 
night. 
Against 
the 
Fighting 

Illini, Michigan was firing on 
all cylinders. The offense was 
energized, led by senior guard 
Katelynn Flaherty who tallied 
27 points and averages 23.1 per 
contest. Freshman forward Hailey 
Brown also shined, finishing with 
17 points and 14 rebounds for her 
third career double-double.

On Tuesday, Michigan State 

(4-3 Big Ten, 14-6 overall) looks 
to dethrone the sixteenth-ranked 
Wolverines (6-2, 17-4) at Crisler 
Center.

The 
Spartans 
return 
four 

starters 
from 
a 
2017 
squad 

that qualified for the NCAA 
Tournament and finished 21-12. 

This season, though, they have 
not had the same success, in part 
because 
last 
season’s 
leading 

scorer, Tori Jankoska, graduated. 
Jankoska 
scored 
28 
and 
14 

points in her two matchups with 
Michigan last season, respectively.

Due to injuries, Michigan State 

has had eight different starting 
lineups already. The Spartans 
currently stand at eighth in the 
Big Ten, and are coming off a 
69-65 loss against a below-average 
Indiana team.

Regardless of Michigan State’s 

record, the matchup is a rivalry 
game, and the Wolverines are well 
aware that anything can happen.

“They’re 
always 
tough,” 

Flaherty 
said 
after 
defeating 

Illinois. “No matter if they’re 
the best in the league, last in the 
league they always come out, 
they’re ready, they scout us. They 
have a great game plan against us 
every single year.”

The Spartans’ offense has had 

some 
signature 
performances 

this year. The team has reached 

triple digits twice this season and 
averages 71.1 points per game. 
Guards Shay Colley and Branndais 
Agee, as well as center Jenna 
Allen lead the pack, averaging 
11.5, 10.9 and 10.1 points per game, 
respectively.

But Michigan State’s offense 

will be tested Tuesday. Michigan 
coach Kim Barnes Arico’s team 
has 
found 
defensive 
success 

throughout the season, and held 
the Fighting Illini to just four 
points in the third quarter of the 
last contest.

Due 
to 
some 
offensive 

struggles, Michigan has had to 
rely on its defense in the past. 
The Wolverines average 16.5 
turnovers per game and often 
have trouble settling in. Although 
the offense has been improving, it 
will need to value each possession 
against the Spartans. Brown has 
been making strides — shooting 
at least 50 percent from the field 
in her last six games — so her 
contributions will be essential to 
the team.

Though 
Michigan 
appears 

to have the upper hand, history 
indicates 
otherwise. 
The 

Wolverines 
have 
only 
won 

three of the 14 meetings against 
Michigan State and lost both 
matchups last season. The first 
of those losses was their sole 
home loss of the season, while the 
second eliminated them from the 
Big Ten tournament during the 
first round. Those two defeats 
were part of a bad final stretch 
that left Michigan out of the 
NCAA Tournament.

“It’s been tough the past couple 

years for us,” Flaherty said.

The 
Wolverines 
look 
to 

continue 
building 
momentum, 

but it wouldn’t be a surprise if 
the Spartans cause troubles once 
again. The stakes will be high, 
that’s for sure.

“They come in every single 

year 
ready 
to 
go,” 
Flaherty 

said. “It seems like a national 
championship every single time 
we play them, just cause you really 
wanna win that game.”

AARON BAKER/Daily

The Michigan women’s basketball team is currently on a hot streak as it heads into a matchup with rival Michigan State at Crisler Center on Tuesday.

Michigan State enters Tuesday’s rivalry game as the eighth-ranked Big Ten team

ROHAN KUMAR
Daily Sports Writer

