The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
February 25, 2019 — 3B
Wolverines fall in East Lansing
Down by seven points with five
minutes remaining in the fourth
quarter, Amy Dilk stepped up to
the foul line. The freshman point
guard missed both.
Freshman forward Naz Hillmon
collected the second miss though
and drew a shooting-foul herself.
Hillmon, too, couldn’t get either to
fall.
Missed
opportunities
characterized
the
Michigan
women’s basketball team’s (19-10
overall, 10-6 Big Ten) 74-64 loss to
Michigan State (18-9, 8-8) Sunday
afternoon — the Wolverines’ first
defeat in eight games.
Energized by a late-season clash
against their in-state rival, the
Spartans jumped out to a quick
nine-point lead in the first three
minutes. Thanks in large part to
the introductions of Hillmon and
sophomore forward Kayla Robbins
though, Michigan seemed to settle
in.
The comeback run started
midway through the first quarter
when Robbins blocked Victoria
Gaines’ layup attempt. Playing
at the top of the full-court press,
Hillmon then swiped the ball
from the Michigan State ball-
handler and passed it ahead to
sophomore guard Deja Church
for an easy basket. Hillmon — as
she has done all season — went to
work inside, securing an offensive
rebound and powering through the
Spartan defender for an and-one.
Two minutes since coming off the
bench, Robbins and Hillmon had
helped erase Michigan State’s lead
entirely.
“I thought we had to settle
down,” said Michigan coach Kim
Barnes Arico. “The environment
and pressure kinda got to us early.
Once we settled down and started
pressuring them, I thought that
really helped us and changed the
tempo of the game.”
With
Michigan’s
miniature
comeback, the intensity picked up.
To the chagrin of both sidelines,
the referees did their best to stay
out of the contest early. Turnovers,
on the other hand, occurred in
bunches and helped establish an
up-and-down nature to the first
quarter.
With
just
over
a
minute
remaining, senior guard Nicole
Munger knocked down her second
3-pointer of the game. Two free
throws and a layup by the Spartans
gave them a four-point lead heading
into the second quarter though.
The second quarter was in
many ways a mirror image of
the first. Michigan State quickly
pushed their lead back out to nine.
Jenna Allen added to her 10-point
first quarter with a layup, before
Mardrekia Cook hit from the
beyond the arc.
Behind Munger’s hot-hand from
deep — hitting two more in the
second quarter — and Hillmon’s
dominant inside presence, the
Wolverines clawed their way back
into it once again. Hillmon’s touch
and strength were on full-display,
catching entry passes from all
angles and with a quick power-
dribble, rising up through contact
to finish.
And yet, the Spartans remained
calm. Allen continued to dominate
inside,
which
provided
her
teammates with open looks from
the perimeter. When the second
quarter had come and gone,
Michigan faced a five-point deficit.
Michigan State’s freshman point
guard Nia Clouden catalyzed an
electric start to the third quarter
for the Spartans with an and-one
and a number of crafty assists.
The Wolverines struggled all
afternoon with rebounding —
one of their greatest strengths.
In the third quarter specifically,
Michigan State accumulated seven
offensive rebounds.
On top of Michigan’s inability to
keep the Spartans off the offensive
boards, its offense was stagnant.
Going inside to Hillmon — who
finished with 27 points — was the
only viable option. As a result, the
Wolverines struggled to keep up
and entered the fourth quarter
trailing by 11.
Michigan gradually whittled
away at the deficit in the fourth.
Points almost exclusively came
from Hillmon and Munger though.
A deep jumper from Munger on the
wing cut Michigan State’s lead to
seven. Two minutes later, Hillmon
received a pass from freshman
point guard Amy Dilk and finished
against Allen.
“(Hillmon)
was
incredible,”
Barnes Arico said. “She was all
over the place and we did a great
job of finding her. She almost made
every shot she took so I wish we
could’ve found her a bit more. She
was outstanding again tonight.”
Unfortunately
for
the
Wolverines,
they
couldn’t
manufacture enough offensively
and the Spartans scored when
they needed to. After playing solid
defense the entire possession,
Michigan allowed Cook to score a
back-breaking open layup. From
there, the Spartans sealed the deal
at the line.
“We got some stops but we
couldn’t really get many scores,”
Barnes Arico said. “We turned
it over when we got stops so we
weren’t able to make enough of
those plays.”
Having had to play catch-up all
afternoon, the Wolverines closed
in on multiple occasions but could
never vault themselves into the
lead in the end.
CONNOR BRENNAN
Daily Sports Writer
KEEMYA ESMAEL/Daily
Amy Dilk missed two free throws towards the end of Sunday’s game.
Michigan trounces Clarion, 37-6
Following
three
rounds
of
focused
and
determined
wrestling,
fifth-year
seniors
Malik Amine and Alec Pantaleo
raised their arms to the tune of
“The Victors” echoing through
Cliff Keen Arena. It was clear
they both left everything they
had on the mat, standing with
their heads held high as the
crowd gave them each a loud
ovation.
The No. 4 Michigan wrestling
team began its meet with the
four graduating wrestlers —
Amine and Pantaleo, as well
as redshirt juniors Sal Profaci
and Mike Volyanyuk — being
honored with their families.
The former two set the tone for
a dominant victory over Clarion
with a pair of convincing wins to
open senior night.
After
the
quartet
was
celebrated at the beginning of
the meet, the Wolverines’ other
wrestlers followed suit, with
two freshmen, Mason Parris
and Jelani Embree, and a slew of
sophomores and juniors working
hard to earn key team points. It
seemed as though the group got
out of the blocks fast and simply
never looked back, steamrolling
its way to a 37-6 win.
“Our seniors, they’ve got great
discipline,
great
leadership,
great work ethic … they’ve
contributed
a
tremendous
amount to their teammates,
and the Michigan wrestling
program will be forever grateful
for them,” said Michigan coach
Sean Bormet.
Given the coach’s praise for
the senior class, their leadership
should come as no surprise. The
Wolverines owe much of their
success both during the meet
and throughout the season to
the seniors’ leadership.
Hopes are high for this trend
to
continue
as
March,
an
all-important
month
in
the
wrestling season,
approaches.
“I’d
say
the
biggest
point
tonight
is
to
continue to build
on the excitement
you
have
for
your
wrestling,
for what’s coming in March,”
Bormet said.
Riding the dominant win,
confidence is clearly high. For
Michigan, staying the course
is the message of choice as
the team looks forward to the
upcoming Big Ten and National
Championships.
The final dual meet of the
season is a time for the team as
a whole to look forward to the
major competitions to come, but
it also is a time of reflection for
the seniors.
“It’s just been a long ride,
man,” Amine said. “It’s just,
time flies, and I remember when
I was a freshman on campus, so
it’s just pretty much cherishing
it and just being thankful. I
thanked my parents, you know,
my coaches, and it’s just been a
long ride. And obviously it’s not
over, but your last match at Cliff
Keen, you kinda blink and it’s all
over.”
Amine’s
sentiment
expresses
exactly
how
grateful
these
seniors
are
for
their
experiences
as
Michigan
wrestlers.
He
encapsulated
the
nostalgia
felt by these men, a feeling that
he, a member of a proud family
legacy, feels to an intense degree.
“When I look back, when I
have kids and they grow up,
having the whole entire legacy
my grandpa started in the 1960s,
it’s just a crazy thing to think
about,” Amine said. “I’m lucky
to be an Amine.”
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Fifth-year senior Malik Amine played at Cliff Keene Arena for his last time as a Wolverine on Sunday.
JACOB COHEN
For The Daily
Our seniors,
they’ve got great
discipline, great
leadership.
Slow start continues in Louisiana
The first couple of games of
the LSU Invitational saw the
Michigan softball team plagued
by the same problems it’s faced
all season. Towards the end
of the weekend, though, the
Wolverines looked revived both
at the plate and defensively,
grabbing two wins to salvate a
2-3 weekend record.
Friday, the Wolverines (6-8)
were overwhelmed by Stanford
(11-2) and No. 9 Louisiana State
(13-3).
While
Michigan
gave
up
only one run through the first
five innings against Stanford,
trouble came in the bottom of the
sixth. With the game tied at one,
sophomore left-hander Meghan
Beaubien faced six batters in the
inning, hitting two batters in a
row and giving up three runs in
the process before being pulled
for
sophomore
right-hander
Sarah Schaefer. The latter didn’t
fare much better, giving up an
additional three runs before the
inning ended.
“I didn’t really have the right
mindset,” Beaubien said. “You
want to go into that situation
with a clear head and telling
yourself to throw your game
and things are going to work
out. What you don’t want to do
is try too hard to get out of the
situation or get the results you
wanted. I was trying too hard to
get the results.”
The Michigan offense couldn’t
make up the difference in the 7-1
loss. Friday evening saw much
of the same from the offense
against the Tigers, mustering up
only one hit in a 2-0 loss.
There were some reasons
for
optimism,
though.
Both
the infield and outfield played
consistently
smart
defense.
Senior catcher Katie Alexander
prevented a runner from stealing
third in the bottom of the second
inning, and junior outfielder
Haley Hoogenraad dove to grab
a fly ball in center field to end
the inning. It was these types of
plays that kept the score low.
In its first few innings against
Memphis
(5-8)
on
Saturday
morning, Michigan looked like
it might face similar problems,
as the Tigers took a 1-0 lead in
the top of the second inning. The
Wolverines responded quickly as
senior infielders Faith Canfield
and Alex Sobczak and sophomore
infielder
Natalia
Rodriguez
all made it across home plate.
Michigan held onto this lead
with Rodriguez scoring again
in the fourth inning, ending it’s
five-game losing streak with a
4-2 win.
The Wolverines kept this
momentum
going
against
California
State
University,
Northridge (4-7). The offense
proved that strong batting can be
contagious, getting 10 hits, eight
of which resulted in runs.
Beaubien
was
the
one
standout, pitching her fourth
career no-hitter and her first
of the season. With the offense
and
defense
finally
coming
together for the Wolverines,
Michigan ended the game with a
commanding 8-0 win.
The final game of the weekend
proved to be a solid rematch
against Louisiana State. The first
matchup saw weak offensive
play from the Wolverines, and
the rematch saw much of the
same. Michigan pitching carried
it to a 2-1 loss. For the first three
innings, it matched the Tigers
in runners on base, but couldn’t
finish.
Luckily for the Wolverines,
freshman
right-hander
Alex
Storako’s pitching kept them
in the game early on. Storako
registered four strikeouts in a
row, shaping the game up to be a
pitcher’s duel.
“I’ve made some significant
jumps to just be able to trust
myself and the process that I’ve
come to know these past couple
of months,” Storako said. “Be
able to be stress free and loose
and playing the game the way
that I know how.”
The third inning marked the
first signs of trouble for Michigan
as it left two runners stranded on
base in the top of the inning, and
allowed LSU a run off of an error
by Storako at the bottom. With
runners on second and third,
Storako recovered the inning,
saving the Wolverines from an
even larger deficit.
While junior Madison Uden
tied up the game with a run
in the top of the fifth inning,
Louisiana State quickly regained
its lead. After walking a batter in
the bottom of the same inning,
Beaubien relieved Storako in the
circle, but she wasn’t there for
long. Before the inning was over,
Beaubien allowed one runner to
steal second base and eventually
take home, leaving Michigan
with another loss. Much like
the first game against Louisiana
State, Hutchins opted to replace
Beaubien with Shaefer before she
was able to finish her first inning.
LANE KIZZIAH
Daily Sports Writer
‘M’ stays unbeaten with sweep
It’s a high-percentage out.
That’s what Michigan coach
Erik Bakich – and most baseball
coaches – will say when asked
about rundown situations. Two
infielders and one baserunner
don’t usually add up to a runner
in scoring position.
But in the top of the eighth
inning on Saturday, fifth-year
senior outfielder Miles Lewis
slipped
past
The
Citadel’s
infielders to take third base on
an infield single from junior
outfielder
Christian
Bullock.
A few pitches later, sophomore
catcher Joe Donovan sent them
both home as he knocked a three-
run blast off of Bulldog pitcher
Jordan Buster.
It was just one of many
things that went right for the
17th-ranked
Wolverines
(6-0)
as they swept the Bulldogs (2-4)
this weekend, winning 2-0 on
Friday, 9-1 on Saturday and 6-3
on Sunday. After this weekend,
Michigan is one of seven teams in
the top 25 that is still undefeated
two weeks into the season.
“We’re
always
happy
to
sweep,” Bakich said. “It’s hard
to sweep, especially on the road
against a good Citadel team like
this that has an older pitching
staff with speed and some
weapons in their lineup. We had
to play well to come out on top.”
Donovan had an especially
productive
weekend
for
the
Wolverines. He notched five
runs batted in over the course of
the weekend. He also remained
consistently
solid
defensively
behind the plate, making several
strong plays off pitches in the
dirt. Friday, he caught a runner
trying to steal second, and on
Sunday, he ended the fifth inning
by picking off a runner at third
base.
Michigan’s
pitching
staff
also
continued
to
dominate
throughout the series. Junior
left-hander
Tommy
Henry
pitched a complete game of
one-hit baseball on Friday. He
faced only the minimum 27
batters with a career-high of 13
strikeouts. Saturday, junior right-
hander Karl Kauffman continued
the trend, striking out nine and
allowing only three hits over
eight innings of work.
“What Tommy Henry and Karl
Kauffmann did from the starting
pitching standpoint really set
the tone and gave us every
opportunity to win the series,”
Bakich said. “To get those types
of performances from Tommy
and Karl certainly sets a tone.”
Junior
outfielder
Jordan
Brewer
also
contributed
to
Wolverines’ strong performance
this weekend. On Friday, he stole
two bases after reaching first on a
single to center field. On Saturday,
he had three hits, and on Sunday,
he saved a run, throwing a
baserunner out at home plate.
Brewer has had a productive start
to his first season at Michigan
after transferring earlier this year
from Lincoln Trail Community
College in Robinson, Ill. So far
this season, he has a batting
average of .385 with five hits and
four stolen bases over the four
games he’s played (and started)
in this season.
Before the first pitch on Friday,
the Wolverines presented the
Bulldogs with a plaque to honor
their service to the military,
as they do with all military
academies they play.
“It’s a tough group of kids.
We credit what these kids stand
for and what they’re all about,”
Bakich said. “At the end of the
day, we have a lot of respect for
them and their patriotism and
their duty, and for those that do
serve, we sincerely appreciate it.”
ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Sophomore catcher Joe Donovan hit a three-run home run to help the Wolverines to a 9-1 win on Saturday.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Sophomore left-hander Meghan Beaubien had mixed results on the weekend.