The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 — 11
Hughes’s speed
devastates
Penn State
Michigan blows past Ohio State, 29-8, in first Big Ten dual of the season
With nine seconds left in the
second quarter, a fast break for
Maryland had begun to form.
Terrapins forward Angel Reese
looked to get a last second layup
before the end of the half to trim
the deficit. But Michigan senior
forward Naz Hillmon was back
defensively and made an emphat-
ic left-handed block inside the
paint to deny Reese’s shot and
keep Maryland from scoring.
The
Wolverines’
defense
found a rhythm early in its vic-
tory against the Terrapins, spur-
ring a 69-49 victory. As such,
they forced Maryland into tak-
ing difficult shots and were able
to force turnovers.
“I thought our lock in and
focus on the defensive end was
absolutely incredible,” Michi-
gan coach Kim Barnes Arico
said.
The Terrapins started the
game scoring 11 points, shooting
5-of-7 in the first four minutes of
the game. It certainly wasn’t the
defensive start that Michigan
was looking for.
The Wolverines made adjust-
ments early in the game, as they
put more of a focus towards
defending the paint. This proved
successful as after starting 5-of-
7 from the field, Maryland fin-
ished the remainder of the game
shooting just 11-of-44.
Michigan put an emphasis on
defending the paint, making the
Terrapins take a number of out-
side shots. Maryland was also
silenced on the offensive glass,
held to zero offensive rebounds
in the first quarter and unable
to muster second chance points.
The Terrapins offense is predicated around
getting rebounds off the glass, as they lead the
Big Ten with 15.8 offensive boards per game.
Reese leads the nation in offensive rebounds
with 5.4 boards per game, so stopping her was
critical to the Wolverines success.
Michigan was able to achieve this as
they held her to one offensive rebound
in the first half, which came in the final
seconds of the second quarter. That was
a concerted effort.
“Are we going to be able to rebound
the basketball with them because they’ll
miss shots, but sometimes they’ll just go
get their offensive rebound and be able
to put it back in there,” Barnes Arico said.
“Obviously (Maryland’s) one of the best
offensive rebounding teams in the coun-
try as well. So I thought we really did an
amazing job on defense and then finish-
ing the play by rebounding.”
The Wolverines made a statement on
defense in the second quarter, too, hold-
ing the Terrapins to one field goal in the
entire quarter on 1-of-9 shooting.
“I just thought we were unbelievable,”
Barnes Arico said. “I thought we set the
tone. I thought we scrambled for each
other. I thought we rebounded. I think
our experience and lock in was just tre-
mendous.”
Their strong defense was a result of
the ability to force turnovers and put
pressure on Maryland’s best offensive
player. Reese, coming into the game
averaged 18.2 points per game, had zero
points in the first half. She shot 0-of-5
and had three turnovers in the first, and
ended the game with nine.
Michigan was also able to stop Ter-
rapins guard Ashley Owusu.
Owusu came into this game
averaging 16.4 points per game,
but was held to four points on
40%
shooting.
Wolverines’
senior guard Maddie Nolan was
the primary defender against
Owusu.
“I think Maddie did a great job
setting the tone on Ashlee early
on,” Barnes Arico said. “I think
our kids really bought into under-
standing the personnel, under-
standing their tendencies, and
then scrambling for each other,
something that we’ve worked on
a lot.”
Nolan’s strong defensive per-
formance forced three turnovers
on Owusu. Coming into this game,
the Terrapins averaged 11.4 turn-
overs per game, the fourth fewest
in Division 1 women’s basketball.
They had thirteen turnovers in the
first half alone.
The turnovers and strong first
half defense allowed Michigan to
go up 34-19.
In the second half, Maryland
continued to struggle shooting
the ball, as they shot 2-of-16 in the
third. The Wolverines nullified
the Terrapins offensive rebound-
ing as they defended the inside
of the paint, forcing them to take
outside shots. As a result of the
outside shots, they were held
scoreless for periods of 3:38 and
2:43 in the third quarter.
The most memorable moment
in the third quarter came when
the Wolverines had four players
defending slightly outside the
paint to stop a turnaround layup.
Michigan’s physicality on
the play did not allow Mary-
land to drive inside the paint
forcing them to take outside
shots. When the Terrapins
grabbed an offensive rebound,
they shot a driving layup inside
the paint. But the shot wasn’t
close, and Kiser snatched the
rebound.
That sequence summed up
Michigan’s dominating defen-
sive performance.
CHARLIE PAPPALARDO
Daily Sports Writer
Bill Muckalt has a saying
when Luke Hughes blows by
his man:
“Bye bye.”
And on Saturday against
Penn State, Michigan’s asso-
ciate head coach probably
sounded like a broken record.
Hughes used his speed to skate
all over the Nittany Lions on
both ends of the ice. In a game
that saw No. 4 Michigan rally
from a two-goal deficit, in
many cases, Hughes’s speed
led the Wolverines toward
victory.
“It’s great to see him tak-
ing steps every day,” sopho-
more goaltender Erik Portillo
said. “The last two games here
(Hughes is) really taking a
step and helping the team
win.”
Fast skating isn’t unusual
for Hughes’s game, but he
combined it with the rest
of his game to devastating
effect against Penn State. His
positioning never let the Nit-
tany Lions set up on his inside
shoulder, blocking their path
toward center ice and creating
races for the puck — races that
favor Hughes.
And that same speed played
a crucial role in the Wolver-
ines’ breakouts, combining
his stick skills and elusiveness
to dodge forecheckers. His
skates never stopped moving,
making micro adjustments to
mirror the direction of the
puck. Then when Penn State
made a mistake, those same
skates took off in an instant.
With that success exiting
the zone, Michigan relied
on Hughes to command its
transition
game.
Handling
the puck with his top hand,
Hughes spun around fore-
checkers with ease as they
tried to pry the puck off his
stick. Like a miniature game
of keep away, Hughes spun left
and right as they scrambled for
the puck — always a step ahead.
“You can rely on him to get
pucks out and make a skilled
play,” senior forward Nolan
Moyle said. “It’s really nice
having him back there.”
But Hughes had to get the
puck on his stick to make
those plays, and the Nittany
Lions’ physical forecheck made
that an uphill battle. Hughes
embraced the contact, using
his speed to build momentum
before unleashing it along the
boards.
That willingness to grind
along the boards proved vital to
Michigan’s success, especially
as it found itself killing penal-
ties often. Normally a defense-
man can get trapped in those
battles, leading to dangerous
chances for the other team.
Hughes’s speed made certain
they would be few and far
between.
But for all his defensive suc-
cess, Hughes made that speed
matter on offense, relying on
his quickness to dodge around
backcheckers. And paired once
again with sophomore defen-
seman Jacob Truscott, Hughes
saw ample opportunities to
lean on it.
With Michigan within a
goal, Hughes found his chance
to capitalize. Coming off the
rush, Hughes wiggled behind
Penn State’s defense and scored
before the Nittany Lions could
react. Hughes skated so hard he
didn’t have time to stop before
crashing into the boards.
“It’s almost like having anoth-
er forward on the ice back there,”
Michigan coach Mel Pearson
said, “He really uses his skating
to his advantage, to create scor-
ing opportunities not only for
himself but his teammates.”
And those scoring oppor-
tunities have come all season.
Hughes’s 22 points are the most
of all freshmen defensemen,
and they’re not just coming off
secondary
assists
and goals through
traffic. His elusive
speed has created
some of the Wol-
verines’
best
goals.
Having
quick
feet
gives Hughes a
weapon
against
physical
teams,
but it doesn’t matter
if he can’t combine
it with the rest of
his game. Hughes
proved he’s got the
second step figured
out.
CONNOR EAREGOOD
Daily Sports Writer
Strong defense leads the way in victory
against Maryland
Men’s Tennis dominates singles matches to
win home opener 5-2
MARK PATRICK
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS —When Michigan
and Ohio State wrestle, it’s almost
always a tight affair.
Last year’s dual between the two
teams was decided by a dramatic
overtime takedown that gave the
Wolverines a narrow one-point vic-
tory. Three years ago it was then-
freshman
heavyweight
Mason
Parris whose high-stakes decision
victory propelled his team’s come-
from-behind two-point win. Friday
night’s dual was different.
It also ended with fireworks
from Parris in the form of a first
period pin. But this time, less than
half of the once raucous Buckeyes’
crowd had stuck around to watch it,
and the final score was 29-8.
No. 3 Michigan (5-0 overall, 1-0
Big Ten) didn’t just beat No. 7 Ohio
State (5-1, 1-1), it dominated them
to the tune of a 21 point difference,
winning eight of ten bouts with
three victories earning the team
bonus points.
Ohio State was billed as the Wol-
verines’ first real test of the season,
and it’s one they passed with flying
colors. There was never a moment
in the night where the Buckeyes
looked as if they were even threat-
ening to hand Michigan its first loss.
The night’s action started at 125
lbs., where No. 1 ranked former
NCAA champion Nick Suriano
earned an 11-3 major-decision vic-
tory over No. 18 Malik Heinselman
that put the Wolverines up 4-0.
The graduate student wrestled at a
furious pace the entire bout, and it
paid off. He scored takedown after
takedown on his opponent. And as
Heinselman tired late in the bout,
he surrendered a stalling point that
put Suriano up by eight, and secured
bonus points.
“We started off with a lot of
momentum coming off at 125 with
Nick Suriano,” graduate student
Myles Amine said. “His energy, his
intensity, was inspiring and set the
tone for the rest of the match.”
At 133 lbs., redshirt freshman
Dylan Ragusin bounced back from
his loss at Arizona State with a
strong showing in his match with
Ohio
State’s
Will
Betancourt.
Ragusin sacrificed the usual low-
erweight agility antics to wrestle
a controlled, pensive style. This
worked for Ragusin as he won 14-5,
earning a major-decision victory
and putting Michigan up 8-0.
Graduate student Stevan Micic
also bounced back from a loss,
this time able to finish his leg
attacks to earn a 11-7 victory over
No. 21 Dylan D’Emilio at 141 lbs.,
making the score 11-0 Wolver-
ines.
But two Michigan losses sand-
wiching a Will Lewan victory left
the score 14-8, putting Ohio State a
pin away from tying the dual when
174 lb. graduate student Logan
Massa took the mat.
In his second dual match of the
season, No. 6 Massa faced No. 7
Ethan Smith in what was expect-
ed to be the biggest tossup of the
night. Two periods in, Massa was
down 4-2, but a dominant third
period in which Massa tripped,
took down and tilted Smith led
him to a 10-4 decision victory. As
Massa’s hand was raised, boos
rained down from the Buckeyes’
crowd, which Massa clearly rev-
eled in, skipping around the mat
with his arms raised before run-
ning to the locker room.
Any energy Ohio State had built
evaporated and the score was 17-8.
“He overwhelmed the guy in
the third period,” Michigan coach
Sean Bormet said. “…You could see
it in his eyes he was determined, he
stayed consistent and was persistent
about getting to the leg attacks. Psy-
chologically it was very demoraliz-
ing for the opponent and the rest of
that lineup. They felt like they were
getting a little momentum after
165.”
If Massa’s victory demoralized
the Buckeyes, 184 lb. Amine’s over-
time win crushed them.
The
second-ranked
Amine
wrestled an incredibly tight, low
scoring match against No. 7 ranked
Kaleb Romero. Amine and Romero
found themselves in scramble after
scramble in which each fended off
numerous takedowns. In overtime,
the intensity was turned to a new
level, as each wrestler rolled or spun
through what looked to be certain
takedowns to keep the match alive.
A minute and a half into the sud-
den victory period, Amine initiated
a third scramble, narrowly avoided
Romero’s counter, and slipped
through his legs to earn the win-
ning takedown. Romero pounded
the mat in frustration and fans
streamed to exits, at 20-8, the result
was decided.
“Coming into this match tonight
I knew Myles wasn’t at his best,”
Bormet said. “But he is just a fear-
less competitor. I know he wanted
to have a more dominant victory, but
there’s something to be said about
being able to win that kind of match
when you need to in this kind of
environment, and finding a way
to get your hand raised. And there
aren’t many out there that can do it
better than Myles Amine.”
197 lb. graduate student Pat
Brucki’s 5-2 win over Gavin Hoff-
man and Mason Parris’s pin added
an exclamation point to the night
for the Wolverines. But unlike
previous years, their heroics were
unnecessary.
As the Wolverines look forward
to next Friday’s dual against No.
1 Penn. State they’ll need another
dominant performance. Friday’s
victory is a strong place to build
from.
As Parris recognized:
“We’re hoping to build on this
win, build on this confidence and
keep going the rest of the year.”
ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
Michigan needs to find offense beyond its top
line, and for that, it should look to its veterans.
MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Michigan’s stellar defense shut down Maryland’s attack from the first
quarter, fueling the victory.
Fight hard.
That was the Michigan men’s
tennis team’s mentality after
dropping a sloppy doubles per-
formance to open its first match
of the season Sunday against Vir-
ginia Tech.
And the Wolverines rebounded
in spectacular fashion.
Michigan (1-0 overall) rallied
to win five of six singles matches
against the Hokies (0-2) to notch
its first win of the season, 5-2.
“They just fought their tails
off,” Michigan coach Adam Stein-
berg said. “That was the biggest
thing. … They didn’t want to let
their teammates down.”
Doubles was unusually tough
for the Wolverines, who did not
lose the doubles point in their
final eight meets last season. The
No. 1 team struggled and was
trounced by the Hokies; The No.
2 team won a competitive match,
but then the No. 3 team was out-
lasted in a tough fight in which
neither
side
could
maintain
momentum between games.
Doubles put Michigan in
an early hole, but things
would change in singles. The
Wolverines
displayed
grit
throughout the rest of the
day,
never
staying
down,
never losing focus.
They were motivated.
“I played in doubles, I didn’t
play particularly great,” sopho-
more Jacob Bickersteth said. “I
wanted to do better for my team.
It was my first career doubles
match.”
Bickersteth certainly man-
aged to accomplish that by total-
ly dominating his singles outing.
Bickersteth was the first
singles winner of the day.
After taking the first five
games, he won the No. 3 match
in two sets and only lost three
games overall. This fast finish
gave Michigan a much-needed
morale boost.
On the heels of Bickersteth’s
win, sophomore Nino Ehren-
schneider in the No. 6 match
and senior Patrick Maloney in
the No. 4 match put up strong
performances. As the matches
progressed
the
Wolverines’
sideline energy only grew in
intensity, and this energy would
fuel a strong comeback from
sophomore Gavin Young.
“Our energy was obviously way
better than (Virginia Tech’s),” Bick-
ersteth said. “I feel like that got
Gavin over the hump.”
Young turned it around. He won the
second and third sets comfortably
to earn Michigan its fourth point to
clinch the win.
Even after securing the win,
the Wolverines’ fighting spirit
continued via junior Ondrej Sty-
ler.
The final matchup to finish
was Styler’s battle with Hokie
Carlo Donato. After winning the
first set, Styler was unable to hold
Donato down in the second, lead-
ing to a tie breaker. In the third
set, Styler seemed to regain the
upper hand, but then he slipped
and injured his leg.
He got back up and contin-
ued playing, but soon after the
Michigan trainer forced him to
take an injury timeout. And yet
he persevered, re-entering and
playing out the rest of his match,
winning 6-4.
“It’s always nice to come back
in singles, it’s a big confidence
booster,” Steinberg said. “It was
a really good match, it was tight.
… It’s hard to win four singles
against anybody.”
While the Wolverines did
dominate the scoreboard, Vir-
ginia Tech gave Michigan a
tough challenge throughout the
afternoon — a challenge they
respond to with grit and spirit.
IAN PAYNE
Daily Sports Writer
JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily
Unlike previous matchups, Michigan dominated Ohio State in Columbus.