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.