Blue runs past Norfolk State
Ruth Lincoln
Daily Sports WriterNovember 25th, 2008
Michigan men's basketball coach John Beilein’s offense is known for its half-court plays that emphasize the 3-point shot.
But last night, you wouldn't have guessed that was the standard.
In front of its largest home crowd of the season, the Wolverines ran past Norfolk State last night, 83-49, thanks largely to the fast break.
Michigan got off to an awful start, shooting 0-for-10 from the field. Later, though, the Wolverines started to sink their shots and finished the game with a 45.1 field goal percentage.
To spark its offense, Michigan (4-1) hit three quick 3-pointers after five scoreless minutes. But after that, there wasn’t much need for the long ball. The Wolverines capitalized on the Spartans’ dismal 30.3 shooting percentage by grabbing defensive rebounds and pushing the floor for fast-break points.
“We're trying to convince the guys — we do want to run,” Beilein said. “We do a lot of half-court stuff. We want to run on every rebound, every turnover at full speed.”
The Wolverines attacked the glass with more tenacity than they have all season. With 53 total rebounds, Michigan ran the court with ease.
But even when the layups wouldn’t fall, Michigan was there to recover.
In front of the loudest home crowd this season, freshman Stu Douglass missed a layup off a fast break, but sophomore forward Manny Harris caught the ball inches from the rim and slammed it home to ignite the fans even more.
“The transition had a lot to do with it, being able to push the ball, get out, find guys to guard,” said sophomore point guard Kelvin Grady, who led Michigan with five assists. “We all got out in front of guys … it was a balance.”
Harris led Michigan with 16 points and 15 rebounds, but he was part of an all-around team effort. Michigan had five players in double digits, including senior forward Jevohn Shephard, who usually plays sparse minutes. In his 17 minutes last night, Shephard registered one of the best performances of his career with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
“It’s excellent — team effort, everyone scoring, everyone working hard,” Harris said. “We’ll take games like that with a win.”
In their upset win over then-No. 4 UCLA last week, the Wolverines played with the same unselfishness and were hard to stop. Harris usually is the center of attention, but Michigan needs consistent production from more players.
Last night, the Wolverines had 21 assists, the most this season.
“If we can get 60 to 70 percent assists to baskets that's pretty good,” Beilein said. “Almost every basket had a good assist on it. They're looking for each other.”
But despite the lopsided score, Michigan committed 21 turnovers thanks in part to the Spartans’ second-half pressure. The Wolverines had their share of sloppy plays, but Norfolk State applied more defensive pressure to trap Michigan.
Despite the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the Maize Rage student section filled the entire bleachers for the first time this year.
Michigan will play another Mid-Major before the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Wolverines will return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. against Savannah State at Crisler Arena.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:08:05 -0400