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Michigan suffers worst home loss since '84-'85

The Michigan men's basketball team has had a great deal of success at home over the past few seasons. Going into last night's game against Purdue, the Wolverines had won 15 straight at home.

The Boilermakers put an end to that in impressive fashion, embarassing Michigan 80-59.

That is the worst home loss a Wolverine squad has suffered since the 1984-85 season. That year, Bobby Knight and Indiana traveled to Ann Arbor and took home an 87-52 victory.

"Unfortunately, somebody came into our home and kicked our behinds," freshman Louis Bullock said.

This is the worst Michigan has been beaten home or away since last season's 78-57 loss to Arizona.

Michigan has not lost three games in a row since the 1990-91 season. The Wolverines lost four contests in a row that year, dropping games to Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa and Purdue. Steve Fisher's squad finished that season 14-15 after a first-round loss in the NIT.

TOTAL DEFEAT: Michigan was dominated in almost every category last night, including bench scoring. The Wolverines pride themselves in having three reserves -- Dugan Fife, Willie Mitchell and Robert Traylor -- who could start on any given night.

Against Purdue, that strength became a weakness as the Boilermaker bench outscored Michigan's, 25-18.

NEW TECHNOLOGY: Crisler Arena now features the "SlaM Abacus," a rack of balls above the east entrance to Crisler's bowl. The 10 balls begin on one end of the rack; After each Michigan dunk, a ball is rolled to the other end by the students sitting above, thereby keeping a tally of Wolverine slams.

The abacus found its first use when Robert Traylor jammed home the rebound of a Maurice Taylor airball with the Boilermakers up 26-13 and 8:30 left on the clock in the first half.

WHERE'S THE DUDE?: President James Duderstadt and his wife Anne were conspicuously absent from their seats last night. The seats were occupied by an indifferent fan and a rabid Purdue rooter.