Ellerbe era begins with in-Action

Just one game into the exhibition season, the Michigan men's basketball team managed to add to a rather undistinguished streak: The Wolverines have now been beaten by Athletes in Action twice in a row.

Last night was AIA's fifth game of the season, they nailed 15 3-pointers, and they even had former NBA forward David Wood starting at power forward.

Having said all that, one crucial fact shouldn't be overlooked: They're still Athletes in Action.

And Michigan is 0-1 in the exhibition season, after wasting a 15-point lead and superb shooting performances by Travis Conlan and Louis Bullock in a 95-93 loss at Crisler Arena last night before an announced crowd of 11,353, about 7,000 of which came disguised as empty seats.

WARREN ZINN/Daily Animated and intense, Brian Ellerbe made his coaching debut last night at Crisler Arena against Athletes in Action. His already-thin team may have lost a guard, Travis Conlan, to an injured wrist.

"I know that if Jesus Christ were playing, he would have played just like we did tonight - tough," said AIA coach Chuck Badger, whose team not only travels and plays basketball but also spreads Christian teachings along the way. "Thank God we ended up winning the basketball game."

Perhaps more important, Conlan left the game with 7:12 remaining after injuring his wrist while diving to the floor. The senior co-captain, who scored 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting (including 4-of-5 from 3-point range), did not return.

"When I dove, I think I got it caught between (AIA guard Ryan Hoover's) legs, and then I heard it snap," Conlan said. "It's kind of a bad mark on a good performance, but hopefully everything will work out and I'll be fine."

Conlan was scheduled to have X-rays this morning. The injury was termed a sprain until it could be examined further, but according to Conlan, Michigan's medical staff indicated that the wrist did not appear to be broken.

Conlan, Bullock, Robert Traylor, Maceo Baston and Robbie Reid started for the Wolverines, who used the three-guard lineup for much of the night but struggled without Conlan when AIA went to an up-tempo game late.

"Their pressure was good at the end of the game," Ellerbe said. "Without Travis - that hurt us a little bit."

Michigan led, 79-64, with 11 minutes remaining, but a 22-4 run by AIA over the next five minutes left the Wolverines down by three. The teams traded baskets until the final two minutes, when Wood committed a flagrant foul on Reid, a transfer guard from Brigham Young who made his Michigan debut.

Reid missed both free throws, but the Wolverines retained possession, and Bullock's trey from the left side tied the game at 92.

After AIA scored to go ahead, 94-92, Traylor was fouled at the other end. The junior made just one of two from the stripe, and Michigan trailed by a point with 41.8 seconds remaining.

The Wolverines got the ball back and had one last chance after Baston took his third charge of the game with 16 seconds to play, but Bullock had the ball knocked away while driving to the basket in the game's final seconds.

No foul was called despite apparent contact, and the Wolverines did not score again.

AIA was paced by guard Landon Hackim, who torched Michigan for a game-high 26 points, including a 7-for-9 display from beyond the arc. Wood, who was cut by the Milwaukee Bucks last week, scored 19, but he looked most like an NBA player when he traveled twice in the first five minutes.

To Wood's disbelief, the college officials actually whistled him for it in last night's game.

Bullock led the Wolverines with 24 points (six threes), Jerod Ward came off the bench to net 16 and Traylor and Baston had 14 apiece.

11-04-97