Bullock stellar in shooting clinic

COLUMBUS - Michigan guard Louis Bullock gets most of his points outside the lines. Either he is draining 3-pointers from all angles and depths beyond the arc or he is calmly gracing the nets at the free throw line.

Whether it's off the dribble, off a screen or stationary at the charity stripe, his silky-smooth stroke rarely changes.

Against Ohio State on Saturday, Bullock was true to form, knocking down five 3-pointers and connecting on a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line. All of his 28 points came from behind the arc or the free throw line.

His scoring output equaled his career high, attained against Oklahoma State on March 18, 1997 and against Ball State on Nov. 26, 1996.

Bullock got his 27th and 28th points at the free throw line with 2:49 remaining in the game and the Wolverines leading big, 73-52.

JOHN KRAFT/Daily Michigan guard Robbie Reid secures a loose ball against Ohio State on Saturday. Reid notched three assists against the Buckeyes and netted nine points for the game.

Did Bullock know that he had just tied his career high?

Oh yeah.

"I knew how many points I had," Bullock said. "I wanted to break my record, but that's really not important to me. It's nice to have it but I'm just happy we got a Big Ten victory on the road."

In his last 11 games, Bullock shot a torrid 60 percent from the 3-point line on 33-of-55 attempts.

Bullock's perfect day from the free throw line increased his Big Ten-leading free throw percentage to 91.9, which would rank him among the nation's top five.

"I'm shocked I got to the line that much," Bullock said. "I welcome any opportunities shooting free throws."

The Buckeyes made it easier for Bullock to get good looks from beyond the arc. Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien employed a 2-3 defensive zone to try to contain Michigan's inside game led by Robert Traylor and Maceo Baston.

But that left Bullock and fellow guards Robbie Reid and Travis Conlan open. Bullock quickly got on track, knocking down consecutive treys in the first half. His 16 points before the half, highlighted by four-of-six shooting from the 3-point line, led the Wolverines and contributed to Michigan's early double-digit lead.

"When you play against the zone, you can't try to force everything all the time," Bullock said. "You have to be patient and pick your spots, and I think we did a great job of that today."

What made Bullock even harder to contain was his ability to penetrate into the paint and either take a short pull-up jump shot or get fouled.

Bullock's teammates know that the senior guard from Temple Hills, Md., is unstoppable when he is driving and hitting his 3-point shots.

"He's a great player, and great players do great things for their teams to win," Traylor said. "He did a lot of things today that he just made sure we would win the basketball game."

01-20-98