Trying times

Tough road performance comes up short

BLOOMINGTON - In its grittiest performance of the season, the Michigan basketball team played until it couldn't play anymore.

Literally.

With three key players fouling out and another in foul trouble, Michigan hung around to give No. 17 Indiana a serious scare before falling, 73-71, in Assembly Hall yesterday.

The Wolverines had a chance to tie the game or take the lead on their final possession, but Louis Bullock's 15-footer bounced off the rim with seconds remaining. After a Michigan timeout, Bullock took the ball at the top of the key with eight second

AP PHOTO Indiana's Larry Richardson grabs a rebound over the Wolverines yesterday in a 73-71 victory by the Hoosiers. Michigan's comeback effort fell short as Michigan guard Louis Bullock missed a last-second shot that would have tied the game.

s left. He considered shooting a 3-pointer over defender Michael Lewis before driving the lane for the pull-up jumper, which missed to the left.

"(Lewis) came out and I didn't think I could get the three over him,"

Bullock said. "So I thought I could penetrate and I did."

Despite trailing by as much as 12 in the second half, Bullock and the Wolverines charged back in front of the Hoosier faithful.

When Indiana's Kirk Haston missed a 15-footer along the left baseline and the rebound went out of bounds to Michigan with 16.5 seconds left, the Wolverines called timeout to decide whether to go for the win or shoot for overtime.

The Wolverines weren't necessarily looking for Bullock to shoot the three, Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said.

"We got a good shot," Ellerbe said of Michigan's final possession. "We

were looking for the best shot available. We weren't looking specifically for the three."

Michigan (4-10 Big Ten, 10-17 overall) withstood a barrage of second-half free throws from the Hoosiers, who had just one field goal in the last 14 minutes of the game - but scored 20 points from the line. (?????????)

Luke Recker led the charge from the stripe for Indiana (7-7, 20-9),

hitting a whopping 22-of-25 free throws.

"I'd like to get to the line that many times every game," joked Recker, who had just one field goal despite scoring a game-high 24 points. "I've been working extra hard on my free throws in practice, and it paid off."

Despite missing only three times from the line, two of Recker's misses came with Indiana looking to put a little distance between themselves and he surging Wolverines. With 1:50 remaining and Indiana clinging to a two-point lead, Recker missed both from the charity stripe, keeping it a one-possession game. But neither team was able to score in their final two possessions, and Indiana eked out the victory.

Michigan starters Josh Asselin and Brandon Smith and sixth man Leon Jones were forced to watch the nail-biter from the bench. The trio had all fouled out by the five-minute mark of the second half. Asselin - who committed his fourth foul midway through the first half - was the first to take a seat with 7:51 remaining.

With the foul trouble, little-used reserve Ron Oliver saw 17 minutes of action, his most to date in Big Ten play. Oliver contributed four points, nailing a crucial jumper with 4:05 remaining to bring Michigan within two, 68-66.

Post players Peter Vignier and Chris Young also contributed, with Vignier scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds and Young coming down with six caroms, three of them offensive.

"We kept getting closer and closer, but we needed stops on defense," said Vignier. "We didn't need to commit fouls and put them on the line."

Unfortunately, the Wolverines did just that. Recker - who had missed two crucial free throws in Indiana's overtime loss to Purdue two weeks ago - was the recipient of most of the whistles. During one five minute stretch in the second half, he scored 12 of 13 Indiana points from the line.

02-22-99