Disappointment reigns for Blue

Disappointment, embarrassment and tears. This past weekend culminated into a giant snowball of failure. Louisiana Tech proved it is in a class only occupied by a few prominent programs in the country, while the Wolverines made it apparent that they are several years away from competitive basketball against the NCAA's best.

Michigan coach Sue Guevara was not afraid to admit the truth.

"I think it's pretty obvious that we weren't ready to play with the big girls."

While one could commend Michigan for only losing to Louisiana Tech by 18 points, no one could find any positives in regards to last night's disgraceful and retarding loss to an unimpressive Minnesota team.

Louisiana Tech came out Saturday afternoon with a swagger. The Lady Techsters ran on to the court and everyone could tell from the start that they were for real. This was a team that made it to the way to the NCAA finals last year and ultimately lost to mighty Tennessee.

Michigan came on to the floor excited to play, but more than anything nervousness was apparent in their movements and obvious in their eyes. Louisiana Tech was quick and manipulative. The team ran numerous traps which caused the Wolverines to turn the ball over 26 times. Michigan was always one step behind.

Louisiana Tech center Shaka Massey and Amanda Wilson dominated the Michigan frontcourt with their power and speed. They combined for 36 points and 16 rebounds. Alison Miller looked confused and her frustration took over.

She tried to drive but traveled. She tried to put the ball up over Massey and Wilson but was rejected with ease. Miller tried, but her natural ability lacked in comparison to the Lady Techsters' powerful forwards.

But Miller's play was not the only detrimental factor in the Wolverines' loss. The guards carelessly tossed the ball across the court, without understanding Louisiana Tech's ability to trap and steal.

In the second half alone, the Lady Techsters stole the ball 13 times and 20 times in the game. They toyed with the Michigan guards, and Michigan was defenseless against their attack.

While it is understandable that Michigan was outmatched, it is unacceptable that looks of discouragement turned into frustration, which ultimately caused the Wolverines to give up.

Although Michigan lost to one of the best teams in the country, they were considered a "promising" team by Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore.

"Eventually Michigan will have a very good team," Barmore said. "They are a young group who still has a lot to learn."

And what makes a team great is their ability to learn from a loss and progress from that point. Last night ,the Wolverines "took 10 steps back," Guevara said.

Michigan disgraced itself on the court yesterday night. They clearly showed that they were not ready to play, nor were they able to put a disappointing loss behind them. Michigan shot a dismal 32 percent from the floor, and turned over the ball 19 times.

Guevara said that she was worried before the game about several of her players, feeling that they had not gotten over the loss to Louisiana Tech.

"What we had to do today to get over the loss to Louisiana Tech, we didn't do," Guevara said. "And you can chalk that up to an immature team."

But the team's inability to refocus after a loss was apparent even in the emotions reflected in Guevara's post-game appearance. Guevara walked into the press conference with tears in her eyes. Shortly after her entrance Guevara started to cry and had to leave to compose her emotions.

While Guevara can be commended for her dedication to the program and her success last year, her weak appearance after the game was unprofessional. She cites the Minnesota loss as the biggest disappointment in her career, and demonstrated those emotions with her sobby appearance.

One can sympathize with Guevara and her ballclub, but great teams are able to bounce back and learn from their mistakes.

Last night's game could only be classified as pathetic. Guevara tried to motivate her team, but Michigan didn't respond to any form of stimulus.

One could only hope that the embarrassment Minnesota instilled upon the Michigan basketball team will teach them a lesson rather than deter their progress any more.

01-11-99