Cagers prove mettle in loss

By Chris Duprey

Daily Sports Editor

Take away Jamal Crawford and LaVell Blanchard from the Michigan basketball team, and what do you have left?

Contrary to some opinions, quite a lot.

Minus their two top scorers - Crawford, who was starting a new eight-game suspension per another NCAA ruling, and Blanchard, who went down on the second possession of the game with a mild knee injury - Michigan emphatically proved that it would not hide from adversity.

Riding emotion, the Wolverines jumped out to a 26-10 first-half lead before falling to Purdue at Crisler Arena last night, 78-75.

Last night's ending was eerily similar to the first meeting of the two teams, back in January in West Lafayette. This time it was Michigan that was facing a six-point deficit with under a minute to play, needing some missed free throws from the opposition to stay competitive.

After missing two free throws the previous possession, Jaraan Cornell was fouled again with 29 seconds left. The senior made one of two for a 74-69 Purdue lead.

Leon Jones came off a screen and stuck a 3-pointer to bring Michigan within 74-72, and the Wolverines promptly fouled once more. The victim this time - shooting guard Carson Cunningham, an 82 percent free-throw shooter.

Cunningham, much to the amusement of the half of Crisler that hadn't yet left the building, did his part by missing both free throw attempts, keeping the score at 74-72.

All of a sudden, the Wolverines had 21 seconds to tie or win the game outright. More aggressive offense by Michigan earned center Chris Young two free throws, the result of Cornell's fifth foul.

The first rattled out, and with that miss went the Wolverines' last chance. Young made the second free throw, but the final 10 seconds never yielded Michigan another quality opportunity to tie, as the Boilermakers (11-3 Big Ten, 20-7 overall) kept their grip on second place in the Big Ten, trailing Michigan State by a full game.

"There is disappointment, but there is also a great deal of pride," said Michigan guard Gavin Groninger, who turned in a 19-point effort against the Boilermakers, almost a carbon copy of his 18-point performance in a victory at Georgia Tech back in December.

Michigan learned before the game that Crawford's suspension would be extended another eight games on top of the original six, with Game No. 7 coming last night.

Blanchard started as usual, but didn't last long, suffering a mild sprain of his medial collateral ligament. Trainer Steve Stricker said that, while the sprain isn't serious, Blanchard will be "doubtful" for Saturday's trip to Northwestern.

Bodies were at a premium for Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe, so his Wolverines (4-9, 13-11) cooked up some emotion instead. Every Michigan player came out of the lockerroom wearing a headband in the now-famous Crawford tradition, with magic-marker messages reminding the fans and themselves who they were playing for.

"I knew with the situation with Crawford, they'd be jacked higher than a kite," Purdue coach Gene Keady said of the Wolverines.

That emotion translated into a 16-point first-half advantage for Michigan, although that lead was sliced to five by halftime. The lack of personnel caught up to the Wolverines in the second half - already down two key players, three men fouled out for Michigan in the stretch run.

"It seems like we can't catch a break this whole season," junior Brandon Smith said. "We have yet to put our whole team on the floor."

And unless the Wolverines can combine to play more than four games in the Big Ten Tournament and NIT - Michigan's probable destination - they won't get that luxury until next year.

DAVID KATZ/Daily

Purdue's Mike Robinson was surrounded by defenders all night, but that didn't stop him from scoring 17 points in Purdue's 75-72 win.