'Due respect Michigan 88, Purdue 86 (2OT) Blanchard's tip-in secures wild double-overtime victory By Jacob Wheeler Daily Sports Writer WEST LAFAYETTE - With Michigan down one point, LaVell Blanchard leaped to rebound Jamal Crawford's errant 3-point attempt, tipped the caroming sphere and watched his awkward shot find the backboard and the hoop against all odds. Blanchard's answered prayer gave Michigan a one-point lead with less than one minute left in Saturday's second overtime against Purdue. The Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 10-3 overall) held on for an 88-86 victory in a game they weren't supposed to win. The shot seemed as improbable as the victory itself. "We did the unthinkable," said Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe, soaked in sweat after the battle that took 10 extra minutes to finish, though it only should have taken five. "Nobody gave us a shot the way we played at Minnesota. We didn't talk about winning Thursday and Friday in practice, we just talked about playing hard." The first Big Ten victory for Michigan's five freshmen rotated last week's outlook 180 degrees, just three days after Michigan was embarrassed in a 17-point loss at Minnesota. Ellerbe had expressed frustration that his young team opened the conference season with two tough road games, a challenge that no other Big Ten team faced this year. And after Wednesday night's debacle against the Gophers - a team picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference this season - almost no one gave the Wolverines a chance to knock off Purdue, which made the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. "After the Minnesota loss, we wanted to show we could play hard in this league," said Michigan center Josh Asselin, who scored 13 points against the Boilermakers. But the victory, a dramatic saga which featured seemingly insurmountable leads, clutch free throws and missed opportunities to put the game away, showed Michigan's youth and inexperience. After failing to get off a shot on the last possession of regulation with the game knotted at 67, the Wolverines built a six-point lead in the first overtime period behind two baseline layups from point guard Kevin Gaines. With 30 seconds remaining, the game appeared to be in Michigan's bag, as Purdue fans began filing for the exits. Purdue guard Jaraan Cornell hit a long 3-point basket with 21.8 seconds remaining, but Crawford drew a desperation foul on offense and needed to convert only one free throw to seal the victory. The freshman - Michigan's final-possession go-to guy who has found the weight of the program on his shoulders several times this year - missed both free throws, then, with 5.2 seconds left, fouled Purdue sharpshooter Carson Cunningham as he attempted a game-tying 3-pointer. In missing two free throws and fouling on a 3-pointer, Crawford committed basketball's two cardinal sins. "The freshmen are players now," said Ellerbe in defense of his guard. "They are not young when they win, only young when they make mistakes." As Mackey Arena held its breath, Cunningham elevated himself to hero status, converting all three free throws and extending the game. Crawford redeemed himself in the second overtime, hitting a pretty fadeaway and, two possessions later, nailing successive free throws with 2:12 remaining in the game to put Michigan ahead, 83-82. But the battle-hardened Boilermakers would not go away. Senior Brian Cardinal drained a three-pointer to put his team ahead by two and, after Michigan converted two free throws, he rattled home the second of two free throws. Purdue led again, 86-85. Crawford raised Michigan onto his shoulders again, launching a three-point attempt that caromed toward the athletic Blanchard. "I just jumped and hoped the rebound would fall my way," said Blanchard, who found his productive touch again after a dismal one-point performance at Minnesota, in which he fouled out midway through the second half. Against Purdue, the Ann Arbor native recorded his fifth double-double off the season with a team-leading 21 points and 10 rebounds. No other Michigan players have recorded double-doubles this season. His improbable shot a perfect metaphor for the game, Blanchard's all-around play on Saturday proved his importance on this team. When he plays well, the Wolverines can win. But when he is off, they are in deep trouble. the game. Crawford redeemed himself in the second overtime, hitting a pretty fadeaway and, two possessions later, nailing successive free throws with 2:12 remaining in the game to put Michigan ahead, 83-82. But the battle-hardened Boilermakers would not go away. Senior Brian Cardinal drained a 3-pointer to put his team ahead by two and, after Michigan converted two free throws, he rattled home the second of two free throws. Purdue led again, 86-85. Crawford raised Michigan onto his shoulders again, launching a three-point attempt that caromed toward the athletic Blanchard. "I just jumped and hoped the rebound would fall my way," said Blanchard, who found his productive touch again after a dismal one-point performance at Minnesota, in which he fouled out with over ten minutes remaining in the second half. Against Purdue, the Ann Arbor native recorded his fifth double-double off the season with a team-leading 21 points and 10 rebounds. No other Michigan players have recorded double-doubles this season. His improbable shot a perfect metaphor for the game, Blanchard's all-around play on Saturday proved his importance on the Wolverines. When he plays well, the Wolverines can win. But when he is off, they are in deep trouble. JEREMY MENCHIK/Daily A Forward LaVell Blanchard tips in the game-winning shot at Purdue to even Michigan's Big Ten record at 1-1. RIGHT: Michigan women's basketball coach Sue Guevara advises her team during a timeout. Originally on page 1B in the 1-10-2000 issue of the Daily.