'Due respect
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

Nothing comes easy for these freshmen
Blanchard, ever the gentleman, stopped three feet short of the basket and flipped to a cruising Smith on his right - "After you, my good man" - and the junior made sure to actually convert this dunk, unlike the slam he bricked just three days earlier in that horrible Minnesota game.

Women upset defending champs
Hello, Dr. Jekyll. Nice to see you again. After a terrifying performance on Thursday night against sub-.500 Indiana, the Michigan women's basketball team decided to show its good side once again in a nationally televised contest with defending national champion Purdue on Saturday.

Fight for first: 'M' beats State
EAST LANSING - On one end of the ice, senior captain Sean Peach congratulated the return performance of Josh Blackburn with an uninhibited celebratory leap into the young netminder's arms. The emotionally charged embrace after Michigan's 2-0 victory over Michigan State seemed to serve as a release both from the memories of Dec. 30, a 3-1 loss to Michigan State in the Great Lakes Invitational, and from the first half of the season missed by Blackburn.

Blue may kick off in Classic
For a short time, it looked like Michigan would go a year without a marquee season-opening football game. That time may have expired. According to a report, Michigan has accepted an invitation to play in the 2000 Kickoff Classic at the N.J. Meadowlands in late August, pending the confirmation of a suitable opponent. The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. said Michigan agreed to play in college football's famed early-season matchup, but has already shunned the proposition of facing No. 2 Virginia Tech. Boston College, another Big East possibility, has reportedly de

NFL Playoffs
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) - Twenty minutes of Stephen Davis was more than enough for the Washington Redskins. It was way too much for the Detroit Lions.

'M' track makes debut under Warhurst
The winds of change swept through Ann Arbor this offseason and when the dust settled, Ron Warhurst was the new man at the helm of the Michigan men's track and field team. For the first time in over two decades, Jack Harvey will not be leading the Wolverines into battle.

Sports Briefs
Michigan freshman Jessica Rose, who led the Michigan field hockey team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance ever, now has another accomplishment to tack on to her young resume. Rose's offensive prowess earned her a spot on the U.S. Women's field hockey under-21 team after a week-long selection camp at Rutgers on December 27-31.

Weekend meet begins women's track season
The Michigan Indoor Track and Field Building was lively this Saturday, as Michigan hosted the Jack Harvey Invitational, signaling the beginning of the women's indoor track season.

Thomas to disclose future plans today
Although Anthony Thomas and his mother Helen Gilbert won't tip their hand, a number of small signs seem to suggest that Thomas, Michigan's bruising tailback, will return for his senior season. Gilbert, though, denies that she knows this is a done deal, as a Detroit newspaper reported on Saturday.

Plenty of players Volunteering for draft
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee tailback Jamal Lewis, who worked his way back from knee surgery and then struggled with other injuries this season, will forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

Wrestlers overcome injuries at Duals
It's funny how quickly things can change. Going into this weekend's Virginia Duals, attended by five representatives of Amateur Wrestling News' top 20, the No. 7 Michigan wrestling team was favored to win. By the end, coach Joe McFarland was thrilled to escape with a third-place showing.

'M' gymnast Vetere takes routine overseas
Riding on the bullet train across the Japanese countryside and touring the ancient Nagoya Castle are not the most typical activities in the days leading up to final exams. But one Michigan athlete was traveling Asia instead of visiting the Grad. In December, sophomore gymnast Scott Vetere traveled to Nagoya, Japan to compete in the Chunichi Cup. The international competition featured many of the top gymnasts in the world amongst the 13 competitors, including five of the top 10. Although Vetere was not ranked as highly as some of his competition, he finished 11th in the all-around competition while qualifying for five event finals.

Back from Team USA, Hilbert and Jillson lead Blue
EAST LANSING - In one day, Michigan's Jeff Jillson and Andy Hilbert went from teammates to arch enemies with Michigan State's Adam Hall. The Wolverines returned to Ann Arbor Thursday morning after a month overseas with Team USA at the World Junior Championship in Sweden.

Rejuvenated team snaps Munn curse
EAST LANSING - Michigan hadn't won at Munn Ice Arena in five years. Sparty and company had also just knocked off the Wolverines eight days earlier at Joe Louis Arena in the GLI Championship game. You could almost see the swagger in the Michigan State players' steps as they took the ice for Friday's matchup with the Wolverines.

Storybook comeback highlights 'M' victory over Spartans
EAST LANSING - It was a storyline that seems too improbable to believe. And as things unfolded Friday night in East Lansing, one couldn't help but think that it was the same fairy-tale drama that flashed a thousand times through an injured Josh Blackburn's mind three months ago. Maybe the soft-spoken sophomore entertained visions of a storybook comeback as he sat in a hospital bed in October. Maybe it was quiet thoughts of a dramatic return that offered solace to the frustrated netminder.

Blanchard turns Michigan miscues into magnicence
WEST LAFAYETTE - LaVell Blanchard has been something of an insurance policy for the Wolverines so far this season. It started as just a health policy - with Brandon Smith down and Brian Ellerbe in need of a starting forward, Blanchard was there. But as the season wore on, Blanchard's coverage became comprehensive. At Detroit, as the Wolverines mounted a second-half comeback, Blanchard was there on the defensive boards. At Georgia Tech, as Kevin Gaines penetrated and left some of his showtime drives dancing on the rim, Blanchard was there to finish them off.

No. 1 Stanford is 'Cat nipped
STANFORD, Calif. - Arizona's quickness overcame the power and depth of top-ranked Stanford as the No. 5 Wildcats gave coach Lute Olson his 600th college victory with a 68-65 win Saturday over the previously undefeated Cardinal. Jason Gardner had 22 points, and Loren Woods added 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks as the Wildcats (13-2, 2-0 Pac-10) survived a frantic Stanford rally down the stretch. Stanford nearly overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 30 seconds, pulling within 66-65 on David Moseley's long 3-pointer with 3 seconds left. But Gardner calmly sank two free throws for the final margin.

Men's swimming splits pair in desert
The Michigan men's swimming team enjoyed its first night in Arizona with a win over Arizona State, but had to leave the state on a sour note after Michigan's two-meet winning streak was ended by Arizona this past weekend. The Wolverines entered the weekend ranked 10th in the nation, but moved up to ninth after defeating No. 12 Arizona State, 134-109. The following day, third-ranked Arizona knocked off Michigan 174-126.

Senior doubles tandem leads 'M' tennis
The Michigan men's tennis team traveled to Marquette University for the Milwaukee Tennis Classic this past Tuesday. Making their first appearance together as a doubles team, seniors Brad McFarlane and John Long led the Wolverines in the individual meet.

'M' gymnasts clinch third at Super Six
The Michigan women's gymnastics team continues to prove that it is one of the nation's elite. Opening its season at the nationally-televised "Super Six Challenge" at Georgia this weekend, the fourth-ranked Wolverines were pitted against five of the nation's top nine teams on one of college gymnastics' biggest stages. The results were encouraging for the young squad. Michigan captured a third-place finish with a score of 194.925, behind only No. 2 Alabama and No. 1 Georgia, the defending national champ.

Purdue doesn't feel at home on CBS
Although CBS is widely known as the Columbia Broadcasting System, residents of West Lafayette refer to it as the Choking Boilermakers' Show. The first-ever televised women's college basketball regular-season game was on Jan. 5, 1991 when CBS broadcast live Purdue's 75-65 loss to No. 7 Auburn.

Thorius is glorious, gives Thomas rest
With nine minutes left in the Michigan women's basketball team's 74-67 win over Purdue, senior forward Stacey Thomas went to the bench. At the time, Michigan held a four-point lead. It seemed likely that after Michigan's all-America candidate caught her breath, she would be back in the game. But five minutes later, she was still on the bench and Michigan's lead was still four.

1-10-2000