Injuries mean new roles for women

By Benjamin Singer

Daily Sports Writer

If Raina Goodlow and Stephanie Gandy are healthy, the question of Michigan's rotation is moot.

But both are performing day-by-day with sprains - Goodlow's from last week's Ohio State game and Gandy's from the following practice. If the Michigan women's basketball team is missing two starters for tonight's game at Northwestern, what is the Wolverines' new rotation?

Usually, coach Sue Guevara feels most comfortable with two of her six-footers in the post. But if Goodlow is absent, rather than asking LeeAnn Bies and Jennifer Smith to play 40 minutes, Guevara will let new faces play in the paint.

Guevara said small forward Heather Oesterle may slide over to the four-spot. Michigan also practiced with starting point guard Anne Thorius as the power forward.

"Anne and Heather play a really nice four," Guevara said. "The problem is that they're small. That, defensively, is going to give us some matchup problems."

As long as the Wildcats have both 6-foot-2 starters Tami Sears, the team's leading scorer, and Leslie Dolland, the team's leading rebounder, Michigan will need to find matching height. Guevara said 6-foot-2 senior Katie Dykhouse, who averages 2.2 minutes a game, may see more playing time.

Even in a small lineup, Guevara is counting on players like 6-foot Oesterle and 5-foot-11 Christie Schumacher to hold their own down low. Michigan will likely have to keep the ball in the high post to allow for passing or dribble penetration - an aspect of the game Michigan does not get as much with Goodlow.

The Wolverines should feel fortunate that if they must deal with a plague of injuries, it comes against a Big Ten cellar dweller. The Wildcats are winless in conference play at 0-5.

But Michigan is not about to take Northwestern lightly. The Wolverines know all too well about the role frustration can play in breaking out of a team slump.

"They can hardly wait for Michigan to come in," Guevara said. "I think Northwestern is going to see we have two players that maybe aren't going to be playing and are going to be licking their chops."

By the same philosophy, Michigan is in a position where it needs to bounce back after a letdown loss to Ohio State. For the Wolverines, there is a sense of urgency for the team, but also for the individuals.

"It's a challenge. Who's going to step up?" Guevara said. "If you're a kid on this team and you don't see the opportunity ahead of you with other people struggling that now you get that shot, you're blind."