Illini On The Rise

What happened on Saturday in the seven seconds before halftime might have turned the game, because—with his team behind 44-43—Gill 1) came off a pick to sink a 15-footer, 2) forced a turnover directly in front of Frieder's sneer on the Michigan bench, and 3) whistled in a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Illinois a 48-44 lead.

Nonetheless, Henson was understandably concerned, because his troops were being devastated under the boards. The Illini front line of Battle, Anderson and Lowell Hamilton had one board apiece at halftime. Eventually, however, Illinois's work ethic reemerged. "Everybody raves about our quickness," Henson said afterward. "But for us to win, we have to hustle."

The effort starts with Battle, the finest offensive rebounder in college. The smiling, leaping, lefthanded King of the 360's would rather dive for a loose ball than hurl down one of his extraordinary whirling dunks. Well, almost. When Henson decreed that this year's second-best Illinois hustler would receive "the Kenny Battle trophy," the coach was asking his team who possibly could match Battle in competitive fire.

Fellow jam-master Anderson answered: "Nobody in the country can match Kenny."

About 4½ minutes into the second half, Battle stole the ball and went coast to coast. Illinois led 60-50. On the team's next possession Anderson went up once...twice...three times with offensive rebounds in the lane, finally muscling in the ball through all that Michigan muscle.

Fouled on the play, Anderson converted for a 63-50 Illinois lead. Finally, Battle intercepted a Michigan alley-oop pass, blew into the open past three Wolves and fed Hamilton for a slam to make it 67-52 with 13:10 left.

At this point the Michigan game plan had become mass confusion. But this was not Northeasternmetrocentral Michigan or Southernmostgreatlakes Michigan, or any of those other fido Michigans the real Michigan always beats up on to get ready for the Big Ten season. This was the genuine article—Michigan period—and the Wolverines were not quite through.

Sustained by a steady scoring diet of Rice and the breakaway dunks of Loy Vaught (22 points, 8 rebounds), Michigan kept coming. While the home team was stuck on 78, the Wolverines closed to 68...70...72...and 74, with 6:03 remaining. But, ultimately, with no backcourt support for Robinson—Michigan's other "guard" is converted 6'9" forward Sean Higgins, whose shot selection (1 for 9) is out of Ripley's and who cannot handle close guarding (five turnovers)—the losers became discouraged and broke down on the defensive board.

Rebounding all alone, Battle laid in his ninth basket. After Robinson missed two foul shots, Anderson, who combined with Battle for 34 points, clutched another rebound and hit from the side. Immediately, Battle darted across the court for still one more theft—his line read 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals—and fed Anderson, who banked in a jumper. Now the lead was 84-74 at 4:13, the visitors had to foul, and Illinois made 10 straight free throws down the stretch.

"My guys played about as well as we can," said Frieder. whose guys outshot (.518 to .500) and out-trifected (6-3) the winners and ended up matching them off the glass (33). But Michigan lost the game at the foul line, where Illinois made 25 of 30 to the Wolverines' 10 of 14. "I'm telling you, Illinois is a great team," Frieder kept repeating. "I'm satisfied. I'm not going to jump off a bridge about this."