Bullock outshoots pistol-less Pete

It was a duel between two of the top sharpshooters in the Big Ten -- "Pistol" Pete Lisicky vs. "Sweet" Louis Bullock.

Score one for Bullock.

The 6-foot-3 Michigan junior buried nearly every shot he took while Lisicky was left firing blanks. Bullock finished with 25 points, Lisicky scored a season-low five.

For Lisicky, it was an uneventful send-off in his final home game at Penn State. The 6-foot-4 senior hit 306 3-pointers before last night's 77-61 loss, but he looked like it was the first time he had ever ventured out beyond the arc, going 1 for 7 from trey land.

Maybe it was the emotion of playing his final game in The Bryce Jordan Center. Maybe it was the distraction of the 10 family members that made the trip to see the game. Maybe it was the Wolverines' smothering defense. Michigan was on Lisicky like Robert Traylor on French fries.

"I felt as much pressure as I've felt in other games," Lisicky said. "I forced some shots tonight and it was a downward spiral from there."

Bullock, meanwhile, hit shot after shot leaving the Nittany Lions and their NCAA tournament hopes in the dust. The shooting guard put Penn State behind early scoring eight points before the game was even 10 minutes old.

He hit 5 of 9 from beyond the 3-point line and finished 10 of 19 from the field. This has become an average outing for Bullock, who has scored over 20 points in each of the Wolverines' last four games. He has been a key, especially since Michigan senior Maceo Baston injured his foot two weeks ago, missing the last four games.

"I've been trying to be extra aggressive with Maceo out," Bullock said.

Whatever he's doing, it's working and it couldn't be at a better time for Michigan. The Wolverines have looked unstoppable at times this season, knocking off powerhouses like Duke and Michigan State. At other times, they seemed less than spectacular in losses to Western Michigan and Bradley. Right now with the NCAAs in sight, Michigan interim coach Brian Ellerbe is happy to see No. 11 picking it up and Wolverine opponents are left to wonder what happened.

"I would like to think we could do a better job," Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said. "With them you pick your poison. We doubled down out there and they kicked it out for three. Tonight, we tried to play one on one and pressure the pass. Obviously, it wasn't successful."

Michigan's defense on the other hand couldn't have done a better job keeping Lisicky out of the game. He was ineffective all night and didn't hit a 3-pointer until seven minutes into the second half.

"We just wanted to not give him any open looks," Bullock said. "We wanted to keep a hand in his face at all times. Getting Lisicky out of the game let us play with confidence."

Bullock drew confidence from the fans as well. Fifteen of his family members drove up from Temple Hills, Md., to see him play against the closest Big Ten team to home. Bullock said it made him feel comfortable and like he was back in high school. He spent time after the game talking to family and friends and signing autographs. Finally, people from Michigan came out to the court and dragged him to the bus. As he was walking off the floor, someone shouted some final words of encouragement.

"You know what to do, Louis," the man yelled. "Just keep on doing what you've been doing."

If he does that, Michigan could ride him all the way to San Antonio and the Final Four.