6 University Daily Kansan / Monday, March 2, 1992 SPORTS Jayhawks skin Tigers, clinch title By Cody Holt Kansan sportswriter The Kansas women's basketball team had all its wanted -- control of its own destiny -- going to Michigan. The Missouri at Allen Field House. And that is exactly what Kansas did. With one game remaining in the regular season, No. 17 Kansas had a one-game lead over second place Colorado in the Big Eight Conference race. All the Jayhawks had to do to clinch the title was beat the Tigers. Kansas defeated Missouri 70-57 giving the Jayhawks their first outright Big Eight Conference title since 1980-1981. "We knew we didn't want to share the title," senior forward Terrilyn Johnson said. Missouri did not make it easy for the Jayhawks. The Tigers took a 34-12 game lead into the locker room. But Kansas' defense, ranked second in the nation and holding opponents to 56 points a game, took control in the second half. Kansas was leading 56-55 with 6:19 remaining in the game when junior guard Stacy Truitt took over. "I didn't want them (Missouri) to hang around and then have to work for the win in the final minutes." Truitt said. Kansas finished the season 23-4 overall and 12-2 in conference play. Kansas' 12 conference victories are the most ever in the program's history. Kansas' 23 victories are the most for a Jayhawk team since 1981 when the team won 27 games. The Jayhawks will receive the No. 1 seed in the Big Eight Tournament which begins Saturday in Salina. They will play No. 8 seeded Iowa State. KANSAS 70, MISSOURI 57 MISSOURI player tigris lfm/a ftima tl/ players 4-10 7-10 15 Cookendall 3-7 2-2 8 Cookendall 3-7 4-2 10 Foram 4-4 2-2 12 Stuoy Williams 5-16 8-8 18 Smith 1-3 1-3 18 Hoover 0-0 0-0 1 Williams 0-0 1-2 1 Totals 16-47 12-30 57 KANSA5 Johnson 3-6 1-3 7 Awkinson 3-11 1-8 12 Shapef 5-15 1-4 11 Wetherspoon 3-6 1-4 9 Hart 1-5 1-4 10 Taylor 1-9 2-2 20 Slater 0-3 4-2 4 Kite 0-1 0-1 0 Macy 2-2 0-1 4 Macy 2-2 0-1 4 26-74 17-26 17-26 17-26 Halftime - Missouri 34, Kansas 32, 3-point goals - Missouri 0-3 (Fordham 0-1, Siakou James 0-1, Hover 0-1), Kansas 5-1 (Smith 0-1), Staff Rebounds - Missouri 44 (Fields 11), Kansas 41 (Ayckey 10), Assists - Missouri6 (Goyenkal, Fordham, Fordham 0), Witherspoon 0 (Witherspoon 0), Kansas 23, A-1, 1,400. Track teams finish second, fifth Derek Nolen/KANSAN When the public address announcer said that the women's third-place finisher in the Big Eight Indoor Track and Field Championships was Oklahoma, the Kansas team area erupted with cheers of "Rock Chalk Jawhawk." By Chris Jenson Kansan sportswriter Atthe Big Eight Indoor Championships, Brandon Blain, Kansas pole vaulter placed fifth The second-place finish for the women, which improved on last year's fifth-place standing, was the team's highest finish since placing second in 1800. The Kansas women nudged out the Sooners by two points to finish second in the meet at Anschutz Sports Pavilion. Nebraska swept the event, winning both the women's and men's divisions of the meet. The Kansas men finished fifth. "They did fantastic," Coach Gary Schwartz said. "We were eighth in 1989, my first year." Schwartz said that he was also pleased with the men's effort and that despite their finish, they were much improved. "The men had a really great meet too," Schwartz said. "It just didn't show as obviously v as the women." Sophomore Cassandra Bryant led the Jayhawks in the triple jump with a personal-best jump of 41-2.5". Freshmen Tarita Triplette and Heather Schoring finished second and fourth respectively, with jumps of 40-3.25" and 39-5.25". The women improved to second by utilizing their depth. They scored points in all but five of the 17 events. Their best event proved to be the triple jump, where they placed three in the top four spots and got their only individual champion. Bryant said it was great to have two of her own teammates pushing her in competition and in practice. "I figured it would take a 41-foot jump to win," Bryant said. "I got the third last year so I really wanted to win today." The women Jayhawks got fuel from more than just the triple jumpers. Sophomore Helena Hafstrom finished second in the women's 1,000 meters with a time of 2:54.01 and junior Julia Saul finished third in the women's 5,000 meters with a time of 16:55.5 Saul led after the first mille but reinquished the lead to winner Monique Ecker of Oklahoma at 11:22 into the race. Schwartz said Saul's effort was remarkable because she had been sick for two weeks. Although the men's placing was not as high as the women's, they had several bright spots at the meet. "Sau was outstanding," he said. "She is a tremendous competitor." Sophomore Dan Waters used a strong kick at the end of the 800 meters to come from the middle of the pack for the win. The men had twice as many individual champions and scored 16 more points than in last year's meet. The Jayhawks scored in 10 of the 17 events and produced two individual Big Eight champions. "Coming off the last turn I had to tell myself 'stay relaxed, swing your arms, stay relaxed, swing your arms.' Waters said. "This is a great high." Senior Jason Teal was also an individual champion for the Jayhawks, tying for first in the men's 1,000 meters with a time of 2:28.24. "It's good to know that after four years you did accomplish something," Teal said. "It's good to see a payoff." Sophomore Michael Cox, the only returning champion from last year's meet, finished second in the men's mite in 4:06:93. Cox started the race strong, but slipped to fifth place going into the final lap. He was able to make up the lost ground on everyone but winner Garv Lough of Iowa State. Cox said had wanted to make his move with 600 meters to go but let his concentration slip and ran on anger from that point on. At the finish line, it's a tie and a conference title Coach Schwartz said that Cox did not have enough confidence in himself or experience going into the race. "I'm not knocking him, he's young," Schwartz said. "To come back from fifth place to second place in 323 meters that's how gifted the kid is." KU, OSU runners named co-champions By Chris Jenson Kansan sports writer getting out-leaned at the line." for an hour Jason Teal thought he had been beat. Joe Weis of Oklahoma State had come from behind and out-leaned Teal at the finish line of the men's 1,000 meters. Or so everyone at the finish line seemed to think. "Second is good," Teal said immediately after the race. "But as a senior I'm disappointed, especially During the next hour, however providence decided to shine on Teal Providence in the form of a forty minute deliberation over the finish line photograph. The final decision was slow in coming because of an interpretation of the rule for crossing the finish line. The first runner to cross the line with his torso is the winner. The problem with the photo was that Weis crossed the line straight on, with both shoulders, and Teal crossed with his right shoulder leading. The delibration stemmed from an interpretation of where the torso ends and where the arm begins. The judge was also slowed by the positioning of the camera, which he felt wasn't directly over the finish line. After about forty minutes, the judge decided that both runners had crossed simultaneously, awarding both the title. "Coach came up and shook my hand and had a real serious look on his face," Teal said. "Then he said 'Congratulations co-champion.'" Coach Gary Schwartz said the interpretation could have gone either way. "I could look at the photo and give you one interpretation and another coach could give you another," he said. "Some good people spent over forty minutes with it. I'll trust their interpretation." Teal's best finish before Saturday was a fifth place in the Big Eight indoor meet as a member of a relay team his freshman year. But his performance Saturday changed all that. Teal had the fourth fastest time in the Big Eight going into the meet, so he win'd not surprise him. "It wasn't really a surprise, but I wasn't the front-runner either," he said. "There were six guys that could have won that race." Teal said the race got off slow and was very rough, but that he grabbed the lead when he wanted to. With one lap to go, Teal, who had been running third, made his move. On the final corner he seemed to have the race in his control, but Weis was coming hard. "Training on this track helped on the turn," he said. "I didn't know anyone one was behind me. If I would've turned and looked, I would have losta step and the race." Teal said his goal going into the race had been to set a school record in the event, but the slow pace didn't allow for it. "I would have been happy with a fifth and the school record, especially in a conference as tough as ours," he said. "But being Big Eight champion is great. I'll take it." Kansas to battle No.14 Cowboys tonight Williams hopes bout won't become brawl By Lyle Niedens Kansan sportswriter For the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks, Round Two against Oklahoma State takes place tonight in Allen Field House. But Kansas coach Roy Williams hopes this battle resembles more of a basketball game and less of a brawl. In their first meeting Feb. 8 at Oklahoma State, which the Cowboys won 64-56, the two teams combined for 52 fouls and 62 free-throw attempts. Two Kansas players, centers Eric Pauley and Ben Davis, pouled out of the game, and four others finished with four fouls. Three Oklahoma State players also finished with four fouls. "I hope it's played as hard, with the same amount of intensity, but I hope there are not bodies banging and flying around because I like basketball to be more of a finesse game, at least 60 to 60 fouls called, and I also don't want see bodies laying on the floor all the time, either." Williams said that he didn't want a game that was as physical as the game in Stillwater, Okla. last month. "They're a physical team, but it got a little bit out of hand down there," he said. "If we can just go out and play basketball like it's meant to be played, hopefully things will turn out different." Pauley said he hoped a less physical game would produce different results. Oklahoma State's physical nature showed in a derogatory manner Wednesday night in the Cowboys' 7251 victory against Nebraska when Oklahoma State guard Darwyn Alexander exchanged punches with Nebraska guard Jamar Johnson. Both were ejected from the game and given automatic one-game suspensions by the Big Eight Conference. As a result, the Cowboys will be without Alexander in tonight's game, but his suspension might not hurt the Cowboys as much as one might think. Williams said. "I've always said that when you lose a guy for one game, it tends to make everybody else band together and raise their game to a different level, and you can usually make up for it," he said. "He really is a heck of a player, so I think it will hurt them, but I also think those other guys will rise to the occasion and perhaps you will see one of those guys play even better." "I don't know why," Williams said when asked to give a reason for the Cowboys' problems in the last month. "They lost some road games, and probably they started pressing a bit. There is so much attention nowadays on basketball. I think that pressure has something to do with it." Because second-place Missouri Alexander, averaging 10 points a game, is one of five Cowboys averaging in double figures. Despite that, the Cowboys, who were once 20-0, lost four in a row after defeating the Jayhawks and have fallen to third place, 6-5, in the conference. (3) KANSAS JAYHAWKS Coach: Roy Williams Record: 21-3, (9-2) (14) OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS Coach: Eddie Sutton Record: 22-5, (6-5) Game time: 8:38 tonight at Allen Field House in Lawrence. It will be televised on ESPN Channel 18 in Lawrence and broadcast on 105.9 KLZR and 90.7 KJHK. Probable Starters Position/Player Height Year PPG RPG 24-F Alonzo Jamison 6-6 Sr. 9.7 4.4 34-F Richard Scott 6-7 So. 9.9 4.4 51-C Eric Pauley 6-10 Jr. 9.0 3.5 23-G Rex Walters 6-4 Jr. 16.6 3.3 30-G Adonis Jordan 5-11 Jr. 13.8 3.5 Oklahoma State Position/Player Height Year PPG RPG 35-F Byron Houston 6-7 Sr. 20.3 9.0 50-C Bryant Reeves 7-0 Fr. 7.8 4.9 05-G Corey Williams 6-2 Sr. 10.9 3.6 24-G Cornell Hatcher 6-5 Sr. 3.9 3.0 20-G Sean Sutton 6-1 Sr. 11.4 2.8 Source: Kansas Sports Information Department lost at Kansas State on Saturday, the Jayhawks could clinch at least a tie for the conference championship with a victory tonight. "I don't think that will play any role," Pauley said of the prospect of playing for at least a share of the conference title. "We have to go out and focus on Oklahoma State and not worry about Missouri or anybody else." Cable network ESPN, which is broadcasting the game, is working on a feature story on Kansas' Rock Chalk chant. The network has asked that after the Kansas alma mater is sung before tonight's game, spectators wait for a cue before beginning the Rock Chalk chant. The cue will come approximately 10 seconds after the alma mater is finished. Hot bats help Jayhawks pound Indians in series Kansan sportswriter By Jerry Schmidt It rained this weekend at Hoglund- Maupin Stadium. Mulphin Stadium Rained inns that is The Kansas baseball team outscored Southeast Missouri State 45-5 in the three-game series, including a 14-1 pounding in yesterday's finale, raising their record to 7-2. In the last six games, all wins, the Jayhawks have outscored their opponents 84-10. Yesterday's game started much like Saturday's 14-3 victory, with the Jayhawks falling behind early and then coming back to wax the Indians. "We're a much better team when we're in the game and have to come from behind," coach Dave Bingham said. Kansas broke open a tie game yesterday with a nine-run fifth innning, turning a close game into a blowout. After a lead-off triple by freshman Brent Wilhelm, ten more Kansas hitters came to the plate before the Indians could get an out. Kansas had seven hits in the inning, including back-to-back home runs by juniors John Wuycheck and Jeff Berlinger. It was the first time Kansas hit back-to-back home runs since April 8, 1990, when Garry Schmidt and Denand Stewart did it against Kansas State. Wuycheck's homer was a three-run shot, Berlinger's a solo job. "He had the clutch tribe to open up the game, and I shamed him. "I am a medic with help." Bingham said Wilhelm's triple was the key to the inning. The freshman from Independence was 4-for-5 with three RBI. The three RBI came on a three-run home run in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. "We're swinging the bat real well," said Wilhelm, who has a seven-game hitting streak. "Confidence is running over on this team." Junior catcher Jeff Niemeier went 1-for-3 and extended his hitting streak to nine games. Something that was lost in the barrage of runs was effective pitching throughout the weekend. Kansas pitchers gave up only 15 hits in the series. Sophomore David Meyer pitched six innings yesterday without giving up any hits and yielding only one unearned run. Meyer struggled with control throughout the day, though, yielding six walks, but still managing to no-hit the Indians. Southeast Missouri State's first hit came in the eighth inning, when leftfielder Aaron Layton beat out a check-swing ground ball that Berlinger couldn't handle. "I thought Meyer did an outstanding job," Bingham said. "He's a scary guy at times and loses concentration sometimes. He can be mowin' them down, then have four balls in a row. We've got to reduce the concentration breaks." On Saturday sophomore centerfielder Darryl Monroe was 3-for-5 with three RBI and hit his second home run of the season. Junior David Soult was 2-for-5 with three RBI. On Friday junior Joel Bacon pitched six innings, giving up only one hit to earn his first win of the season. In a game of many offensive stars, junior first baseman Wuycheck shone the brightest going 4-for-6 with four RBI. Niemierue was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI. Kansas will play host to Washburn at 3 p.m. tomorrow at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.