Section B · Page 2
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, March 3, 1998
NCAA Countdown
day left
Murray State gets ranking excited for the Big Dance
The Associated Press
MURRAY, Ky. — Reaching the NCAA tournament was the ultimate goal for Murray State this season, but the Racers reached another this week by entering the AP rankings for the first time in 27 years.
Murray State (29-3), making its eighth NCAA tourney appearance, claimed the last spot in the Top 25. It marks the first time since 1971, when the Racers were ranked No. 17.
"It's a really exciting thing," said Murray State coach Mark Gottfried yesterday. "We set a goal when we came here to try to get Murray State into the top 25, and we've made it now."
Murray State faces Rhode Island (22-9) in the first round of the NCAA Midwest at Myriad Center in Oklahoma City.
"The ranking is something for our players and coaches to be proud of," Gottfried said. "It will help the Ohio Valley Conference and
our program for recruiting. It's a win-win situation all around."
The Racers are seeded No. 9 in the tournament, their highest ever seed, and carry a 12-game winning streak. They rank eighth nationally in field-goal percentage (49.6) and seventh in scoring (87.3).
Guard De'Teri Mayes, a 6-foot-3 senior, received honorable mention All-America honors. As the Ohio Valley Conference player of the year, he led the league in scoring with 21.7 points a game and was second in three-point
shooting percentage (43.3) during the regular season.
"I'm really excited for him," Gottfried said. "He deserves those kinds of awards."
This is Murray State's third NCAA appearance in the past four years. Last year, the Racers battled Duke down to the final horn before losing 71-68. In 1995, they lost to North Carolina by 10 points.
The odds may be more in Murray State's favor this time against No. 8 Rhode Island.
“你aren't really giving up much on seeding.” Gottfried said. “The only bad thing is the winner has to play No. 1.”
Kansas, the top-seeded team in the Midwest, plays Prairie View A & M in the first round. A Kansas win would match the Jayhawks against the Murray State-Rhode Island winner on Sunday.
UConn scorer still has record
Magazine uncovers error that erodes Sales' career points
The Associated Press
simple as mathematical pi
HARTFORD, Conn. — Trying to figure out whether Nykesha Sales is Connecticut's top scorer is becoming about as
The premiere issue of ESPN The Magazine will report in its debut edition today that
the staged basket that put Sales in the record books may have been for naught because she was wrongly credited for two points in an earlier game at Seton Hall.
However, Seton Hall — which did not find out about the possible scoring discrepancy until yesterday — said it would stand by the box score it kept for its Jan. 22 game against UConn that gave Sales 25 points.
"That's what our stat crew put down, and that's what we're standing by," said Maria Wozniak, Seton Hall athletic department representative.
So that means that as far as the Pirates, the Huskies and the NCAA are concerned, the latest equation presented by The Magazine adds up to onl more headaches.
It appears Sales will keep the already controversial school scoring record of 2,178 points — until another player breaks it.
"This is so unbelievable how one collegiate career record is taking on this life of its own," said Jim Wright, NCAA director of statistics. "I can't believe it."
The Magazine, acting on a tip,
reviewed a film of the UConn-
Seton Hall and found that a
layup made by Kelly Hunt was
put on the books incorrectly as
a basket for Sales.
It would have been a harmless oversight, the story goes on to say, had Sales not ruptured her Achilles tendon in the next-to-last game of the regular season, two points shy of the record, setting the stage for the infamous gift shot.
Sales, hobbled by her careerend injury, took an uncontested layup after the tap in the Villanova-UConn game, eclipsing Kerry Bascom's scoring record and sparking a national debate about the integrity of women's basketball.
Reporter Steve Wulf, who is also executive editor of The Magazine, questions in his story what will happen with the record now that the discrepancy has been uncovered.
The Magazine concludes that Sales was actually four points shy of the record when she took that shot, and therefore the well-meaning gesture and the subsequent furor were "for naught."
But the question appeared to be moot by yesterday, a day before the story hit the newsstands. That is because ESPN
"This is so unbelievable how one collegiate career record is taking on this life of it own."
Jim Wright Director of statistics for theNCAA
News, which aired the story in the afternoon to promote the magazine's report, called Seton Hall, UConn and the NCAA for follow-up reaction.
Seton Hall, which had not been called before the article was written, said it would not change its statistics. As the sponsor of the game, the university has the final say, unless there is a dispute with the opponent, the NCAA said.
"It's up to Seton Hall." Wright said. "It not even a case where we would be involved in, especially since it's a school record."
Wright said there was only one instance he could recall in his 23 years at the NCAA where the governing body of college athletics got involved, and that was a Division III rushing record. He said the organization would have to start a whole new unit if it started dealing with every statistical debate.
And Wright, as well as both schools — and even Wulf — note that official scorers are not infallible and that it is likely that Sales may not have been credited for points that she scored in her 137 games.
"From a statistical standpoint, this is not a big deal, it happens all the time," Wright said.
Tigers glad for chance to pursue postseason in NIT championships
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Even though they aren't in the Big Dance, the Missouri Tigers have a chance to make up for the performance that sent them home from the Big 12
ment last weekend.
T he
Tigers (17-1)
(14) will play
Alabama-
Birmingham
(20-11)
in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at 7 tonight in the Hearnes Center.
This is the second time in three years that Missouri has played in the NIT, and the third consecutive year the Tigers have been left out of the NCAA Tournament. Still, the Tigers are glad to be playarkansas (23-8) vs. Nebraska (20-11)
30 minutes before previous game
Thames said. "They probably could have overlooked us, but we're in the postseason. It gives us a second chance.
"We're not looking past UAB, but hopefully we can get off to New York," said Thames, referring to the site of the NIT championships. "It would be just like playing in the NCAA Tournament, if we do make it to New York."
Missouri coach Norm Stewart likes the chances the NIT gives his team.
"This gives the seniors a chance to go out with a bang, and gives the young guys a feel for postseason play," Stewart said.
Alabama-Birmingham will be a good first test for the Tigers. The Blazers finished the season by winning six of their last eight games. The two losses were to Cincinnati.
The Blazers lost 100-85 in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament to the Bearcats. But Alabama-Birmingham defeated Saint Louis 76-74 in the quarterfinals.
"The thing that jumps out at you about them is they had a good win streak at the end," Stewart said. "We were playing equally as well at the end; we just dropped some ballgames on the road."
Missouri lost 58-53 Friday night to Oklahoma, and the Tigers shot a horrendous 30.4 percent from the field and 3-of-19 from three-point range. Stewart held out hope that the Tigers could still sneak into the NCAA Tournament's field of 64. But the Big 12 sent just four teams, including Nebraska, which received a No. 11 seed.
Stewart, looking for the silver lining, pointed out the strength of the NIT teams.
"The field in the NIT is increasingly stronger," Stewart said. "Not to take away from those who won their conference tournaments and are in, even though they don't play in a stronger conference, but our ballclub, and some ballclubs in the NIT, had the strength to be in there. It's just not selected on that basis."
Now the Tigers come back to the Hearnes Center, where they lost just one game this year — on Dec. 2 to Coppin State.
"At a neutral site, you've got a mixed crowd," Thames said. "At home, you've got your crowd."
For the Alabama-Birmingham game, Stewart hopes the Tigers will be able to draw a better crowd than in the past, given more favorable conditions.
"In the past, those games have usually been during spring break," Stewart said. "With spring break over, I hope our student body will come out and give us support like they usually do."
The Tigers could see another home game if they beat the Blazers.
"If you draw well, the tendency is to let that team play at home." Stewart said.
The Tigers will be without sophomore forward Jeff Hafer, who injured his left knee during practice yesterday. A teammate landed on Hafer's leg during a rebound. Hafer, who averages 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds, will be reevaluated if the Tigers advance to the second round.
The winner of the Tigers Blazers game will play the winner of the Colorado State Minnesota game, which also is scheduled for Wednesday night. The site of the second round game will be determined later.
First Round Thursday, March 12 At The Hartford Civic Center Hartford, Conn.
NCAA TOURNAMENT
EAST REGIONAL First Round
North Carolina (30-3) vs. Navy (19-10). 11:20 a.m.
North Carolina Charlotte (19-10)
vs. Illinois-Chicago (22-5), 30 minutes after previous game
Princeton (26-1) vs. UNLV (20-12)
6:40 p.m.
Michigan State (20-7) vs. Eastern Michigan (20-9), 30 minutes after previous game
At The MCI Center Washington
9). 11.25 a.m.
South Carolina (23-7) vs. Richarkansas (23-8) vs. Nebraska (20-11)
30 minutes before previous game
Xavier [22-7] vs. Washington (189) 11:25 a.m.
South Carolina (2[3'-1]) vs. Rieff-
South (2[3'-1]). 30 minutes after previ-
ous game
SOUTH REGIONAL First Round Friday, March 13 At Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky.
Connecticut (29-4) vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (23-6), 30 minutes after previous game
Indiana (19-11) vs. Oklahoma (22-
10: 64 p.m.
New Mexico (23-7) vs. Butler (22-10),
10 minutes after previous game
Oklahoma State (21-6) vs. George
Washington (24-8) 6:40 p.m.
New Mexico (23-7) vs. Buller (22-
Syracuse [24-8] vs. lona [27-5],
11:25 a.m.
Duke (29-3) vs. Radford (20-9), 30 minutes after previous game
At The Georgia Dome Atlanta
Kentucky (29-4) vs. South Carolina State (22-7). 11:15 a.m.
Massachusetts (21-10) vs. Saint Louis
(21-10), 30 minutes after previous game
Michigan (24-8) vs. Davidson (20-
9, 6:40 p.m.
UCLA (22-8) vs. Miami (18-9), 30 minutes after previous game
MIDWEST REGIONAL
First Round
Friday, March 13
At The Myriad
Oklahoma City
Mississippi (22-6) vs. Valparaiso (21-9), 11:30 a.m.
Texas Christian [27-5] vs. Florida State [17-13], 30 minutes after previous game
Rhode Island [22-8] vs. Murray State [29-3], 6:50 p.m.
Kansas (34-3) vs. Prairie View (13-16),
30 minutes after previous game
At The United Center Chicago
Clemson [18-13] vs. Western Michigan (20-7). 11:30 a.m.
Stanford (26-4) vs. College of Charleston (24-5), 30 minutes after previous game
Purdue (26-7) vs. Delaware (20-9)
6:55 p.m.
St. John's (22-9) vs. Detroit (24-5),
30 minutes after previous game
WEST REGIONAL
First Round
Thursday, March 12
At Arca Arena
Sacramento, Calif.
Maryland [19-10] vs. Utah State (25-7). 1:42 p.m.
Illinois (22-9) vs. South Alabama (21-6), 30 minutes after previous game Tennessee (20-8) vs. Illinois State (24-5), 6:50 p.m.
Arizona (27-4) vs. Nichols State (19
9), 30 minutes after previous game
At BSU Pavilion Boise, Idaho
Temple [21-8] vs. West Virginia (22-81). 11:40 a.m.
Cincinnati [26-5] vs. Northern Arizona [21-7], 30 minutes after previous game
Utah (25-3) vs. San Francisco (19- 10).6:55 p.m.
LAWRENCE
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