THURSDAY. DEC. 6. 2001
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 7A
Two soccer players honored
By Ryan Wood Kansan sportswriter
Two Kansas soccer players were named to the the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Central region team yesterday.
Senior forward Hilla Rantala, who finished her career as Kansas' all-time leading scorer, captured second-team honors on the All-Central region team. Junior defender Pardis Brown was named to the third team.
Rantala said she would not have achieved the honor without the help of her teammates.
"It's good that the team is getting recognition," she said. "I just wish that more people would've gotten awarded. But it's definitely good for the program."
Rantala and Brown were co-captains on a Jayhawk squad that finished 13-7 and qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Brown and junior defender Brianna
Valento served as mentors to a youthful Kansas defense that posted a team-record seven shutouts this season. Brown is a repeat member of the NSCAAs all-region squad.
Rantala led the Kansas offense, scoring 10 goals and 12 assists, both single-season records at Kansas. After taking a medical redshirt last season, Rantala said she was glad to end her college career on a high pc
career on a high note
"It's good to retire now—better than it would've been retiring last season," she said. "I won't have too many regrets."
Rantala and Brown were crucial to the unprecedented success of Kansa$^a$
soccer this season. The Jayhawks finished fourth in the Big 12 Conference, and were ranked in the NSCAA Central region for most of the season.
Kansas received an at-large bid into
the NCAA tournament, where it lost 1-0 in the first round to Brigham Young on Nov. 15 in Lincoln, Neb.
The Jayhawks were one of three teams selected from the approximately 60 teams in the Central region to represent the area in the NCAA tournament.
Pardis Brown
Among the 33 players honored by the NSCAA, 17 athletes played for team in the Big 12 Conference.
Contact Wood at 864-4858
Florida holds off Michigan State
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Behind a career-high 23 points from Matt Bonner and a smothering full-court press. No. 6 Florida finally broke through against No. 24 Michigan State for a 74-70 victory last night.
Brett Nelson scored 15 points for the Gators (5-1), who won in this, the second rematch against the Spartans (4-3) since the teams met in the national championship game in 2000.
The Gators led by 19 points midway through the second half, then survived a late scare when the Spartans made four quick 3-pointers to pull within four with 18 seconds left.
After Chris Hill hit the final 3, the Spartans stole the inbounds pass, but missed two 3-pointers as time expired, and Florida finally had its win in this series.
Michigan State defeated Florida 89-76 in the championship game to end the 1999-2000 season, then won the first rematch last year in East Lansing. But these were not the same Spartans, and the O'Connell Center surely isn't Michigan State country.
Playing surrounded by fans clad in
blue and orange T-shirts — they call them the Rowdy Reptiles — Bonner had everything from his baby hook to his 3-point shot working. He also had 10 rebounds.
It was a good thing, because Florida's other big man, Udonis Haslem, spent most of the night in foul trouble, and finished with just eight points and six rebounds.
With or without Haslem, the Spartans couldn't handle Florida's press. Michigan State committed 20 turnovers, a good number coming in their own backcourt.
Marcus Taylor led the Spartans with 17 points, and Kelvin Torbert — one of three freshmen getting big playing time for Michigan State — had 15, including two $s during the late rally.
After trailing by 19, Michigan State cut it to 13 with 7 minutes left and had momentum. That's when Bonner showed his value goes beyond mere shooting and rebounding.
On a Florida possession, the Spartans forced the ball loose and it looked headed to the backcourt, but Bonner chased it down, picked it up just in front of the line and called a timeout before
he lost his balance and fell into the backcourt.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo just smiled, knowing there wasn't anything he could do.
After the timeout, Nelson hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 16, which turned out to be too much for Michigan State to overcome.
Although the Gators are probably reluctant to admit it, this victory had to feel especially good considering the way the Spartans pushed them around the last two times they played.
Izzo still has the bigger team, but these players are nowhere as experienced.
Gone from the team that reached its third straight Final Four last season are Andre Hutson, Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph, along with four others.
The Gators, meanwhile, have lost outside shooter Teddy Dupay — he of the famed tangled-leg incident that briefly knocked Mateen Cleaves from the title game — but still have Bonner, Haslem, Nelson and Justin Hamilton, who were all among the core of their Final Four team.
Indiana football coach fired despite late wins
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Even a strong finish couldn't save Cameron's job.
The Associated Press
Cameron, 18-37 in his five years at Indiana, was fired yesterday as football coach even though the Hoosiers won four of their last five games.
"Five years is an important time to demonstrate success on the field and in the classroom," athletics director Michael McNeely said. "We expect to be successful on the field and in the class room.
"There is not compelling evidence that the current direction of the football program will yield a higher level of competitive success."
Quarterback Antwaan Randle El described a meeting Cameron had with the team.
"He was emotional, teary-eyed. He was hurting." Randle El said. "This is his love, and he's leaving a lot of players behind."
McNeely said he made his decision Tuesday night, slept on it and then made his recommendation to university president Myles Brand.
"I accept our athletic director's assessment that the team's on-field performance has been disappointing during Cam's tenure." Brand said in a statement.
Cameron's best season was his last, when he went 5-6.
McNeely will head the search committee for a new coach. He said finding the right candidate could take up to one month.
Crouch goes from backup to Heisman Trophy finalist
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — Just two-and-a half years ago, Eric Crouch was thinking about quitting football. Good thing for Nebraska he didn't.
The senior quarterback has gone from being a disgruntled backup in the opening of the 1999 season to Nebraska's first Heisman Trophy finalist in six years.
"It was definitely the best decision," Crouch said. "I've been put in a position to do a lot of things that a normal person doesn't get to do."
Crouch is one of four quarterbacks who are up for the award, which will be given Saturday in New York. The others are Ken Dorssey of Miami, Florida's Rex Grossman and Joey Harrington of Oregon.
With the speed of a wide receiver and the agility and moves of the most slippery of backs, Crouch has established himself the last three seasons as a prototypical option quarterback.
Crouch's 7,915 yards of total offense during his college career are a school record, and his 59 rushing touchdownsare
the most by a Division I-A quarterback
This season he has rushed for 1,115 yards and passed for 1,510 more.
In eight games as a freshman, five of them starts, Crouch was thrown into the offense because starting quarterback Bobby Newcombe was injured. After some heated competition in August, Nebraska coach Frank Solich gave the job to Newcombe, frustrating Crouch to the point he drove home to Omaha to gather his thoughts.
The passing numbers aren't stellar, but combined with his running ability, Crouch is one of the biggest offensive threats in the game. After speaking with Solich, who drove to Omaha to assure Crouch he would still have a prominent role in the Cornhuskers' offense, Crouch decided to keep playing.
It might be one of Solich's best moves in four years as coach.
After Newcombe failed to get the offense moving as effectively as Crouch, Newcombe moved to wingback and Crouch took over at QB, where he has started every Nebraska game since.