Monday, December 7. 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 7
NCAA Basketball
Terrapins beat Cardinals in Classic
Maryland wins first non-blowout
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Steve Francis scored a career-high 24 points, and No. 2 Maryland won its first non-blowout of the season yesterday in a 62-60 victory against No. 5 Stanford in the opening round of the BB&T Classic.
The Terrapins (9-0), who won their first eight games by an average of 32.8
points with none closer than 16, will play DePaul for the championship tonight at the MCI Center.
Maryland took the lead at 59-57 with 1:22 to play on two free throws by Francis, a junior college transfer whose speed in the open court has been the Terrapins' early trademark. After a turnover by Stanford (4-2), which lost its second straight game, Laron Profit made one of two free throws with 20 seconds left, his first point of the game. Another Stanford turnover led to a breakaway dunk by Profit with 11 seconds to play.
The Cardinals, who lost to No. 9 North Carolina in the finals of the Preseason NIT, closed the gap to 62-60 on a three-point shot by Arthur Lee with 5.9 seconds to play. When Maryland inbounded the ball, though, Stanford couldn't catch any of the Terrapins to foul them.
Terence Morris and Obinna Ekezie each had 11 points for Maryland, while Francis, a 6-foot-3 guard, also had seven rebounds.
Lee leed Stanford with 14 points and eight assists, while Mark Madsen had 12 points and eight rebounds for Stanford, which finished with a 42-29
rebound advantage, including 17-8 on the offensive end.
Stanford led 19-8 8 1/2 minutes into the game. Two three-point shots by freshman Danny Miller started a 27-8 run by Maryland, which picked the pace up and converted turnovers into points.
Francis had 12 points in that run, and his speed also was the key to the Terrapins' 8-0 run in the second half. That gave Maryland a 56-51 lead with 4:46 left.
Stanford scored six field goals during the final 12 minutes — five of which were three-pointers — and tied the game for the final time at 57-17 on a driving bank shot by Lee with 1.54 to play.
Senior pushes Utah to win against 49ers
The Associated Press
LONG BEACH, Calif. — While his teammates were missing their free throws, Andre Miller was hitting his field goals.
The senior star scored a career-high 29 points, including 18 of the 21-stanked Utes' final 19, in a 61-54 victory against stubborn Long Beach State on Saturday night.
"I think if they came in here without Andre Miller, they would have lost," said 49ers coach Wayne Morgan. "When you're a great player, you can step up your play. In the college game, he is the best point guard in the nation."
Utah (4-3) missed all 12 of its three-point shots and made just 19 of 38 free throws. Hanno Mottola, a starter on last season's team that reached the NCAA championship game, pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, but made just three of 15 shots.
"We self-destructured," Utes coach Rick Majrus said. "We had to win the game five times. We made foolish fouls."
However, Ramel Lloyd was called for a foul on Long Beach's next possession, and Miller hit the two ensuing free throws with 28 seconds remaining.
Ron Johnson's two free throws with 1:19 left pulled the underdog 49ers (3-4) within 55-52, and their hopes of an upset remained alive when Miller missed two free throws with 38 seconds left.
Lloyd responded with a dunk with 20 seconds left, but Miller sank two free throws on each of the Utes' following two possessions, sealing the victory.
"We played hard, but we made key mistakes that prevented us from winning," Johnson said. "If we got a couple more rebounds or something, we might have been able to pull it
"If we got a couple more rebounds or something, we might have been able to pull it off."
Ron Johnson Long Beach State player
off."
Lloyd led the 49ers with 15 points, including three baskets from 3-point range, before fouling out with 10 seconds to play. Richie Smalls added 11 points.
The first half ended in a 23-23 tie.
Long Beach lost 6-foot-11 starting center Mate Milisa with 17:57 left to play when he crumpled to the court holding his left knee after hitting a layup that left the 49ers trailing 26-25.
Despite a height disadvantage, the 49ers led 30-28 with 16:23 left on Lloyd's two free throws. The Utes responded with six straight points on baskets by Nate Althoff, Mottola and Jensen, taking the lead for good.
Antrone Lee and Lloyd's three-point baskets, sand-wicked around a basket by Miller, pulled Long Beach within 39-38 with 9:20 left.
Majerus has labeled this as a rebuilding season. His team has three starters — Mottola, Miller and Alex Jensen — and one other player returning from last season.
"There were six guys out there playing their seventh Division I game." Majerus said. "We're a little light with the injuries, but I'm very proud of our guys' effort."
The game, the first involving a ranked team at Long Beach State's four-year old, 4,200-seat Pyramid, drew an announced crowd of 3,536.
Trainer helps Cyclones win
Mark Coberley aids injured guard who was catalyst in Iowa State rally
AMES, Iowa—Mark Coberley didn't score a point in Iowa State's Cyclone Challenge, nor did he grab a rebound or hand out an assist
The Associated Press
Coberley is the head trainer for the basketball team, and he helped get injured guard Michael Nurse ready for Saturday night's championship game with Western Illinois (3-3).
But in Coach Larry Eustachy's view, Coberley was the tournament's MVP.
And Nurse was the catalyst as Iowa State rallied from a 21-point deficit in the second half to win 80-73 in overtime.
"They really got him ahead of schedule," Eustachy said of the training staff. "He shouldn't have been playing, but they spent a lot of time on him, and Mike worked real hard. Without him, we couldn't have come back."
Nurse was cut severely in the head and right leg when he was hit by a truck while crossing an Ames street a week ago. He still has stitches in his scalp and walks with a limp.
But his energy and shooting were infectious, and Iowa State won a game it should have lost. Nurse scored 16 points — 13 in a four-minute
"I've been wanting to play since Wednesday, but Coach said I wasn't ready," Nurse said. "If I could help the team out when I come in, even in pain, then I just have to fight through it."
stretch when Iowa State got back into the game. Three of his baskets were three-pointers from well beyond the arc.
Nurse also had two big assists in the comeback. He drove into the lane and fired the ball out to Rodney Hampton, who hit a three-pointer and drew the Cyclones to 62-60 with 1:07 left.
Then, after Iowa State (5-2) received possession on a jump ball, Nurse fed Marcus Fizer with inbounds pass for a layup and tied it at 62 with 29.2 seconds left. The game went into overtime after Western Illinois' Brandon Creason missed a three point shot just before the buzzer.
"When he came in, I saw the confidence and furiousness in his eyes, and I knew we'd be OK," Fizer said.
After a tie at 64 in overtime, Iowa State sank 9-11 free throws in an 11-2 run and put the game out of reach for Western Illinois. The Cyclones did that after Fizer fouled out.
Fizer, who led all scorers with 21 points and was named the most valuable player, said Nurse's performance was the
"We were very fortunate; I don't think we deserved to win the game." Eustachy said. "But you've got to give our guys credit. We really challenged them during some timeouts, and they came back and played with some toughness, something I don't think that group could have done a year ago.
"I think that's good," he said. "They're trying to become winners."
Iowa State played without No. 2 scorer Martin Rancik, who sprained his right ankle in Friday night's victory against North Texas. Rancik is expected to be out at least a week.
The Cyclones entertain Drake on Tuesday night and travel to Iowa next Saturday. Eustachy has team still had a lot of work to do.
"Unless we decide to play physical for 40 minutes and with a real purpose, we're going to struggle," he said. "Some 25-footers got us back into the game. If we're going to rely on 25-footers, it's going to be a long year."
Cougars put down North Carolina in 66-64 upset
The Associated Press
When the Cougars beat No. 3 North Carolina 66-64 Saturday night, it set off a celebration that lasted well into Sunday morning.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There were no conference titles or NCAA tournament berths on the line. In the eyes of the College of Charleston's Cougars, there didn't need to be.
Players collapsed in each others' arms and laughed until they cried. Fans streamed onto the court and exchanged hugs and high-fives with players, coaches, reporters — even security guards. The nets would have been cut down if anyone could have found a ladder.
All this for a victory that improved Charleston to 4-2?
"Absolutely. We know what this means," said Danny Johnson, a senior guard from Morganton, N.C., who made the winning shot with one tenth of a second left. "I'm from North Carolina, so I know all about the school's tradition, with all the national championships and everything. For a team like College of Charleston to come in and upset them is great."
It's more than that. It's another step up for a team that less than a decade ago was competing on the NAIA level and is in just its eighth season as a full-fledged NCAA Division I member.
Up until Saturday night, the Cougars still were looking to create their first big shock waves in college basketball's upper echelon.
Sure, Charleston had won five consecutive Trans America Athletic conference titles, but the Cougars still are looking for their first victory in three appearances in the NCAA tournament.
Charleston had run into similar problems when it came to playing teams in the Associated Press Top 25. The Cougars were 3-7 against ranked teams and had never defeated a team ranked higher than No. 8. Charleston had never even played a team ranked as high as third until Saturday night's contest in the Food Lion MVP Classic.
"I'm proud to be a part of this, to see my team come through in the crunch and the clutch to win such a game," said John Kresse, the fast-talking, Brooklyn-born coach who has spent 19 years guiding the Cougars' ascent.
The Associated Press
Volunteers slide past Pittsburgh in 56-53 victory
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tony Harris scored 17 points and Tennessee hit seven of eight free throws in the final four minutes as the Vols knocked off No. 20 Pittsburgh 56-53 Sundav.
Tennessee (6-2) got two free throws each from Harris and C.J. Black and one from Aaron Green to
seal the win in the last two minutes. The Panthers (7-2), led by Isaac Hawkins with 20 points, scored just three points in the final three minutes.
Pittsburgh led by three points midway through the second half when Vontego Cummings hit a three-point shot to give the Panthers a 42-29 lead at 11:00.
But an 8-0 run by Tennessee, fueled by Charles Hathaway's five points, put the Vols back in front at 47-42.
Pittsburgh cut the gap to 51-50 at 2:34 before the Vols took control at the free-throw line.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, combining for 23 turnovers.
Isiah Victor sparked Tennessee
early, scoring six points in the first seven minutes. Kelli Taylor, who hit four three-point shots, helped keep Pittsburgh close the entire half.
Harris scored six of Tennessee's last 13 points to carry the Vols to a 32-28 halftime lead.
Hathaway added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Vols. Taylor finished with 15 points.
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