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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1982)
Battalion/Page 14 November 22,1982 sports Aggie comeback falls short, 59-57 AIA holds lead, wins by two staff photo by John Ryan Aggie guard Reggie Roberts finds a fast-break lane to the bucket as he scores on a layup over Athletes in Action guard Steve Bontrager. Roberts and his Texas A&M teammates lost to AIA 59-57 Saturday. by Frank L. Christlieb Sports Editor The Athletes in Action used a disciplined ball-control offense and a leaping shot-blocking defense to defeat the Aggie basketball team 59-57 in an exhibition game Saturday night in front of 3,488 fans in G. Rollie White Coliseum. Texas A&M, which opens the regular season Friday night against the Clemson Tigers at 11 p.m. CST in the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska, took an early four-point lead at 6-2. But AIA jumped ahead 10-8 and never allowed the the Aggies to catch up. AIA, a traveling ministry squad for Campus Crusade for Christ, opened up a 31-18 lead with 7:38 left in the first half, but the Aggies’ Claude Riley, Tyren Naulls and Jimmie Gilbert found the basket to cut the lead to nine — 38-29 — at halftime. Riley, the Aggies’ preseason all-conference pick, scored seven points and had six rebounds in the first half to lead Texas A&M. Gilbert, the Aggies’ starting freshman center had six points. AIA guard Steve Bontrager had nine points to lead a 54-percent shooting effort from the floor. Kenny Brown, the Aggies’ 22-year-old freshman guard who’s spent the past four years in the Army, sank jump shots of 20, 25 and 28 feet during the first half, and wound up the game with 10 points. AIA’s Dave Jennings opened the second half by sink ing a jumper to move the lead to 40-29, but a steal by Naulls and a follow-up shot by Gilbert on a Reggie Roberts miss made the score 40-31. After buckets by Bontrager and Wilbert Singleton, Riley and Roberts connected on consecutive possessions to make the score 44-37 in favor of AIA. Naulls came up with a steal moments later, but his missed fast break layup resulted in a rebound and a traveling call on Roberts. Naulls then drove the length of the court after a Riley defensive rebound and was credited with two points when AIA was called for goaltending, making the score 44-39. Naulls finished the game with 12 points, four assists and four steals. A long-range jumper by Brown made the score 44- 41, and moments later, Riley missed a technical foul shot after one of the AIA players grabbed the rim. After the Aggies scored to move within a point, AIA’s Dan Henderson hit two free throws with 10:29 remaining to make the score 46-43. Riley’s two free throws made the score 46-45, but Jennings’ field goal made it a three-point game once again with 7:30 left. Two more free throws by Riley made the score 51-49. A rebound and outlet pass moments later from Riley to Naulls seemed looked like a possible two-pointer for the Aggies, but Naulls couldn’t control the ball and lost it out of bounds. Roberts’ fifth foul of the game with 40 seconds left resulted in two free throws by Bontrager, who was nine-of-nine from the line. A dunk by Riley a few seconds later made the score 55-52, but Bontrager sank two more free throws with 23 seconds remaining to boost the lead to five points again. A downcourt drive and short jumper by Naulls turned into a three-point play on Rick Swing’s foul, making the score 57-55 with just 18 seconds left. After an Aggie timeout, Coach Shelby Metcalf sent Riley, Naulls, Gilbert, Roy Jones and Gary Lewis back on the floor, and AIA’s Singleton made two free throws after a foul by Naulls. The first attempt went through the rim, bounced about three feet into the air and finally came down to keep Singleton alive at the line. AIA came away with a 59-55 lead with 13 seconds left, and the Aggies called another timeout. Brown’s quick 20-foot jumper made the score 59-57, and when Swing missed the front end of a one-and-one attempt, the Aggies had a chance for one last shot. But Naulls’ half-court shot, which hit the backboard inches to the right of the rim, came just after the buzzer had sounded. Riley, picked by many as a preseason all-America, had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the Aggies, and Gilbert ended the game with eight points and seven rebounds. Roberts and Jones had four points apiece. AIA shot 46 percent and the Aggies connected on 42 percent of their shots for the game, while AIA outre- bounded Texas A&M 29-28. Henderson and Swing each had two of AIA’s amazing eight blocked shots. Brown, Naulls and Gilbert each had blocks for the Aggies. Metcalf, whose squad has been picked nohighertla third and no lower than fourth in the Southwest Con ference, said he liked what he saw in the Aggies’ “I was pleased with our performance foi it first time out of the blocks,” he said. “It was a vet learning experience for us. We’ve got a little time now li work (before leaving for the Alaska tourney Tuesdai and I think we found enough things to keep us busy AIA, a squad made up of college graduates, now in a 6-3 record after defeating the Aggies, Drury Collep Evangel College, Maryland, Penn State and Roberts. AIA has lost to Clemson 69-66, to UCLA 951 and to USC 76-72. Metcalf credited AIA for its performance “They controlled the tempo the whole way,”hesaid “We just got too far behind to catch up. Every oned those guys were all-conference or something in c< so they’re good competitors.” Warded Jeffries, AIA’s third-year coach fromW Roberts, said he saw talent in the Texas A&M team “It’s really hard to make an assessment alter seeiij them once, but I think one of the differences is probati that we had played eight games and this was the Aggiei first,” he said. “This is a good kind of game forateamit use as a barometer of what kind of team they'll have “I think A&M is a very talented team, and we’vefacd several very talented teams so far. They gave us sot problems — it’s the first time we’ve faced a 1-3-1 (zoiit defense) all year.” J by Most Roberts, Texas A&M’s junior guard who averagd 11.7 points a game last season, said the Aggies shoui have allowed AIA to build up the early lead. “They were pretty good competition and they w strong inside,” he said. “We’re going to learn from volleyball but I thought that we should have won the game. Wti buttheAi rather play better teams, because it’s going to make* measure that much better. We like playing big-name teams! Marquette and LSU, because it helps us a lot more. The Aggies will face the Marquette WarriorsDet. season ac in Milwaukee, Wis., at 8 p.m. and they’ll goagainstlh LSU Tigers Dec. 8 in New Orleans’ Superdome at 1;S fey to the p.m. Brazos Bottoms Best Burger Cavaliers chosen preseason No. 1 FUIM • FOOD • DRIIMK= li United Press International NEW YORK — The Universi ty of Virginia, looking to con summate the Ralph Sampson era with a national champion ship, Saturday was named col lege basketball’s No. 1 team in preseason voting by the UPI Board of Coaches. CULPEPPER PLAZA LONE STAR SHORT NECKS in 12 Oz. Non-Returnable Bottles Should you continue to earn current interest only on new deposits? Or you can call Larry Miller CLU, Ph.D. & Swede Hanson 693-6030 With Sampson, the two-time Player of the Year, returning for his final season, the Cavaliers re ceived 23 first-place votes and 572 points from the 42-member board. ^ Defending NCAA champion North Carolina, with eight first- place votes and 502 points, was second followed by No. 3 Georgetown (seven first-place votes and 479 points), No. 4 Kentucky (one first-place vote and 397 points) and No. 5 Louis ville (376 points). Having spurned the pros three successive seasons, the Cavaliers’ 7-foot-4 center has ! MONDAY NIGHT INTERESTED IN A MASTERS DEGREE IN ACCOUNTING? BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION? PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION? f€1 FOOTBALL SPECIAL Coots Light 3 25 gal. M 3611 S. College 846-6635 n made Virginia one of" the na tion’s college basketball capitals. In his first year, he helped bring Virginia an NIT title. In his sophomore year the Cavaliers made it to the Final Four and last season Virginia finished with its best record (30-4) but was eli minated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. To complement Sampson, Coach Terry Holland has some fine guards in Othell Wilson and Rickey Stokes and able forwards in Craig Robinson and Jim Miller. North Carolina loses all- America forward James Worthy and point guard Jimmy Black but comes back loaded with Sam Perkins in the middle, Matt Doherty at forward and Michael Jordan on the perimeter. Georgetown, runner-up to North Carolina in the title game, features a fierce center in 7-foot Patrick Ewing and a lethal team defense. Kentucky again begins its sea son with Sam Bowie sidelined with an injured leg but Coach Joe Hall has a sturdy pivot man in Melvin Turpin and one of the country’s classiest backcourts in Jim Master and Dirk Min- niefield. Louisville has a bruiser up front in Rodney McCray and an outstanding freshman for ward in Billy Thompson. No. 6 UCLA (one first-place vote) returns with guard Rod Foster and is eligible for the NCAA tournament; co-No 7. Indiana (one first-place vote) has a smooth worker in forward Ted Kitchel; Co-No. 7 Villanova (one first-place vote) looks to bull-like center John Pinone and Monday, arenotlik out a Soul the deft touch of Ed Pinckno No. 9 Memphis State hasages in center Keith Lee, and No.lt Oregon State expects mileage from forward Cl Sitton. Completing the Top 20, No. 11 Houston, power Clyde Drexler and AkeemOllj juwon; No. 12 Iowa, vl Michael Payne in the mim | No. 13 Alabama, featuring^ nis Whatley and Bobby | Hurt; No. 14. Missouri, carri by Jon Sundvold and SteveSl panovich, and No. 15 Teniio see, backed by gifted Dale Eli No. 16 Marquette is sj by guard Glenn Rivers and V 17 DePaul turns this year toBd nard Randolph. Oklahoma 1 No. 18, St. John’s is No. 19a»l Arkansas is No. 20 with swiif man Darrell Walker. Have QUALIP <6-41 Days See Youi 1 $28 GUADA I MSTIN. TX ; name NOTICE Remember it is your retire ment money. Should you get the most for it? Earning & Ser vices. Larry & Swede 693-6030 AGGIELAND PICTURES (Jrs., Srs., Grad Students) being taken at Discover Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration — A representative will be on campus on v Yearbook Associates 1700 Puryear 9a.m.-5p.[H More information 693-6756 DATE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1982 TIME: 12:00 NOON - 3:00 P.M. For Further Information Contact: OFFICE OF PLACEMENT Please send an application and a brochure about Rice University’s JONES GRADUATE SCHOOL to: