Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1986)
Page 12Arhe Battalion/Wednesday, MarchSJ The Socialists are Coming! t Political Awareness Day Tuesday March 11, 9:00am-4:00pm Memorial Student Center This Program is presented for educational purposes and does not constitute an endorsement for any speaker. GIZMO’S CAFEtB/m LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER! Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-8 Saturday All Day $1 00 Well Drinks $ 1 50 Call Drinks 75<t Draught Beer 109 Boyett next to Whole Earth 846-8223 Shape Up for SPRING BREAK % 0 DflEtstrco INCLUDES: * Unlimited number of workouts * Free membership freeze during Spring Break * Classes scheduled 7 days a week This offer Is limited to new members. OFFER EXPIRES ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5 BODY DYNAMICS Post Oak Square, Harvey Rd. 696 - BODY our readers spend a lot of time between the covers, they'd love to get to know you better. advertise in at ease call 845-2611 A&M's Gilbert no longer in shadow of SWC's best TANK By CHAREAN WILLIAMS Assistant Sports Editor Standing 6-foot-9, one wouldn’t expect Texas A&M center Jimmie Gilbert to stand in anyone’s shadow. But that’s the way it’s been for most of Gilbert’s four-year career with the Aggies. In the Southwest Conference, he was a “no-name” amongst the Akeem Olajuwons, Joe Kleines and Jon Koncaks. Even on his own team, Gilbert played second fiddle to guards Kenny Brown and Don Mar- bury. “The lack of publicity never both ered me,” Gilbert said. “Those were some outstanding players in the league. I have just been trying to contribute all these years.” The Huntsville High School prod uct averaged 7.0 points and 6.3 re bounds a game in his first three years at A&M. But Gilbert got more publicity for his lack of aggressive ness, poor shooting touch and “brick” free throws. This season, however, Gilbert has moved out of the shadows and into the limelight. He’s having the best offensive season of his career. “I think I’ve improved a lot (since last year),” Gilbert said. “It’s been a team effort. I gotten the ball a lot more and, when I’ve been open, I’ve done something with it. “This season, we’re lacking that one great outside shooter like we had in Kenny Brown last year. (A&M guard) Mike Clifford is more of a passer. That gives us more of an opportunity to get the ball inside.” Gilbert’s 12.9 scoring average and 7.2 rebounding average were good enough to earn him second-team All-SWC honors. “This has been my best year at school,” Gilbert said. “I was sur prised and happy to be selected (to the All-SWC team). It’s quite a honor to be picked one of the Top 10 players in the league.” The Aggies, who tied for the SWC Championship with TCU and Texas, say they couldn’t have done it without Gilbert, whose 771 career rebounds put him just 13 short of the fifth-place spot on A&M’s all- time rebounding list. “He has been the key for us all year,” A&M Coach Shelby Metcalf said. “This year, Jimmie has shown what kind of player he really is. He has had a great year and he helped us have a great year.” The Aggies will try to make Gil bert’s final season an even better one at the SWC Postseason Classic this weekend in Dallas. “I feel we have a real good chance to win it,” Gilbert said. “We have to play three consistent games and play to the best of our abilities for 40 min utes in each game. “We thought we could have won the conference outright. We had some problems in the second half A&M’s Jimmie Gilbert (left) appears to have made a name for him’ self in Southwest Conference basketball circles after four years, and didn’t do it. Now we’d like to prove we are the best team in the lea gue.” A&M (18-10, 12-4) takes a four- game win streak into its opening round game against Arkansas (13- 14, 5-11), Friday at 6:08 p.m. in Re union Arena. The Aggies ripped the Razor- backs, 93-76, in their final regular- season game last Saturday as Gilbert scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds. “You can never underestimate Arkansas,” Gilbert said. “They have some good players and they have the ability to play as well as anyone in the league. “I don’t think they’re a bottom rung team. They’re hurting without Kleine (who is now with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings). They havei quickness, the shooters, the bounders. They just don’t have experience yet.” And Gilbert is dreaming aboutil possibilities of winning the tournament and the autontf NCAA hid that goes along withii “The Final Four,” Gilh nodded, “that’s what I’d like. M dered our tickets already — juS case we miss it.” Nuggets zap Rockets Minnesotans Associated Press DENVER — Bill Hanzlik hit 17 of 18 free throws while scoring 21 points, and Alex English had 25 points and Calvin Natt 21, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 128-115 NBA victory over the Houston Rockets Tuesday night. The victory pulled the Nuggets within one game of the first-place Rockets in the NBA’s Midwest Divi- The game was tied 28-28 with 1:27 left in the first period before a 10-0 spurt led by Danny Schayes put Denver ahead to stay. The Nuggets increased their mar gin to 21 points on two occasions in the second period before settling for a 76-61 halftime advantage. The Rockets made no serious threat in the third period and Denver went into the final quarter with a 100-87 lead. Houston rallied midway through the fourth quarter, getting to within 112-104. Hanzlik then scored six straight points, the last one a free throw after Sampson, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds, was ejected for a flagrant foul. NBA Roundup Other Tuesday Scores: (home team in capitals) NEW YORK 119 Washington 83 ATLANTA 128 Philadelphia 121 DETROIT 120 New Jersey 103 Boston 106 CHICAGO 94 Cleveland at L.A. Clippers (late) San Antonio at GOLDEN STATE (late) Utah at SACRAMENTO (late) Indiana at PORTLAND (late) make pitch fot NBA franchise Associated Press [★l NEW YORK — Accompaniedj former NBA great George and Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpj two Minneapolis-St. Paul busin® men gave the league a $ check Tuesday as a down pay® 1 ! on a possible expansion franchise] replace the Lakers who left 26)“ a S°- . . . - Commissioner David Stern, accepted the check and a preb nary application, said that while 15 n Minnesotans have a strong case,i 1 K not likely the league will expantih L fore the 1987-88 season, andiftW F probably by only one franchise. ■ Stern said the league alsohad [i L ceived expansion interest W [ Charlotte, N.C; Toronto; St. Lo® ■ Orlando, Fla.; San Diego, and^ L sas City. , f “We hope we will be No. 1, ^ ■ Mikan, who played on five N# I championship teams in his se^ r years with the Minneapolis Lab* |r from 1948 through 1956. P