Tuesday, November 17,1987/The Battalion/Page 7
Sports
Lady Ags hope to rebound in ’87 -’88
By Brad Marquardt
Reporter
Although the Texas A&M wom
en’s basketball team is coming off a
disappointing 9-17 season and are
still rebuilding, Head Coach Lynn
Hickey is excited about the upcom
ing season.
“So many things happened last
year that were out of our control,
but sometimes injuries are going to
occur,” Hickey said. “But I’ve been
very pleased to see they’ve come
back.”
The Lady Aggies lost only four se
niors, two of whom contributed' sig
nificantly. From the graduation of
Paula Crutcher and Beth Young, the
team lost a combined average of 20
points and eight rebounds per con
test.
This year’s squad has a good nu
cleus of players. It returns last sea
son’s top two scorers and rebound
ers. Two of the top three assist
leaders are also back.
Because the team was hindered by
injuries last year, many young play
ers had the opportunity to play and
get experience. So even though
A&M lost two starters, the team re
turns six players that started 10 or
more games last season.
Leading the list of returnees are
junior guard Donna Roper and the
lone senior, forward Evelyn Sand
ers.
Roper missed half of last season
due to gall bladder surgery but still
enjoyed a productive sophomore
season by averaging 15 points a
game and dishing off 71 assists.
Hickey said Roper is one of the top
guards in the nation and is the best
she has ever coached.
“Donna could play for any team in
the country,” Hickey said. “She does
so many things so well.
“What is funny is that we have to
get on her to get her to shoot the
ball,” Hickey said. “You would ex
pect her to be a gunner but she’s not.
When I would see her brother
(A&rM linebacker John Roper) after
a game he would say, ‘Gotta get that
girl to shoot.’ ”
Evelyn Sanders returns for her fi
nal season for the Lady Aggies and
will be looked to for leadership from
the younger players. Hickey de
scribes Sanders as a workhorse and a
defensive standout. Sanders was sec
ond on the team in scoring and re
bounding and had a high game of 35
points, which is the second highest
ever by a Lady Aggie.
“Evelyn is very aggressive and is a
ball-hawk,” Hickey said. “She grabs a
rebound and goes right back up with
it. That makes her very tough to de
fend.”
Shoring up the middle will be ju
nior center Lisa Jordan. Jordan led
the team in rebounds last year, bang
ing the boards for an average of
seven per game. She also holds the
school career record for blocked
shots and has two more seasons to
play.
Hickey is expecting great things
from Veronda Roundtree due to her
great athletic ability. Hickey thinks
that Roundtree is the big scorer that
could make the Lady Aggies into a
good team. Last year the junior for
ward was used mostly off the bench
but showed flashes of offensive bril
liance.
“Veronda is one of those 5’-ll”
kids that can get above the rim and is
a scorer deluxe,” Hickey said. “We
have got to get the ball in her
hands.”
Fighting for the second guard
spot are sophomores Lisa Herner
and Traci Thomas. Both started 10
or more games last season, with
Herner giving out 70 assists and av
eraging three points a game and
Thomas handing out 37 assists and
scoring five points per game.
The tallest player on the squad is
6-5 center Debbie Lorenzen. Loren-
zen was redshirted last season due to
an injury but will provide valuable
depth at the center position.
“Debbie is another center we have
to fill in, and that’s something we
didn’t have last year,” Hickey said. “I
think she will be a big help this year
right away.”
Although hindered by injuries last
year, junior center Nette Garrett still
started 14 games. Garrett brings in
extra experience and has shown that
she can score.The center from Cen
ter, Texas was the most consistent
shooter on the squad last year aver
aging 55.9 percent from the field, an
A&M single season record.
Providing depth are freshmen
Mindy Neal, Louise Madison, Tra
cey Fewell and Wendy Jennings.
Hickey said that Neal is very coa-
chable and a tremendous athlete. In
high school Neal went to the state
track meet in the long jump and the
triple jump, which is impressive for
someone 6-1.
Madison was one of the top re
cruits in Texas last year and scores
well, Hickey said.
“Even though there are funda
mental problems, she is going to
score,” Hickey said. “She works that
hard and is that good of an athlete.”
Fewell will be a backup at point
guard but is probably the best passer
they have, Hickey said.
“Right now we are trying to get
her to slow down and fit into our of
fensive structure,” Hickey said.
Hickey also recruited a three-
point specialist in Wendy Jennings.
Hickey said she has a funny two-
handed set shot, but when she’s hot
nobody shoots better.
The Lady Aggies made another
major acquisition with the addition
of assistant coach Lubomyr (Luby)
Lichonczak. Lichonczak previously
coached at perennial women’s bas
ketball powerhouse Old Dominion.
“Luby really complements Eileen
(Feeney, another assistant coach) be
cause he is very low-key and calm,”
Hickey said. “I really think we have
the best assistant coaches in the con
ference, and that is going to pay
off.”
Buckeyes’ Bruce
after 3 straight losses
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio
i State football coach Earle Bruce,
plagued by fan criticism after three
consecutive losses, was fired Monday
only a few hours after he said he had
no intention of stepping down, Ath
letic Director Rick Bay said.
Bay, Bruce’s staunchest defender
in recent days, said he had resigned
as a result.
Bay said Bruce’s firing was effec
tive after the end of Saturday’s regu
lar-season final game at Michigan.
“Earlier this afternoon, I spoke
with (OSU President Edward Jen
nings), who asked me to meet with
him and informed me he was under
pressure to make a coaching change
and that he had to do that,” Bay told
a news conference.
Because of what he called “philo
sophical differences with the admin
istration,” Bay said, “I have resigned
as athletic director.”
Bay said, “I think (Bruce) has
done a whale of a job.
“His record is among the very,
very best in the country.”
Bay described Bruce as “very disil
lusioned” by the turn of events.
At his weekly media luncheon
Monday, Bruce, flanked by his wife,
had said he would not quit.
“I am staying at Ohio State,”
Bruce said. “I like my job. I’m going
to prepare hard for (Saturday’s
game at) Michigan.
“I’ll stay and prepare though the
winter and summer so we can have a
Big 10 championship next year.”
Bruce, in the second year of a
three-year contract, has coached
Ohio State to a 5-4-1 record, includ
ing three straight losses by a total of
10 points. His victories include a 28-
12 smashing of Texas A&M in the
1987 Cotton Bowl.
The coach said he was as frus
trated and disappointed as anyone
over Ohio State’s season.
m
Back to the stands -
Oh, what a feeling!
By Hal L. Hammons
Assistant Sports Editor
I had almost forgotten how
much fun it is to watch a Texas
A&M football game from the
stands.
You see,
the press
corps has it VlOWpOiflt
rough. The
12th Man is
out there screaming its throat raw
for the team, standing and
stomping on the sacred alumi
num of Kyle Field, getting a reu
sable Aggie cup with their $1.25
Coke, paying 50 cents a bite for a
gloriously chilled hot dog.
Meanwhile, Yours Truly is up
in the press box on the 50-yard
line, having to sit the entire time,
being force-fed barbecue, getting
unlimited Dr Pepper refills from
the gorgeous Aggie Hostesses.
I didn’t ask for this.
I’m just an Aggie, Fightin’
Texas Aggie Class of (Lord will
ing) ’88, who would like to yell for
the home team once in a while.
So I fanagled my way into the
stands for a day. And what a day.
I’m convinced the average fan
of live football doesn’t appreciate
the smell of excitement that per
meates an autumn Saturday in a
college town. He is calloused to
the sense of electricity in the air v
I felt it, though. Even before
the game started.
A girl behind me was still wait
ing for her roommate. A girl in
front of me had arrived early as
well. And me in the middle.
Three people who will proba
bly never see each other again,
who probably have little in com
mon except a common school and
a common love. And then “The
War Hymn” kicked in.
I looked back to the girl behind
me, who looked rather forlorn
with no one standing next to her
at that particular time, and said,
“Do you want to get down here
with us?”
Minds out of the gutter, Ags. A
strictly no-strings-attached ges
ture on my part which she grate
fully accepted. The one in front
of us came up on her own accord.
And there I was, arm-in-arm
with two beautiful young ladies
whom I probably would have
never spoken to in any other cir
cumstance, singing “Saw Varsity’s
horns off!” at the top of our
lungs, not caring what it sounded
like, initiating body contact by
quite innocent means that proba
bly would necessitate marriage in
some Eastern cultures.
Who but Aggies, I ask you.
Who but Aggies?
It didn’t matter if I had never
seen them before or if they were
each 10-year acquaintances. They
were Aggies. That was enough.
And then the game started.
No doubt many of you were
disenchanted with the kind of
football playe'd at Kyle Field Sat
urday. You know — tough de
fense, no offense.
I, of course, am a great fan of
great defense. And I was eating
that game up.
Maybe I’m just a closet Rambo.
Maybe I’m alone in the universe.
But I don’t think so.
Remember Jim Simpson? He
was the third of four quarterbacks
the Razorbacks threw to the lions
— I mean, the Aggies.
On one play he was flushed out
of the pocket, did a 270-degree
roll to his right, and came face-to
face with John Roper.
I remember Roper even better.
About 30 inches off the ground.
Spread-eagled, screaming, no
doubt. I’d give a lot of money for
a photograph of Simpson’s face
about that time. Given time, I bet
the quarterback would have col
lapsed on his own. Rather like x
six-foot Jell-O sculpture.
As I left, 1 turned to the g^
hind me and said, “Nice to meet
you.” She returned the favor.
Her roommate never did arrive.
Well, blond junior, section 224,
row 26, whoever you are, do me a
favor: tell your roommate she
missed a whale of a ballgame.
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Make a splash.
The MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society presents "Singin' in the Rain"
at 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, Movember 17 in Rudder Auditorium.
Based on the MGM film classic, this delightful Broadway musical features
dazzling sets, gorgeous costumes, intricate dance steps and yes, a genuine
rain storm on stage. Spirited songs like "You Are My Lucky Star", "You Were
Meant For Me", "Good Mornin", and, of course, "Singin' In The Rain" are
sure to make you smile.
There are still a few seats available for this splashy musical. Tickets are
sold on a first come, first served basis.
in 3
per
MSC Box Office • 845-1234 • Dillards Ticketron
Visa and MasterCard accepted.
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BILLIARDS • DARTS
Murmur \57 Reckoning ^ Fables OfThe Reconstruction ^7 Lifes Rich Pageant
MSC TOWN HALL PRESENTS
VDOCU M E N T
R.E. M.
“America’s Best Rock-n-Roll Band”
- Rolling Stone
G. Rollie White Coliseum
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=S>'lemorial Sui(k , iH Cv*'l'T • U'x.is Vd l niu-rsiH • ftox II • l iillrqi'''Union T\7?rt44'“>M
Plenty of good reserved seats still available
Tickets $10 - On sale at TAMU Box Office
845-1234
Call Battalion Classified 845-2611