Tuesday, December 8, 1987n"he Battalion/Page 9:
Sports
McDonald’s late jump shot
lifts Aggies to narrow win
Photo by Robert W. Rizzo
A&M’s Keron Graves (right) attempts to steal the ball away from
Northwestern State’s Byron Smith during the Aggies’ narrow 63-61
victory over the Demons here Monday night.
By Anthony Wilson
Sports Writer
Guard Darryl McDonald hit a
double pump 10-foot jump shot with
10 seconds left in the game to lift the
Texas A&M men’s basketball team
to a 63-61 win over the Northwest
ern State University Demons Mon
day night at G. Rollie White Col
iseum.
“On the shot, I was trying to get
the foul,” McDonald said. “I jumped
into him, but he wouldn’t foul me so
I just put it up and made it. Coach
probably would have rather me take
the shot so I took it. I’d rather he
scream at me than at anyone else.”
Surprisingly, Head Coach Shelby
Metcalf didn’t have the team run a
specific play to get the ball in his star
player’s hands.
“There wasn’t any doubt in my
mind and there wasn’t any doubt in
Darryl McDonald’s mind who was
going to take the last shot,” Metcalf
said. “But I didn’t put that hammer
on him. That goes with the territory
(ofbeing a senior).”
McDonald finished the game with
12 points. Forward Donald Thomp
son led the team with 22 points, on
9-of-ll shooting, and nine re
bounds. Keron Graves chipped in 11
points.
The Aggies controlled the game
for most of the first half. A&M took
the lead for the final 11:20 of the
first half when sixth-man Freddie
Ricks took a pass from Graves on the
left side and hit a three-point shot to
put the Aggies up 13-12.
The Aggies pulled ahead by seven
when Ricks found Paul Crawford
and Thompson open under the bas
ket for layups on consecutive trips
down the floor. The Demons came
roaring back to within one point
when Ricks canned his second three-
pointer to put A&M up 27-23 with
3:24 remaining in the first half.
A&M took a 31-26 lead to the
locker room at the half.
A&M maintained its lead in the
second half, at one point leading by
10, until NSU’s Pernell Smith hit a
short jumper to put the Demons on
top 54-53.
The two teams were tied at 55, 57
and 59 before Ricks was fouled and
hit both of his two free throws with
1:19 remaining in the game.
Roman Banks responded with a
short baseline jumper for NSU be
fore McDonald hit his game-winning
shot.
Ricks, who finished with seven as
sists, said that although no one said
it, the team planned on letting Mc
Donald take the last shot.
“Yes sir, that’s the Playground
King — number one man on the
team,” Ricks said. “We’ll go to Darryl
any time we can. He’s the man. My
self, I would rather Darryl shoot the
ball. He’s the senior and got more
experience.
“I’m very excited about this young
man here,” Ricks joked as he patted
McDonald, who sat next to him, on
the head.
A&M, which returned home after
a five-game, eight day road trip, was
visibly tired.
“I probably scheduled us out of
this one,” Metcalf said. “We don’t
have enough players to play this
many days in a row. I don’t want to
take anything away from Northwest
ern — they’re good — but we played
better in San Marcos (in the Jowers
Jamboree tournament).
A&M improved its record to 4-2
while NSU dropped to 3-2.
Wood takes over from Wagner
as Astros’ new general manager
DALLAS (AP) — The Houston
Astros promoted Bill Wood to
general manager Monday, end
ing a two-month scramble among
15 candidates.
Wood, the Astros’ assistant CM
since July, 1985, had served as in
terim CM after Dick Wagner re
signed Oct. 14.
The Astros wanted to have the
position filled by the winter meet
ings and chairman of the board
John McMullen made the an
nouncement Monday.
“I thought it was a fairly rea
sonable time,” McMullen said. “I
interviewed 15 people. I did it at
my leisure.”
Wood said he was patient dur
ing the wait, even when Lee
Thomas, who works in the St.
Louis Cardinals’ minor-league
department, was rumored to be
the front-runner.
“It was not frustrating,” Wood
said. “I had things to do as an in
terim general manager.”
Wood, 46, has worked for the
Astros for 11 years. He spent the
first nine with the minor-league
system.
“This is a thing a baseball man
dreams about,” Wood said. “I
know many people say the winter
meetings are a boring time, but
you’ll excuse me if I say this is ex
citing.”
Wood will try to bring some of
that excitement to the Astros,
who sagged last season after win
ning the National League West in
1986. The Astros, seemingly on
their way up, slumped to 76-86
and third place last season.
Wood said the gap between
Wagner leaving and Monday’s
hiring “did not slow us down.”
“There were still teams that
wanted to talk to us,” Wood said.
“We’ll try to get something
started at the meetings.”
The Astros are interested in
Atlanta’s Rafael Ramirez as a pla
toon shortstop. Houston has
made outfielder Kevin Bass avail
able in trade talks.
Wood broke into baseball in
1969 with the Los Angeles orga
nization as assistant general man
ager at Class AAA Albuquerque.
Reds 7 Rose announces retirement
as winter meetings get underway
DALLAS (AP) — Pete Rose
confirmed his retirement as a
player and Bob Horner prepared
to return to the Atlanta Braves
Monday, highlighting a busy day
at baseball’s winter meetings.
“I will not bat again,” said
Rose, the all-time hit champion
and manager of the Cincinnati
Reds. “I’m 46 years old and if I’m
not retired, I should be.”
Rose’s announcement punc
tuated an active day that began
with Commissioner Peter Ueber
roth’s “State of Game” speech
and ended with a midnight dead
line for teams to offer salary arbi
tration to their free agents or lose
them until May 1.
Rose did not play at all last sea
son. Most thought he was fin
ished, although many never
wanted to hear that “Charlie Hus
tle” was hanging them up.
“I thought I was already re
tired,” Rose said. “I never saw a
reason to make an announce
ment.”
On the positive side for those
who thrilled to watching Rose,
he’s now one year closer to the
Hall of Fame.
Horner may get a fresh chance
with American baseball. He met
with Atlanta and Officials seemed
confident of luring him back
from Japan. Horner would pre
fer to play in the majors but will
have to pay for it —the Braves
might give him $ 1 million for one
year, compared to a Japanese
standing offer of more than dou
ble that amount.
Horner lives about 10 miles
from the meeting site and came
with his agent, Bucky Woy, to talk
with the Braves. San Diego and
Texas also want to speak to
Horner.
There’s still plenty of time to
get Carney Lansford and Rafael
Ramirez, both mentioned in
trade talk. Toronto tried to zero
in on Lansford to solve a third-
base problem, while Houston and
the New York Yankees pursued
Ramirez.
Philadelphia bolstered itself by
signing free agent Bob Dernier.
He batted .317 with eight home
runs, both career highs, in a re
serve role last season in the Chi
cago Cubs outfield.
Phillies Manager Lee Elia said
Dernier would fill a variety of
roles, including platooning in
center field, pinch hitting and
pinch running.
“He gives us a lot of flexibilly,”
Elia said.
Dernier joined Brett Butler,
Chili Davis and Ron Hassey as
free agents who have switched
teams recently. This is the first
free-agent period since an arbi
trator ruled owners conspired to
restrict the market after the 1985
season.
Other teams weren’t sure what
to do with their own free agents.
In particular, Detroit had not of
fered salary arbitration to Frank
Tanana by mid-afternoon. If the
Tigers did not make that offer by
midnight, they could not re-sign
the 34-year-old pitcher, who went
15-10, until May.
Ueberroth started the day with
a speech in which he said “things
got better in 1987.”
The commissioner said confi
dential drug tests of major and
minor league players showed
only 3 percent positive, compared
to 5 percent in 1986 and 10 per
cent in 1985.
TWO FOR TUESDAY
TWO 12" 2-ITEM PIZZAS
$9" plus tax
NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER COUPONS OR SPECIALS
Call 76-GUMBY
764-8629
Hours
FAST, FRESH, HOT Sun-Wed: 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
AND DELIVERED FREE Thur-Sat: 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
University Tire & Service Center
3818 S. College Ave.•846-1738
(5 Blocks North of Skaggs)
End-of-School Special
Prices good thru Dec. 15
FRONT END
ALIGNMENT
$14.95
Adjust caster, camber, steering, and toe settings as needed.
Small trucks and vans slightly higher.
expires Dec. 15
FRONT OR REAR
BRAKE JOB
$54.95
PAri-i
New brake pads surface rotors, repack wheel bearings, inspect
master cylinder & brake hoses, bleed system, add newfluid, road test
(American cars single piston system. Extra $12.00 for semi-metallic
pads).
expires Dec. 15
COMPUTER
BALANCE
$16.95
4 regular wheels, Custom wheels extra
expires Dec. 15
OIL, LUBE
& FILTER
$14.95
Lubricate chassis, drain oil, install up to 5 quarts of Pennzoil oil and
oil filter. Most cars and light trucks.
expires Dec. 15
ENGINE TUNE UP
For Electronic Ignition
Others $10 More
$28.00 4 Cyl.
$34.00 6 Cyl.
$39.00 8 Cyl.
Now Open Saturday till 3 p.m.
TCCAOO
10 Minute
Drive-Thru
Lube, Oil,
& Filter
Change
Oil, Lube
&
Filter Change
(your choice of oil)
205 Holleman exp 12-31-87 764-7992
Students! Work Smart.
Work Simply...
With Hewlett-Packard!
11c...
12C...
15C...
18C...
28C...
41CV
41CX
71B...
$50.00
...80.00
...80.00
.140.00
.190.00
.140.00
.200.00
.420.00
AUTHORIZED HEWLETT-PACKARD DEALER
Includes: Replace Spark Plugs, check Rotor, Dist. Cap. & Adj. Carb.
& Timing When Possible. (Most Cars and Light Trucks).
expires Dec. 15
505 Church Street • College Station, Texas
(409) 846-5332
p m m
CLINICS
AM/PM Clinics
Minor Emergencies
10% Student Discount with ID card
3820 Texas Ave.
Bryan, Texas
846-4756
401 S. Texas Ave.
Bryan, Texas
779-4756
8a.m.-11 p.m. 7 days a week
Walk-in Family Practice
Coupon
INTERNATIONAL
HOUSE
RESTAURANT
$2.99
Mon:
Burgers French Fries
Tues:
Buttermilk Pancakes
Wed:
Burgers fie French Fries
Thur:
Hot Dogs fie French Fries
Frt:
Beer Battered Fish
Sat:
French Toast
Sun:
Spaghetti fie Meat Sauce
ALL YOU CAN EAT $2"
6 p.m.-6 a.m.
TYo take outs • must present this ad
Expires2/1/88
Rooty Tooty $2 49
2 eggs, 2 pancakes, 2 sausage
good Mon.-Fri. Anytime
International House of Pancakes
Restaurant
103 S. College Skaggs Center