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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1988)
Page 8/The Battalion/Tuesday, April 5, 1988 Major Leaguers spell relief for fan Relief is on the way — to soothe my aching head and upset stomach caused by an overdose of sports excitement. For weeks now I have sat on the edge of my couch consuming an incredible amount of snacks, yelling at the top of my lungs, giving and Curtis L. Culberson Sports viewpoint receiving high-fives from friends while ignoring my studies and possibly losing a dollar or two in friendly wagers. I’ve become a basketball junkie — switching back and forth from ESPN to CBS, searching for one more culminating dunk off a fastbreak or another shot rejected all the way back to last week. Thanks to the three-point shot and prevalent use of pressure defenses, this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association’s tourney games have been some of the highest-scoring and fastest- paced ever. At least nine teams scored 100 points or more in a game and 20 nave broken the 90-point mark. There were nail-biting upsets like Murray State’s 78-75 victory over North Carolina State that made me dizzy. There was the thrilling fall of giants like Syracuse’s Rony Seikaley, and North Carolina’s J.R. Reid, who were slain relatively early in the tourney. If you’re like me, the NCAAs made you hungry for NBA action. And Michael Jordan’s season high 59-point performance in the Bulls 112-110 victory over the Pistons Sunday was a perfect intermission for the final rounds of the tourney. With all this action no wonder my head aches and my stomach is upset. How do I spell relief? B-A-S-E-B-A-L-L. For those of you who didn’t know, the major league baseball regular season started Monday. There’s nothing like watching a pro baseball game on the tube to return my heart rate back to normal and calm my nerves. The major leaguers don’t have to worry about fans being distracted by the NCAAs. With only 161 games left in the season, these openers are sure to have a profound effect on the penant races. Yeah, I know baseball is a thinking-man’s game. And I have to admit that when I watch it I think — my mind wanders and wanders. Cerebral sports fans, however, might be interested in some of the rule changes for the ’88 season. The strike zone has decreased in size from last year to give pitchers an advantage over batters who hit a record number of homers last season. The decrease in the strike zone will help pitchers because it is an increase in the zone actually called by umpires, which was half the size of what the rule book originally called for, the assumption being that umpires will now call strikes by the book. Confused? Also, umpires have been instructed to enforce the balk rule more strictly. So those little extra moves by the pitcher that only the thinking- man and the umpire are aware of will result in runners advancing one base. I’m so glad the major league season is underway — I needed a break between the NCAAs and NBA playoffs. MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN: THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS FEATURING: STEVE HERRICK SOUTHERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR AX-USA THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE IN PRISON BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEFS. MANY ARE HELD WITHOUT CHARGE OR TRIAL. STILL OTHERS HAVE BEEN KILLED WITHOUT ANY PRETENSE OF LEGALITY. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IS A WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE ACTING ON THE CONVICTION THAT GOVERNMENTS MUST NOT DENY INDIVIDUALS THEIR BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. TUESDAY RUDDER THEATRE APRIL 5 7:30 PM FREE ADMISSION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA Sports Manning leads Kansas to upset of Oklahoma KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Danny Manning scored 31 points and grabbed 18 rebounds as un ranked Kansas won its second na tional championship with an 83-79 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma Mon day night to become the losingest champion in NCAA history. The Jayhawks, 26-11, played fast and slow and withstood a record-set- ting 3-point performance from Ok lahoma’s Dave Sieger to avenge two losses to the Sooners, 35-4, during the regular season. This was the third championship game played between two teams from the same conference and it was the third this decade in which a heavy underdog managed to win the title. Kansas was an eight-point under dog but in the first half the Jayhawks ran with the Sooners, the nation’s second-leading scoring team and the regular-season and tournament champions in the Big Eight. Then they showed patience in the second half, running down the 45-second clock before taking good percentage shots. The Jayhawks shot 64 percent for the game, 35 of 55, and they cooled off after a first half in which they made 17 of 20 at one point. But for all the strategy of Coach Larry Brown it was Manning, the two-time All-America who carried the Jayhawks to the title in a year in which they overcame injuries and academic problems. Milt Newton added 15 points for Kansas, while Kevin Pritchard had 13. Sieger led Oklahoma with 22 points, while Stacey King had 17 and Harvey Grant and Mookie Blaylock 14 each. But King and Grant, the two leading scorers, had just four each in the second half. Kansas took the lead for good at 69-68 on a hook shot by Manning with 8:50 left in the game. It was the last of seven straight Kansas points scored by the 6-foot-10 center and the play started with Manning stand ing at midcourt with the ball waiting for Oklahoma to come out and apply pressure. Manning handed the ball off, cut to the basket and hit the hook. Chris Piper then hit a jumper to give Kansas a four-point lead. The Sooners tied the score on a free throw by Sieger and a turnaround jumper by Grant with 5:55 left. Pritchard hit a baseline drive with 5:34 left and the Jayhawks were on the way to the first national championship for a team from west of the Mississippi River since UCLA won in 1975. Manning sealed the victory with four free throws in the final 14 sec onds. He gave Kansas an 81-77 lead with the first two. Scooter Barry had missed the second free throw of a 1- and-1 but Manning tapped the re bound and was fouled by King. Sieger made seven 3-pointers, six in the first half, to tie the championship game team and indi vidual record set last season by In diana’s Steve Alford. The game was played in Kemper Arena, the site of the Big Eight tour nament and just 35 miles Irom the Kansas campus. Manning picked up his third foul just 25 seconds into the second half but he never got his fourth. Sieger made his seventh 3-pointer of the game on his 10th shot from that range but then he went cold. Sieger missed two in a row on one possession and seemed ready to take a third when the ball bounced back to him. But he hesitated and passed the ball inside to King who scored for a 65-60 lead, Oklahoma’s largest of the game. Brown called a timeout just before King’s basket. The Jayhawks scored five straight points to tie the game, the last three coming on a three- point play by Manning. Kansas made 22 of 31 shots in the first half, 71 percent, including 17 of their first 20. Sieger was the hot hand for Okla homa as he made six of eight 3-point attempts while the Sooners made 48.7 percent as a team, 19 of 39. The first half was played at Okla homa’s tempo as the teams finished tied at 50-50. There were eight lead changes and neither team led by more than six — and and that was when Prit chard hit a 3-pointer to give the Jay hawks a 31-25 lead with 9:35 left in the half. Sieger, who finished 7-of-13 in 3- pointers, answered with his third 3- pointer and King added a baseline drive and the Sooners were within one again. Manning picked up his second foul with 10:44 remaining in the half and with the two-time All-America on the bench, the Sooners couldn’t capitalize as they outscored Kansas 12-10 with Manning out of the game. Oklahoma had beaten Kansas twice during the season, 73-65 and 95-87. Villanova in 1985 and North Car olina State in 1983 both won the na tional championship with 10 losses each. Those teams were also the heavy underdogs, Villanova beating Georgetown and North Carolina State beating Houston. Villanova s victory was the second ctory wa meeting of two conference teams for the title. Indiana and Michigan of the Big Ten met for the championship in 1976. Aggies face SHSU tonight The Texas A&M baseball team will take a break from Southwest Conference play when it takes on the Sam Houston State Bearkats tonight at 7 at Olsen Field. Third-ranked A&M is 33-7 overall and 5-1 in SWC play. The Aggies went 5-1 in games last week, losing only to top-ranked Oklahoma Stateand defeating North Texas State and Texas Tech. SHSU is 22-17 on the year and lost to A&M 12-2 in a previous- game in Huntsville. HOU tros f laying en tli ainst t A bas Manning nai"” MVP honois KANSAS CITY, Even though the gamewasoi line, Danny Manningkneii over. The score was 79-77 i seconds left, an eternity foi homa’s racehorse offense ning had been l-for-3air line until that point. But lie® 1 ee st ‘ dropped in two free throM; four-point lead. Oklahoma came ri^ a basket by Ricky Graceaiiii, me re I The iationa .last seas |iid ag: ■ NT Ivynn [tching r.397 Mike » 198' II opp iho was “You d last id. “W them th ’! five seconds left, the 6-foot R t0 * Manning found himself * the foul line again. At that moment, with tilt 81-79, the game wassdllinil But not according to Manm “I was thinking, ‘it'scuHaR1.1 Manning said. raBrien Was that before or a : tht gain calmly dropped the twoshon ton of “Before.” Hjit to Manning, selected thetTseason-o Outstanding Player, tht:. bird vie pleted a sensational dians. grabbing the final rebowioHo'Bi u desperation heave to peHme r Kansas’ 83-79 victory (otHnnnec NCAA championship. Her the Manning finished tht.j start tht with 31 points, 18 rebounisHxliroli steals, two assists and twoiiH The shots. Hied Cl “I knew Danny wantedsHid for Oklahoma’s Stacey Ring “He came out and proved!’ Manning committedhhit: personal foul just 11 minus the first half and satonthe for the next three minute Kansas stayed with OUail during that span and, by time, with a stifling pact score was 50-50. I n the second half, Kans; Manning doing everything bringing the bail upcoun. “We h ave the greatest pb the game,” Kansas coach Brown said. “With a greaip like him, you’ve always chance.” The game was the final# Manning’s brilliant colley reer. i mn liams SELF CARE FOR CHILDREN I’m In Charge tourna I The lifted $2,050 third ] surpas: She’ tops or But ated Part of St. Joseph Hospital & Health Center "Learning to Live We invite you to bring your children who are " In Charge" to this special event. Five dates to choose from! April 11, 12, 15, 18 or 20 St. Joseph Hospital & Health Center Education Room, Second Floor 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm $5 per child Enrollment limited to 20 per class I M IN CHARGE REGISTRATION FORM What to expect * Telephone Safety * Door Safety * Fire Safety * Stranger Danger * Fingerprint/ Photo ID chart * Safety lesson with McGruff puppet What you receive SELF CARE FOR CHILDREN- 1 ’!’!!! In Charge’ 1 Child's Name (age) Child's Name (age) Parent's Name Phone # Address * Home Safety Materials * Poison control (Mr. Yuk) stickers * Operation Ident-a-Kid and Photo * Hospital Button and Magnet * Refreshments * "I’m In Charge” Certificate City State Zip CHECK ONE: CH April 11 [H April 12 CU April 15 [H April 18 PH April 20 MAIL FORM AND CHECK TO: St. Joseph Hospital & Health Center, Comm. Relations Dept. 2801 Franciscan Drive, Bryan, Texas 77802-2544 OR CALL: 776-2459 Deadline two days prior to class date ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL & HEALTH CENTER