: The Battalion
I SPORTS
Thursday, January 25,1990
9
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Alan
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Sports Writer
Jan. 25: Let’s
have a quick
Shelby recap
ell, it seems that the
Shelby Metcalf incident is finally over.
I’ve been blasted with opinions
supporting both sides. I haven’t “sided”
either way because I believe that neither
side was jusified in airing their
disagreements in the media.
In case you missed any of the
incidents leading up to Metcalf’s
dismissal, here’s a quick re-cap:
• Spring 1987 — Shelby Metcalf’s
Aggies win the Southwest Conference
tournament and advance to the NCAA
Midwest Regionals. A&M falls to Duke
in the first round, but former Athletic
Director Jackie Sherrill gives Metcalf a
contract through the 1991 season at
$77,000 per year. The move would
allow Metcalf to qualify for full
teacher’s retirement pension.
• Spring 1987 — According to a
Dallas Times Herald story published last
Saturday, Associate Athletic Director
John David Crow, an A&M graduate and
Heisman Trophy winner, told boosters
that one of the first things he would do as
Athletic Director would be to fire
Metcalf.'
• December 1988 — Sherrill resigns
as Texas A&M Athletic Director. Crow
replaces him. Metcalf’s Aggies lose
seven-of-eight conference games.
• 1987-90 — Home attendance falls
at A&M basketball games. Crow
reportedly repeats his intent to fire
Metcalf at a booster club function in
Houston.
• January 1990 — At the NCAA
Convention in Dallas, Crow reportedly
makes more derogatory comments about
Metcalf to other athletic.directors.
• January 20 — In the Dallas Times
Herald story, Metcalf publicly lashes out
at Crow, saying that he “is out to get
me.” Metcalf also accuses Crow of
“cussing” him publicly and trying to ruin
his career.
Crow issues a statement through
A&M’s Sports Information Department,
denying the allegations and saying he
doesn’t intend to act on the issue until
after the season, when routine coach
evaluations occur.
A&M loses to Arkansas that day. In a
post-game press conference, Metcalf
a! new j See Lehmann/Page 10
‘Ijust wish Coach Metcalf could have been here for us to come together’
Ags stuff Owls in emotional, 89-82 win
Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack
A&M senior guard Tony Milton converts a slam dunk in the second half
of Wednesday night’s 89-82 win over Rice. Milton finished with 20 points.
Thornton gains
first victory as
interim coach
By RICHARD TIJERINA
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M’s 89-82 victory over Rice was
the result of one of two things. Either the
Owls weren’t quite as good as their 4-1
Southwest Conference record said they
were, or the Aggies were a little better than
their 2-3 mark.
Oh yeah. The Aggies also were playing
some inspired basketball for an old friend.
Prior to the game in a locker room meet
ing, senior guard Tony Milton told the Ag-
ies to win the game for former coach
helby Metcalf, who was relieved of his
head coaching duties Monday by Athletic
Director John David Crow.
John Thornton, Metcalfs assistant coach
since 1981, was named interim coach for
the remainder of the season.
Milton said the Aggies were pumped up.
t showed.
“I sure hope Coach Metcalf was listening
tonight — we did it for him,” Milton said.
“This is my last year and I don’t feel it was
He’s going to be listening to
every game. Some way,
somehow, he’ll be there. I know
I felt him out there tonight.”
— Lynn Suber,
A&M guard
right to do Shelby like that. I took it hard.
But Coach Thornton is a great person. He
told us to come out and play hard.
“We did.”
What an understatement. The Aggies
jumped out to a nine-point lead midway
through the first half, as they suddenly
found the two things that had been missing
all season: offense and defense, working to
gether.
A&M had been down by as much as
seven, but then came storming back. Junior
guard Freddie Ricks made a twisting layup
and was fouled by Rice’s Chip Scott. Ricks
made the free throw and the Aggies tied
the score at 27.
The two teams virtually traded baskets
from then on. The Aggies got a big spark
when junior center David Harris and Ricks
came in for senior forward Ray Littje and
freshman guard Brooks Thompson, with
II minutes left in the half.
Milton, who finished with 22 points,
made a driving layup through heavy traffic
to give the Aggies a 37-32 lead, but Rice’s
D’wayne Tanner hit a 20-foot three-point
shot to cut the lead to two points.
With the score tied 39-39, senior forward
Darren Rhea hit a three-point shot from
the right side to give the Aggies a 42-39
lead. Thirty seconds later, junior guard
Lynn Suber, who led the Aggies with 22
points, hit another three-pointer to put
A&M up, 45-39.
A&M led 45-41 at the half, and Thorn
ton told the team to relax and play loose the
rest of the game. But Suber said Metcalf
was on everyone’s mind, and the Aggies re
sponded with an even bigger effort.
With the Aggies up 50-45, Suber threw
up an alley-oop to a streaking David Harris.
Harris responded with a thundering dunk
that sent the G. Rollie White Coliseum
crowd of 3,193 into a frenzy. One minute
later, Milton stole the ball and ran the
length of the court for a layup to put the
Aggies up by nine, matching their biggest
lead of the game to that point.
The Owls came back on successive shots
by Tanner and Marvin Moore, the second a
three-pointer that gave the Owls a one-
point lead, 55-54.
Their lead didn’t last.
Suber hit a short baseline jump shot, and
Rhea connected on a dunk to put the Ag
gies up, 58-55.
Then, the Rice fans started getting into
the act, chanting “Shelby.” All that accom-
lished was to Further inspire the Aggies,
pecifically, Suber, who put on a one-man
exhibition during the next minute.
Suber hit a 21-foot three-pointer to put
the Aggies up by four. Nine seconds later,
Milton dished off to a wide-open Suber on
the right side. He canned" another three-
point shot to give the Aggies a 64-59 lead.
The Rice mns continued chanting “Shel
by.” But Suber wasn’t finished.
He hit another three-point shot to give
the Aggies an eight-point lead. Rice Coach
Scott Thompson called a time out, but it
was too late. Suber’s three-point display
would prove too much for the Owls to come
back from.
Suber’s effort came at the right time.
With the Aggies up by nine early in the sec
ond half, the Owls ran off 10 unanswered
points to take a one-point lead. But they
would never lead again.
Brooks Thompson blocked Rice guard
Dana Hardy’s short jumpshot, and passed
to a wide-open Milton. The 6-0 guard
scored on an impressive dunk. Twenty sec
onds later, Rhea slammed a behind-the-
back dunk to give the Aggies a 73-64 lead.
The win evened the Aggies’ record to 10-
10 overall, 3-3 in the SWC. It was their first
conference win in four games. After jump
ing out to a 2-0 conference record, A&M
lost to Southern Methodist, Texas and Ar
kansas.
But Metcalfs removal inspired the team.
And though no one said the Aggies have
dedicated the rest of their season to Met
calf, Thornton did tell the team before the
game not to forget who got them here.
Suber said the team would not forget the
former coach.
“He might not be there physically, but I
know Coach Metcalf will be there mental
ly,” Suber said. “He’s going to be listening
to every game. Some way, somehow, he’ll be
there. I know I felt him out there tonight.”
Thompson, who finished with five
oints, said he was happy Thornton won
is first game as interim coach.
“He was put in a really awkward situa
tion,” Thompson said. “But he responded
well. We were very motivated tonight. We
wanted to get the win for Coach Metcalf
and Coach Thornton.”
Thompson said it was the team’s best ef
fort of the season.
However, the Aggies must travel to
Houston this weekend for a Saturday mat
chup with the Cougars. Thornton said
some kind of an emotional letdown should
be expected for the game.
Thornton said he was worried about the
Aggies’ effort before Wednesday’s game
because of the emotions surrounding the
Metcalf situation. But he said he was
pleased with the way the team played.
“If we could get that effort, we knew we
would be all right,” Thornton said. “It was a
real team effort from the' word go. We
came up with offensive rebounds all night
and put some shots back in in the second
half.
“The guys played their hearts out.”
Thompson agreed, saying the team
seemed to come together for the first time
all season.
“Tonight there was a team attitude,” he
said. “We all went out there as a team. Five
as one. We didn’t care who scored the
points as long as we won. We were so emo
tional. We had a lot of inspiration and a lot
to prove to A&M and ourselves.
“We’ve become a lot closer as a team the
past two days. I just wish Coach Metcalf
could have been here for us to come toge
ther.”
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