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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 1990)
The Battalion SPORTS 7 Wednesday, January 31,1990 Sports Editor Richard Tijerina 845-2688 Vince Snyder Sports Writer Basketball fun for everyone, even us shorties How many of you are 5- 8, 145 pounds and love to play basketball? If you meet, or come close, to the requirements stated above ... then this column is for you. I meet the above requirements and I love the game of basketball, or the sport otherwise known as “Round-Ball”. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I would pay $1 million to move like Michael “Air” Jordan and pass like Irving “Magic” Johnson, but lets get real. However, I do try my best on the court despite the obstacles before me. The only problem is, I’m supposed to be intimidated by these seven-foot giants. Guess what? I’m not. Sure, I may not be able to drive to the hoop as often as I would like, but that’s life. I’ll just pull up and show them what I can do from the outside, which may not be much in the first place. But I try! Besides, who wants to go inside anyway ... with all those big sweaty bodies bouncing off each other? Knowing my luck I would turn right into a stinking armpit. And I mean that literally. Another thing that I’ve noticed while playing basketball in a “pickup-game” is the attitude of some of the players. If a little guy makes a great pass to a bigger fella ... eight out of ten times the big guy will get the recognition. When it was the pass that sparked the shot. Why is that? See Snyder/Page 8 Ags, Raiders set to run amuck in Lubbock By CLAY RASMUSSEN Of The Battalion Staff Both the Texas A&M and Texas Tech men’s basketball teams are seeking to turn their seasons around. The Aggies, losers of four of their last five games, cattle the Red Raiders, losers of their last nine consecutive games, Wednesday in Lubbock at the Mu nicipal Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. Both teams are coming off losses last Sat urday. A&M suffered a 108-90 defeat at the hands of Houston, while Tech fell to South ern Methodist, 52-44. The Aggies are 10-11 overall, 3-4 in the Southwest Conference, while Tech is 5-13 and 0-8 in SWC play. Despite the Red Raiders’ 0-8 SWC start, the worst in Tech basketball history, A&M Coach John Thornton said Tech is a better team than its record indicates, and has been within striking range in all its losses. “Texas Tech is a very good, sound, man- to-man defensive team,” Thornton said. “Every game they’ve lost, they’ve been in until the last two minutes but end up shoot ing themselves in the foot. “I hope they do it one more time with us.” Thornton’s Aggies won’t have an easy time in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have a swarming full-court defense that effectively stiffles offensive attacks. “They’re leading the conference in de fensive field goal percentage,” Thornton said. “They have talent.” Tech will need all the talent they can muster to quell the Aggies’ offense Wednes day night. In Thornton’s first two outings as in terim coach, A&M has averaged 89 points a game. Junior guard Lynn Suber has hit 34 three-pointers this year while freshman guard Brooks Thompson has nailed 29. Collectively, the Aggies have made 93 three-pointers this season, breaking the school’s single season record. Senior guard Tony Milton is having an All-SWC year, averaging 20.3 points, 5 re bounds and 7.2 assists per game. He has started in all but one game this season. Junior forward David Harris is two blocked shots away from breaking A&M’s single season record. Harris leads the SWC with 67 blocks, 26 of those in conference play. The record is held by Rudy Woods, who recorded 68 blocks in 1979-80. In addition to his defensive abilities, Har ris has contributed to the Aggies’ offensive See Ags/Page 8 Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack A&M forward Ray Little blocks a Houston shot in Saturday’s 108-90 loss. The Aggies travel to Lubbock and play Texas Tech tonight. Lady Ags lose to Tech, 74-67 4 . ' FROM STAFF & WIRE REPORTS The Texas A&M women’s basketball team lost to Texas Tech 74-62 Tuesday night in Lubbock. The loss dropped the Lady Aggies from a fifth-place tie with the Lady Red Raiders in the conference stand ings. But what was so hard to take for A&M Coach Lynn Hickey wasn’t that they lost, but the way they lost. Tech had a decided edge in free throws over A&M, and it showed. “We worked hard and didn’t give up, but we didn’t play as hard as we did against Houston,” Hickey said. “The fact that they beat us at the free throw line makes it more disgusting.” The Lady Aggies actually might have lost with 15 minutes left in the game, when they saw a close one-point game turn into a ten- point defecit they wouldn’t be able to over come. With 15:29 left and the Lady Aggies down 36-35, junior center Louise Madison fouled Tech’s Reena Lynch as she was at tempting a layup. Madison ended up on the floor as the whistle blew and, in frustration, picked up the ball lying next to her and slammed it to the floor. Madison was called for a technical foul. Lynch made both free throws, and Karen See Lady Ags/Page 8 Mets turning sour on Strawberry NEW YORK (AP) — Darryl Strawberry wants a $3 million-a-year contract and says he’ll leave town if he doesn’t get it. But that’s not what makes him front page news these days. Strawberry was jailed briefly last Friday by Los Angeles police following his arrest on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening his wife with a pistol. No charges have been filed. Last week, a blood test determined that Strawberry was the father of a son with Lisa Clayton, a woman in Clayton, Mo. They are just two recent examples of Strawberry making more news off the field than on it. “Of all the players I’ve seen come into baseball, Darryl Strawberry had the most potential,” Mets general manager Frank Cashen said two weeks ago. “There are five things you can do and he did them all well — run, throw, hit, hit with power and field. We talked a lot about his potential, but a couple years ago, I said we have got to stop talking about his potential.” Strawberry’s agent, Eric Goldschmidt, threatened last spring to have Strawberry sit out the 1990 season unless the contract demand was met. The Mets said no and Strawberry backed down. Now, Strawberry is demanding $12 mil lion for four years, saying he’ll become a free agent if he doesn’t get it. Goldschmidt got Cincinnati center fielder Eric Davis $9.3 million for three years. “Should I pay him that kind of money just because he went to high school with Eric Davis and he is one of his buddies?” Cashen said. See Strawberry/Page 9 RECOGNIZED STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS ADVANCE TO BOARDWALK with MSC’s ALL NIGHT FAIR Earn extra money by reserving a game booth Rm: 216 MSC Cost: $25 OR Come see what we’re all about! Informational meeting in MSC Flagroom near piano Feb. 6 or Feb. 7, 8:00 p.m. X huur s d aiy Febnrusiiry 1 "7:30 pm Rudder- Audi-fcordum —with— WMWMM i i free: concert