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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1990)
The Battalion SPORTS Friday, February 16,1990 7 Sports Editor Richard Tijerina 845-2688 Mattox: ‘Hush money’ tape off-limits Smith’s conversations with A&M officials guarded from disclosure Nadja Sabawala Guest Columnist — Lady Ags need home support against Texas W iat a shame. The Texas A&M women’s basketball team will play its biggest game of the year tonight at home, and if things keep up, they’ll be playing in front of a small crowd. The Lady Aggies average a meager 338 people per game, less people than I had in my Biology 113 class my freshman year. Overall, if you add up the total number of people attending the womens games this year, you’ll come out with 3,716. That’s total, folks. On the other hand, you have the University of Texas, famous for its Lady Longhorns who are virtually unstoppable and who dominate the SWC. Their average attendance is 7,118. UTs average attendance is more than twice the tota/number of fans at a Lady Aggies game. And don’t tell me it’s because of inadequate facilities. G. Rollie White has a 7,500 capacity. If we just had one crowd that equalled Texas’ average, G. Rollie would be nearly full, and a rowdy crowd in a small, enclosed space would really rev up a team! We’ve got that chance, Ags. Tonight, the Lady Aggies face powerhouse Texas for the last time this season. UT is undefeated in conference play at 11-0, and A&M was the last SWC team to beat them. That was in 1978. For 12 years, UT hasn't lost in the conference. I’d think they were pretty confident about tonight’s game, wouldn’t you? Let’s put those 7,118 screaming fans in G. Rollie, but let ’em be Aggies. “Beat the Hell Outta t.u.” from a packed G. Rollie would really be an awesome experience. Give our team the support they need to beat those poor sips. If the fans do their part, the Lady Aggies will do the rest. A&M is 10-1 in its 1 1 games played in G. Rollie and averages 82.9 points per game.The Lady Aggies have won five of their last six games and are currently fourth in the SWC standings. There’s only one game separating the Lady Aggies from third place Texas Tech, and if A&M wins this match tonight, what a way to move up: a win over the Lady Longhorns, who have commanded this conference for what seems like forever! AUSTIN (AP) — State Attorney General Jim Mattox said Thursday a tape-recorded interview between Texas A&M University officials and a former football player who alleged that the school violated NCAA reg ulations is excluded from public disclosure. Former Aggie running back George Smith last year said an A&M official offered him “hush money” to publicly recant statements he made to The Dallas Morning News that the school earlier paid him to keep quiet about NCAA recruitment viola tions. These allegations touched off a contro- Sore ankle may hamper senior against Texas By RICHARD TIJERINA Of The Battalion Staff At 5-5, senior guard Lisa guard is the floor general for the Texas A&M women’s basketball team. But on the day of her final game against Texas today, she doesn’t even know how much she can contribute. Credit that to a badly sprained ankle which doctors originally thought was bro ken. Herner injured it in last Saturday’s 90-71 win over Southern Methodist. Herner, known for her aggressive style of play, fell on top of a Mustang player and tore some ligaments in her right ankle. Thursday was her first day of practice, and Herner said she was going to talk to Coach Lynn Hickey about her playing sta tus after they saw how well she could move. Herner said she could run on the ankle, but has problems cutting and planting. If Herner, who is averaging 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds a game for the Lady Ag gies, can’t start, sophomore guard Sheri Dillard will take her place. Either way, Herner said she’d see action. Herner said she felt 90 percent healthy Thursday. “It’s real sore,” Herner said. “Right now the main thing is I’ve been out of practice for four or five days. I’m a little out of shape and my timing is off, but Sherri has been practicing hard and is playing real well. She’s come in and really done a lot.” Herner, who was named the Southwest Conference Player of the Week after her career-high 28-point effort against Hous ton last month, will be counted on to lead the Lady Aggies against the No. 6 Lady Longhorns. Tipoff at G. Rollie White Coliseum is set for 7:30 p.m. The Lady Longhorns haven’t lost a SWC versy that led to football Coach Jackie Sher rill’s departure from the school. But Smith later denied making the statements about the “hush money.” In the attorney general’s opinion re leased Thursday, Mattox said a more than two-hour tape-recorded interview between A&M officials and Smith concerning the re cruitment allegations was excluded from the Texas Open Records Act. Mattox said the tape could be kept secret because the interview dealt with the “educa tion record” of Smith. This includes re cruitment information because it is related game since 1978. Last year, the Lady Ag gies appeared ready to break that streak, but fell apart in the last few minutes to lose 78-70 at home. Texas outscored A&M 10-2 in the last three minutes of that game. Herner said the Lady Aggies have to be encouraged by that game, because they matched the Lady Longhorns point-for- to a students’ education record, the opinion said. Part of the Open Records Act prohibits the release of information contained in ed ucation records under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This act prohibits federal funds to educa tional institutions that permit the release of education records without the consent of the student. Smith was interviewed by A&M General Counsel James Bond and Vice President of Finance and Administration Robert Smith, according to the opinion. point until the very end. “Last year we had the lead with a little over two minutes left in the game and lost it,” she said. “We just made some mental er rors and missed some free throws. They can be beat. We went down there earlier See Herner/Page 8 Smith, who played high school football in Coffee County, Ga., answered questions about his recruitment by A&M and other schools, his contacts with A&M coaches af ter transferring to another university and other events of his life at A&M, the opinion stated. Some information on the tape recordings has appeared in newspaper articles. The opinion stated that these public statements made by Smith that are part of the taped in terview with A&M officials cannot be with held. Men face tough test Sunday against Longhorns By CLAY RASMUSSEN~ Of The Battalion Staff The Texas A&M men’s basketball team will be looking for sweet revenge this Sun day afternoon as they host Texas at G. Rollie White Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Last January, the two met in what was redicted to be an easy win for the Long- orns. Instead, the Aggies stayed close to Texas all evening and freshman guard Brooks Thompson’s three-point shot with just under a minute left in the game pulled A&M to within one point, 91-90. But the Longhorns made five of their fi nal six free throws down the stretch to beat A&M 96-94. Former coach Shelby Metcalf predicted that the Aggies would rise from the ashes of the Texas loss and begin the path to South west Conference dominance. “I think this game (loss to Texas) was an indication of things to come,” Metcalf said after the loss. “If we keep working hard, something good is going to happen to us.” Instead of something positive happen ing, the Aggies dropped their next game to Arkansas, and Metcalf was fired two days later. In his place, interim coach John Thorn ton is trying to fulfill Metcalf’s dream of greatness for A&M. The Aggies have shown-they are on the edge of winning some big games. In all of its losses under Thornton, with the excep tion of Houston, A&M has been in the game until the final minutes. And that’s where their inexperience kills them. However, the Aggies appear to have the leadership to win the tight games, if they could just play consistent basketball. Junior guard Lynn Suber, who shot the last-second three pointer to beat Southern Methodist last Saturday, has averaged 16 points per game. But against the Longhorns, Suber aver ages 24 points. Against Texas, he is shoot- See Game/Page 8 Herner won’t let injury stop her Battalion File Photo A&M’s Lisa Herner, shown in action last November, said Thursday she won’t let a sore ankle prevent her from playing today against Texas. I' 4JL A. The Prime Rib of Your Life $8.95 Complete Prime Rib Dinner $8.95 For the Prime Rib of Your Life Bombay Bicycle Club is the only place in town. For an extra treat try our Prime Rib and Scampi or Prime Rib and Jumbo Fried Shrimp for just $10.95. Complete Prime Rib dinners include soup or salad, baked potato, rice or french fries; and horseradish sauce. R BOMBAYl) ecimiil) RESTALJ RANT & BAR A BIT WILD. A BIT CIVIIJZKD. 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