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SPORTS
Monday, February 26,1990
Sports Editor Richard Tijerina 845-2688
Aggies look near perfect in 103-95 win over Owls
Win gives A&M
sole possession of
sixth place in SWC
By CLAY RASMUSSEN
Of The Battalion Staff
HOUS TON - Tike a well-tuned Jaguar,
the Texas A&M men’s basketball team was
hitting on all the right cylinders Saturday
night. And unfortunately for Rice, junior
guard Lynn Suber was the Aggies’ driving
force.
Suber came oft the bench and, behind a
flurry of three-point shots in the first hall,
led A&M to a 1 OS-95 victory over Rice in
front of a fren/ied crowd of 3,157 at Autry
Court.
The win gives the 13-15 Aggies sole posi
tion of sixth place in the Southwest Confer
ence with a record of 6-8. The Owls
dropped to 11-14, 5-9 in SWC play.
Their victory ovet the marks the first
time since 1978 that the Aggies have had
back-to-back 100 point games.
Last week, A&M scored 100 points in a
114-100 loss to Arkansas.
Suber hit four-of-five three pointers in
the first hall and shot over 70 percent f rom
the field to lead the Aggies with 26 points.
A&M coach John Thornton said the Ag
gies could credit their win to Sober s first-
balf shooting as well as A&M’s perimeter
offense.
“We survived with Suber in the f irst ball,
along with overall good perimeter shoot-
ing,”Thornton said.
Suber wasn’t the only Aggie to shoot well
from three-point range. A&M tied a SWC
record for number of three-pointers in a
game with 12. Three other Aggies nailed
treys to pace A&M in the first half.
Freshman guard Brooks Thompson shot
50 percent from three-point lange, going
2-for-4, while junior guard Freddie Ric ks
A&M center David Harris is fouled by Rice gaurd D’Wayne Tanner in Sat
urday’s 103-95 win. The victory gave A&M sixth place in SWC standings.
was 100 percent accurate, hitting two three- Senior point guard Tony Milton, who
pointers. ended the evening with 25 points, added
three treys of his own. But i|, was the play of
Suber that paced the Aggies.
Milton credited Suber with sparking
A&M’s phenomenal first half performance.
“Suber came off the bench and was light
ing the scoreboard up,” Milton said. “That
got the rest of us in the flow and we were
able to start running more. Suber was just
unbelievable in the first half.”
The Aggies as a unit were unbelievable in
the first half against Rice.
With nine minutes left in the first half.
A&M, sparked by back-to-back three-point
ers from Suber, started a run that would
put the Aggies up by 20 points at halftime.
“X
I hmgs are clicking
defensively as well as
offensively and I can anticipate
us having that kind of effort and
doing that kind of stuff.”
— John Thornton,
A&M coach
A&M outscored Rice 24-9 in the last nine
minutes. Rice coach Scott 1 hompson said it
was a deficit the Owls just couldn’t close.
“We got in a hole we just couldn’t climb
out of,” Thompson said. “A&M’s had two
really good games against us. 1 don'i know
if we let them have those two games or
whether they just got on a roll offensively.
“They were just really hot tonight. Every
thing they were throwing up seemed to go
in tonight.”
Rice wouldn't roll over and die in the sec
ond half though. Behind freshmen Scot
Tynes, Marvin Moore and Brent Scott, the
Owls mounted a stunning comeback.
Down 23 points with 12:50 left to play,
Rice outscored A&M 36-18 to pull to within
five points with just over two minutes to
play. The Ow ls sunk two three-pointers and
were helped by Aggie fouls on both.
After completing the shot, senior for
ward David Harris fouled Moore and Rice
retained possession. Scott followed up on
Moore’s shot with a layup and closed the
gap to 15 points.
Seven minutes later, Moore was fouled
by Ricks after hitting his fifth trey and went
to the line to shoot two free throws. Moore
hit botli and cut A&M’s lead to five, 92-87.
Rice senior guard D’Wayne Tanner set a
record for career steals against the Aggies.
His four steals pushed his career steals to
283 to surpass Baylor’s Michael Williams
mark of 282.
Tanner said although he was excited
about the record, the loss was heartbreak
ing.
“If we play like we did in that comeback
stretch throughout the whole game, we get
a victory,” Tanner said. “When l gel old, I'll
look back at tonight and be happy (with the
record), but right now I’m just upset with
the loss."
A&M shot 50 percent from the field and
57 percent from the three-point range, but
it was the Aggies’ free throw shooting that
saved them from Rice’s dramatic comeback
attempt.
A&M converted 1 1 of its 15 free throws
in the final two minutes to extinguish any
hopes the Owls had of a victory. The Aggies
shot 71 percent from the free-throw line.
Thornton said he was pleased with
A&M’s performance, and that the Aggies
were poised for the SWC tournament.
“I thought for 20 minutes we played
really well,” Thornton said. “The first two
minutes of the second half we were a little
tiled and slow getting out ol the blocks, but
once we got going Tony was able to push
the ball upcourt and get some easy shots on
the transition.
“We’re working well well in practice and
the guys are enjoying it. Things are clicking
defensively as well as offensively and 1 can
anticipate uis having that kind of effort and
doing that, kind of stuff. I don’t know if
we’re going to win all our remaining games,
but we’re going to play that way.”
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Cowboys having problems
trading quarterback Walsh
IRVING (AP) — 1 lit Dallas Cowboys
have found little inftYest in quarterback
Steve Walsh on the trade market and
may be forced to keep him for another
season, officials with the Cowboys and
other NFL teams say.
When the Cowboys selected Walsh in
the supplemental draft last July, Dallas
owner Jerry Jones and coach Jimmy
Johnson said Walsh was a “franchise
quarterback.”
Jones vowed the team would be able
to recoup at least the value of the 1990
first-round draft choice they forfeited to
get Walsh after going 1-15 last season.
‘ But the Cowboys have been testing
the market for Walsh, and so far only
San Francisco and Minnesota have ex
pressed more than a passing interest in
him, The Dallas Morning News re
ported.
A’ Vikings official said Friday they
have not talked to the Cowboys about
Walsh since they tried to make him a
part of the restructured Herschel
Walker deal last month.
Another Cowboys source said team
officials have notified Walsh that he
could be with the team another season
and that Walsh is upset about that possi
bility, the newspaper said.
“He’ll go crazy if that happens,” the
source said.
So might Troy Aikman, the Cowboys’
No. 1 draft pick in 1989 and $1 1 million
starting quarterback. Several sources
said despite public images of harmony,
Walsh and Aikman rarely speak to each
other.
“It w ill be brutal around here if Walsh
stays,” one player told The Morning
News. “T roy and Steve don’t get along at
all.”
But Johnson, who coached Walsh at
the University of Miami, sounded enthu
siastic about Walsh being on the roster
for another season.
“Oh yeah,” Johnson said. “We re ap
proaching it that way, rather than say ing
he might not be here.”
Jones, who said there are “between
three and five teams” interested in
Walsh, concurred with his coach.
“Not only might we keep him, we
would like to keep him,” Jones said. “I
am even more convinced now that he
will be an outstanding NFL. player.”
Johnson said he did not expect there
to be much interest in Walsh until after
March 22, the deadline for college ju
niors to declare for the draft.
Walsh’s trade value could be hurt if Il
linois’Jeff George and Houston’s Andre
Ware declare for the draft.
“We probably won’t know much more
fora month.” Johnson said.
The 49ers have offered cornerback
Tim McKyer and running back Ter
rence Flagler for Walsh, an NFT source
said.
“If they can get Flagler and McKyer,
they should run with it,” an NFL general
manager told the newspaper. “They’re
not going to get more than that, and
those guys can play.”
Johnson said he has turned down
deals, including one reportedly from
Kansas City that would have brought a
package of players and draft picks for
Walsh.
Negotiations stalled
ehr, O’Connor play waiting game
n baseball arbitration talks
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Fehr and
tuck O’Connor didn’t have much to say to
8choilier Sunday, leaving just one. day be
fore baseball talks take a break that threat-
■osthe start of the season April 2.
Fehr, as promised, spent the 1 1th day of
spring training lockout at his home in
tturban Rye Brook, N.Y., waiting by the
ffibhone for owners to change their stance
^salary arbitration eligibility. In the eve-
Jing. te went to his office in Manhattan to
Prepare for Tuesday’s meeting of the
foion’s executive board.
Fehr said he spoke on the telephone with
tflmmissioner Fay Vincent and O’Connor,
taiagement’s chief negotiator, but said it
'as 'nothing much.”
“Some ‘How you doings?’ ‘Got any ideas?’
fepe.’ ‘None,’ stuff,” Fehr said.
“Somebody called me this morning and
^ed if I had any bright ideas,” Fehr said
tarlier, without identifying the caller. “I
aid said, ‘No.’”
O'Connor and his staff were at the Player
Relations Committee offices four blocks
away, preparing for Monday's 3()th nego
tiating session — possibly the last chance an
agreement can be reached that w'ould allow
the season to open on time.
Fehr said he will leave New York on
Monday night for a meeting of the union’s
executive board the following day in Phoe
nix. He said he will then travel around the
country and possibly not return to New
York until March 5.
Since players need between three and
four weeks of spring training before the
season and owners have scheduled their
owm meetings in Dallas on March 6-8, going
past Monday threatens opening day.
Vincent spent Sunday at his home in
Greenwich, Conn., and then returned to
New York lor Monday's meeting. Vincent
has said over the last week that he w as pessi
mistic about an agreement being reached
quickly.
Hill’s clutch free throws propel
Lady Ags to 74-69 OT win over Rice
Photo by Jay Janner
A&M forward Yvonne Hill goes up for a shot against Rice center Robin
Castell. Hill later sank two free throws to send the game into overtime.
Injured Herner
hurts self again
By NADJA SABAWALA
Of The Battalion Staff
HOUSTON - Neither the rowdy crowd
nor the incessant timeouts could shake the
concentration of junior guard Yvonne Hill
-as the Texas A&M women’s basketball team
pulled out an overtime win over the L,ady
Owls, 74-69 Saturday night.
In front of a crowd of 435, the Lady Ag
gies raised their record to 16-9 overall and
8-6 in Southwest Conference play, while the
L.ady Owls dropped to 6-19, 3-12.
Hill led A&M with 16 points and was
five-of-six from the line, including two
shots in the final second of regulation time
Women’s Standings
ream
SWC Record
Arkansas
14-1
Texas
13-1
Texas Tech
9-S
Texas A&M
8*6
Houston
8-6
TCU
See
7-7
. 3-12
SMU
2-12
8aytor
: :
0-14
to send the game into overtime.
A&M coach Lynn Hickey praised Hill
and said she was confident in her abilities.
“If there’s anybody you want to get the
ball in their hands at the end of the game,
it’s her, especially at the free throw line,”
Hickey said.
Rice forward Yalonda Stiner connected
for a game-high 20 points. A&M center
L,ouise Madison, guard Sheri Dillard, for
ward Dena Russo and Rice center Robin
Castell all tied with 11 points apiece.
Lady Aggie junior center Louise Mad
ison fouled out with :44 remaining in regu
lation while junior forward Dianne DeCree
fouled out with 1:43 elapsed in overtime.
“At the end, 1 think everybody needs to
realize we were playing with three of our
starters out and without our two centers
and our point-guard, ’ Hickey said.
A&M senior point guard L.isa Herner
was on reserve with a knee injury but was
brought in to help in the last few minutes of
the game.
Herner left the game with 1:22 remain
ing in overtime after hurting her knee.
“Heritor gave us a lift and she made
some good passes and that got us back into
the game and into overtime,” Hickey said.
“I just hope she didn't get hurt a lot worse
this time, we need her.”
Throughout the first half, Rice and
A&M kept close to each other, as the lead
shifted eight times and tied nine.
Hill dominated the first half, and by half
time already had 12 points, going three-of-
four at the line and four-of-five from the
field.
The Lady Aggies led at the half. 37-32.
A&M returned from the lockerroom and
tried to pull away from the Lady Owls with
a seven-point lead, 41-34, with-18:32 left in
the ( game.
But Rice slowly gained back the lead the
Lady Aggies had, and went ahead 58-57
with 5:23 remaining.
The Lady Owls seemed to have the win
as they led 65-50 as the seconds dwindled
down, but they couldn’t connect on three of
four free throw tries.
Russo scored from inside to pull within
one point, but junior forward VVendy Jen
nings fouled Stiner and Rice had a point
advantage, 65-64.
With :13 left. Hill fouled Stiner, who
made one of two free throws and the Lady
Owls led 66-64.
Hill was fouled with only one second re
maining and had to make two shots to pull
the game into overtime.
In hopes of breaking her concentration,
Rice took a timeout before the first shot,
and two more before the second. It didn’t
matter — she made all of them, sending the
game into overtime with a 66-66 tie.
“It just took a little bit of prayer,” Hill
said. “Those timeouts didn’t really bother
me, I just thought about what to do.”
Lady Owl coach Mike Dunavant said,
“The game was ours in regulation, we
shouldn’t have let it go into overtime, that
was our loss."
Lady Aggies' sophomore guard La Lanya
Irving had four points in overtime to help
pull off the victory.