The Battalion
SPORTS 9
Wednesday, February 28,1990
Sports Editor Richard Tijerina 845-2688
“Super ball”
would be no fun
for this golfer
S
ay, have you heard about
the one where the golf ball has wings on
it?
It’s true ... sort of.
A small golf company in Connecticut
has created a new, super ball that soars
like a jet, putts with the steady roll of a
cue ball and bites the green on approach
shots like a dropped cat from 50 feet in
the air.
Or so the advertisement for the ball
says.
“It’s too good to be true,” you say.
Well it’s not.
But how is this new invention going to
affect the game of golf? I mean it would
be a great advantage to the average
“hacker” who can throw a golf ball as far
as he can hit one, but what about the
golfers who can hit a ball over a mile
with their eyes closed?
One pro who tested the ball drove it
400yards, reaching the green on all but
the longest par-fours.
Well, we know one thing’s for
certain. This new, phenomenal golf ball
won’t be seen on the Professional Golf
Association Tour. It would allow a
golfer to turn a par four into a par three,
and real men don’t play par three’s.
Right, Amie?
Despite the long distance offered by
this ball, what will it do to the overall
competition of the golf game itself?
Picture if you will: Two golfers teeing
up at a par four, 400-yard hole.
“Care to make a friendly wager on
today’s round?” one player asks the
other.
“I don’t see why not. I feel pretty
good today.”
“You first, then,” he says.
So up steps Bob “Can’t Hit a Lick”
Jackson with his brand, spanking new
lime-green Titleist.
Whack!
“I told you I felt good today,” Jackson
exclaims.
Then Joe “Used To Be a Hacker
Before I Discovered This Super Ball”
Wilson reaches in his pocket and reveals
this ball from the Twilight Zone.
Smack!
“Oh, a hole-in-one. How ’bout that,”
Wilson triumphs, with a smirk on his
face.
Not too fair, is it? But I’m afraid this
See Snyder/Page 11
Ags, Cougars meet in
dunking
drama
“The Return of Phi Slama Jama ?...”
By CLAY RASMUSSEN
Of The Battalion Staff
Call it, “The Return of Phi Slama Jama,’’
but Texas A&M men’s basketball coach
John Thornton would rather call Wednes
day night’s show, “The Aggies Strike Back.”
A&M will try to exact some sweet re
venge on Houston at G. Rollie White Col
iseum Wednesday. In their last meeting,
the Cougars waxed the Aggies 108-90 at
Hofheinz Pavilion.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The 1989-90 Cougars are being com
pared with the 1982-83 team — a group
that was affectionately referred to as Phi
Slama Jama.
It consisted of current NBA stars Akeem
Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, Larry Mich-
eaux and Michael Adams. The 1982-83 and
83-84 Houston teams advanced to the
NCAA finals, only to lose to North Carolina
St. and Georgetown.
“This year’s club has the same kind of
athletic ability as Phi Slama Jama,” Thorn
ton said. “They don’t have Akeem, but
they’ve still got some great centers.”
Houston is blessed with two talented cen
ters this season. Junior Carl Herrera (aver
aging 15.2 points and 8.6 rebounds) is 6-
feet-9-inches tall and is effective filling up
the lane.
Thornton has developed a healthy re
spect for Herrera.
“Herrera might be the best player in the
league from top to bottom,” Thornton said.
“If he wasn’t the best junior college player
last year, he was in the top two.”
And if Herrera gets into any sort of trou
ble, junior sensation Alvaro Teheran is
close by to bail him out.
Teheran, a 7-foot-1-inch transfer from
Houston Baptist, dominates the defensive
boards.
The Cougars are by no means lacking tal
ent, and Thornton realizes the huge task
A&M faces Wednesday night.
“I think Houston can match up with any
body in the country,” Thornton said. “They
have a lot of big men that can run and
jump.”
The Aggies, 6-8 in the Southwest Con
ference, are coming off a 103-95 win
against Rice. Houston comes into College
Battalion file photos
Two shades of Phi Slama Jama. For
mer Houston center Akeem Olajuwon
(above) blocks former Aggie guard Al
Pulliam’s layup attempt in a Feb. 2,
1984 game at Hofheinz Pavilion. The
Cougars went on to reach the NCAA
finals against Georgetown. A&M’s
David Harris (right) has been slam
ming dunks all season for the Aggies
in 1990. He leads the team in dunks.
Station riding a nine-game winning streak.
They’re 10-3 in conference play and are
tied with Texas for second place in the
SWC.
“I think we started them off on their
streak,” Thornton said. “They kind of
rocked and rolled a little bit, up and down,
and then played us extremely well in Hous
ton. Now, they’re on a nine-game winning
streak.
“If you look around the country, how
many teams have won nine straight games?
There aren’t many.”
However, Thornton is still upbeat and
said he feels his team is on the brink of
making some big things happen.
The Aggies have had back-to-back 100-
point games, tied the SWC record for
three-point shots in a single game (12), and
have snot over 50 percent in their last two
See Phi Slama Jama/Page 11
Lady Cougars pounce on Lady Ags, 94-76
By NADJA SABAWALA
Of The Battalion Staff
Lady Cougars guard Jana Crosby racked
up a game-nigh 25 points as the Texas
A&M women’s basketball team lost to
Houston, 94-76 Tuesday night in G. Rollie
White Coliseum.
An Aggie crowd of 450 watched the Lady
Aggies’ nopes of a strong regular season
finish slip out of reach as their conference
record drops to 8-7 and 16-10 overall.
Sophomore forward Dena Russo came
off the bench to score a team-high 16 points
and six rebounds for the Lady Aggies.
Houston took command of the game
early with a 15-7 lead with 12:53 left.
“We didn’t act like we were ready to play
at the beginning of the game,” A&M coach
Lynn Hickey said. “Houston just pulled
ahead and made us play catch-up/’
The game became very physical with the
Lady Aggies trying to make up lost points.
A&M got its seventh team foul with 9:48
left in the half and the Lady Cougars
pounced ahead to a 31-14 lead.
The Lady Aggies appeared to have gath
ered some steam to end the half when they
went on a 11-2 run, signaled by a quick steal
and layup by freshman guard Yatisha Bo-
sha. Junior center Louise Madison followed
with an easy layup off a transition and
A&M seemed in the game.
“We had a good run at them and then we
made some cricial offensive mistakes,”
Hickey said. “Theyjust took advantage.”
The Lady Aggies ended the first half be
hind 43-28.
A&M began the second half well, and
both teams were on a close run, 12-13,
Houston. Then came the Lady Aggies’ foul
trouble.
Sophomore guard LaTanya Irving and
junior forward Diane DeCree each had
four fouls with 10:37 left in the game. Ju
nior center Louise Madison, who sat out
some of the game because of hyperventilat
ing at the end of the first half, eventually
fouled out with :59 left. Fouls allowed
Houston an easy 27 points with a 75 per
cent rate from the line.
A&M will face Texas Tech Saturday in-
G. Rollie White Coliseum at 2 p.m.
r
(fr&at fggaeg
c&e* Of( /ff America axcUate /VfU toitk Dav-ioi{.eCterma*/
0 ? e &. 2%, f 990
s4cccitt<vUutU'
J
s*snf # ai oei = Airr
STUDY ABROAD THIS SUMMER
AT WEST LONDON INSTITUTE
DATES: July 16 - August 6, 1990
CLASSES: Earn college credit in:
• History 105/Western Civilization
• Government 211/Comparative Politics
• English 202/British Literature
• Art 105/Survey of Art History
COST: $1925 (Deposit of $975 due by May 10)
Please contact David Wickham at (214) 333-8624 for more information.
MOUNTAINVIEWCOLLEGE
4849 W. Illinois Ave. • Dallas, Texas 75211 • Dallas County Community College District • An Equal Opportunity Institution