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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1990)
Page 10 The Battalion Monday, March 19,19! Texas advances to Sweet 16 with victoiy INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tra vis Mays’ two free throws with seven seconds left and a blocked shot by Guillermo Myers as time ran out lifted Texas to a 73-72 victory over No. 10 Purdue Sun day in the second round of the NCAA Midwest Regional. Mays grabbed his own missed shot and was fouled by Jimmy Ol- iveras as he went back up. Tony Jones, who missed a 3-point at tempt with 25 seconds left, then drove down the lane to find My ers, who swatted away Jones’ jumper. Texas will play the winner of Sunday’s second game between No. 8 Georgetown and No. 25 Xavier of Ohio in the regional semifinals at Dallas on Friday. The Longhorns (23-8), who trailed 56-47 with 12 minutes in the game, capitalized on missed free throws and turnovers. The Boilermakers (22-8) missed the front end of three straight one-and-one opportuni ties while the Longhorns inched back. A jumper by Joey Wright, who led the Longhorns with 20 points, gave Texas its first lead of the second half at 69-68. The teams exchanged leads three times before Mays, who had 16 points, made his free throws. Lance Blanks scored 19 points for the winners before fouling out with 1:47 remaining. Stephen Scheffler, who fin ished his career as the NCAA’s career-leader in field goal per centage, led Purdue with 18 points. But he was ineffective against the aggressive, physical Texas defense, making only 6 of 16 shots. Scheffler finished at .686, breaking the previous mark of .678 set by Oregon State’s Steve Johnson. Scheffler made two free throws to put Purdue ahead 72-71 with 1:4/ remaining. The Boilermak ers then seemed to have the vic tory when Mays dropped the ball and it went out of bounds with 1:22 left. Purdue was unable to get the ball inside before Jones put up his shot. Woody Austin scored 15 points for Purdue. Purdue, playing patiently on offense, led 35-33 at halftime fol lowing two free throws by Jones with 51 seconds remaining. Cremins and Bartow among candidates named to succeed Metcalf as Ags new head coach From Staff and Wire Reports The search for a new head coach of the Texas A&M men’s basketball program is narrowing down, accord ing to a story published in Sunday’s edition of the San Antonio Light. Texas A&M is considering Georgia Tech’s Bobby Cremins and Gene Bartow of Alabama-Birming- ham to replace interim coach John Thornton as the Aggies’ head coach, according to the report. Thornton replaced Shelby Met calf Jan. 22 after Athletic Director John David Crow relieved Metcalf of his coaching duties. Metcalf said that Crow had criticized him publicly and lashed out at the athletic director in a post-game interview after a loss to Arkansas, prompting his reassign ment. Thornton was 5-6 as the Aggies head coach and led them as the No. 6 seed in the Southwest Conference Post-season Classic in Dallas. A&M lost in the first round to the Univer sity of Texas. It was uncertain Friday whether Cremins or Bartow were the only two names on the Aggies’ list of can didates. Cremins said he had not yet been contacted by A&M officials. His team beat Louisiana State in the sec ond round of the NCAA Southeast Regional in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday. “I haven’t had an interview since I’ve been at Georgia Tech,” Cremins told the Dallas Times Herald. “And right now I plan to stay and am happy with the players I’ve got.” Sources told the Light that A&M Athletic Director John David Crow was interested in Bartow and Cre mins. Crow had reportedly left Col lege Station Friday to scout coaches at NCAA Tournament sites. But Crow has not asked for per mission to speak to Cremins, said Georgia Tech’s Homer Rice. The 42-year-old Cremins has turned Georgia Tech into a national power since takjng over eight years ago. The Yellow Jackets are 25-6 this season and won the Atlantic Coast tournament last week. Bartow, a 27-year coaching vet eran, was one of eight coaches to take two different schools to the Fi nal Four. Bartow’s 1973 Memphis State team finished runner-up to UCLA. Ags season ends with Tourney loss By CLAY RASMUSSEN Of The Battalion Staff DALLAS — The end of the 1989- 90 season was quick and merciful for the Texas A&M men’s basketball team. The Aggies were knocked out in the first round of the Southwest Conference Postseason Classic March 9 by Texas, 92-84, in front of a sellout crowd of 16,713 at Reunion Arena. The Longhorns, seeded No. 3 in the Tournament, brought the same style of run-and-gun offense that plagued No. 6 seed A&M all year. Texas pulled down 24 offensive rebounds and chalked up 29 points on putbacks. Longhorn forward Guillermo Myers had a career-high 16 rebounds and 15 points to pace Texas’ attack. “Everyone likes to label us as an offensive team,” Texas coach Tom Penders said. “It’s good for recruit ing because kids like to play for of fensive teams. “But our kids know how to play defense too. We got a lot of put- backs, and Myers’ work was very en couraging.” A&M coach John Thornton knew first hand that the Texas’ defense is up to par with its offense. “You have to give a lot of credit to Texas,” Thornton said. “They have an excellent team, and they did a great job defensively today. “So much is made of their offense, but they are really effective with their defense, too.” The Aggies finished their season 14-17 overall, 7-10 in SWC play. Thornton, who took over as interim coach after Shelby Metcalf was re lieved of his duties, said he expected the loss to be his last game as the Ag gies’ coach. “Looking at it realistically, this was my last game,” Thornton said. “It was an opportunity to go out and do the best I could.” Texas, who went on in the Tour nament to lose in the second round to Houston 89-86, earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Texas built a nine-point lead late in the first half by using a 1-3-1 zone to frustrate the Aggies. “We have been working on a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap to have an extra de fense, a surprise defense,” Penders said. “I feel like when you go into a tournament, you need a couple of cards up your sleeves that you didn’t have earlier in the year.” The Longhorns, who usually play man-to-man defense, used the 1-3-1 to extend a fragile four-point lead with just over two minutes left and closed out the half with an 8-2 run for a 48-37 lead. Texas, which shot a miserable 37 percent from the field, had to fight throughout the second half to thwart repeated A&M comebacks. But every time the Aggies put them selves in a position to tie the Long Photo by Phelan M. TEben»| A&M’s David Harris tries to block Texas’ Lance Blanks shot in the Aggies’92-84 lo^g March 9. horns, they committed crucial mis takes and turnovers. A&M cut Texas’ lead to six points three times in the second half, but that was as close as they would get to catching the Longhorns. - Senior point guard Tony Milton, who led A&M with 26 points, hurt the Aggies’ chances at a comeback in the second half after he was given a technical foul for taunting. A&M cut Texas’ lead to 54-68 af ter junior forward David Harris tipped in a short shot by junior guard Lynn Suber. The Aggies then forced a turnover, only to have Mil ton throw the ball out of reach oil wide-open Suber. Texas answered with a thref point shot and extended its leai A&M later cut a 16-point lead to"! 71 with just under seven minuteslti in the game, hut could get no closer You left to make your mark Now come home for the same reason. At Nippon Motorola Ltd., we know the pride you feel in your American academic achievements, and your desire to apply your skills in a sup portive environment when you return home. We are a wholly-owned sub sidiary of Motorola Inc, one of the world's leading manufacturers of communication systems, semi conductor devices, automotive and industrial electrical com ponents, and information systems equipment. As one of Japan's most highly respected American high-tech companies, our dynamic expan sion means we can offer Japanese students who have studied in the US. a number of summer intern ships in the US. and Japan. Full- (£K) MOTOROLA INC. time career opportunities in both technical and non-technical posi tions are available at our Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai and Aizuwakamat- su facilities, and require superior Japanese communication skills both written and spoken. MEET WITH US ON CAMPUS Thurs., March 22, 1990 Please contact your Placement Office for details. Ifyou are unable to meet with us while we are on campus, please send your resume to: Nippon Motorola Ltd., College Rela tions, 725 South Madison Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281, or call collect (602) 994-6394. An Equal Opportunity Employer. e m o Call 845-0569 The Advantage is yours with a Battalion Classified.