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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1995)
Thursday * March 2, 1995 The Battaeion • Page;? SMU outscores Lady Aggies, 80-67 Jennifer McLaughlin scored high 21 points while Kim Brungardt hit for 18 as the Southern Methodist Mustangs best the Texas A&M Lady Aggies 80-67 Wednesday night at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. Lisa Branch led the Lady Aggies with 17 points followed by Lana Tucker with 13 and Martha McClelland with 10. Texas A&M took a 30-27 lead at halftime but were outscored 53-27 in the second half. The Mustangs move to 18-8 overall and 9-5 in Southwest Conference play. The Lady Aggies fall to 17-8 and 8-5. Rockets’ Horry back on injured list HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Rockets forward Robert Horry, off the injured list less than a week, is expected to miss up to two more weeks because of an aggravated back problem. The team said Wednesday that Horry had been diagnosed as having an inflamed facet joint on the left side of his lower back. Rockets officials were to make a decision on Horry’s roster status on Thursday, but his rehabilitation was expected to last between 10 days and two weeks. The third-year forward left Monday's victory over Cleveland after falling in the third quarter. Horry was reactivated Feb. 23 after spending five games on the injured list with a strained back. Big 12 officials work for revenue agreement KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Big 12 officials ended a two-day discussion Wednesday feeling much better about the touchiest issue facing the new super conference. “I don’t think it will be as much of a problem as I thought it would be before this meeting,” said Bob Bockrath of Texas Tech, chairman of a special subcommittee studying revenue distribution. "It has the potential to be very divisive when you start talking about sharing people’s money.” Subcommittees studying a host of issues submitted their reports to athletics directors and primary women’s administrators, most without making any final recommendations. The Big 12, which begins competition in 1996-97, hopes to reach final decisfbns on most issues at a lengthy meeting in May. From the time the 12 schools first started talking about pooling their resources, they fretted over getting everybody to agree on how to split up their money. "We developed some different revenue-sharing models,” Bockrath said. “It would be fair to say some models were accepted better than others. But at the same time, it helped define a little bit better what we need to do in terms of coming to a final proposal.” Aggie 8 slide past Mustangs, finish 9-2 at home □ Wilbert's offense and McGinnis' defense lead A&M past SMU. By Kristina Baffin The Battalion In their last game at G. Rollie White Coliseum, the seniors on the Texas A&M men’s basketball team (13-15, 6- 7) came through with big numbers to propel the Aggies to a 67-64 victory over Southern Methodist University (6- 19, 2-11) last night. “We cherish this last game at G. Rol lie,” senior forward Joe Wilbert said. “Seeing your parents in the stands and having the fans there was great for support. I’m glad we could go out as winners.” The Aggies started out slowly at the start of the game and fell behind by as many as six before closing out the half behind 32-31. “We had some really bad shots in the first half,” A&M coach Tony Barone said. “But this was a typi cal seniors night. A lot of the emotion was let out before the game.” Stopping the Mustangs on the inside was a problem for the Aggies in the first half. “They (SMU) changed their offense (from the last time A&M and SMU played),” freshman guard Kyle Kessel said. “They didn’t run as much. They were more patient with the ball. They made us work thirty seconds on "I thought the key to the game for us was Tony McGinnis. He did a marvelous job of defense against Troy Matthews." — Tony Barone, Head basket ball coach defense all night and that makes you tired.” At the beginning of the second half, three-pointers by senior guard Corey Henderson and Kessel helped put the Aggies in the lead 39-36. After taking a 47-45 advantage with 10:53 to play, the Aggies never relinquished the lead. “In the second half we stopped dou ble teaming the pick and roll for a while,” senior guard Tony McGinnis said. “Then when we started to double team it again we took away some baskets.” SMU had one last chance to tie the game with a three-pointer with five seconds left but guard Jemeil Rich’s shot bounced off the rim. “This was a heartbreaker for us tonight,” Rich said. “We have lost so many and to let this one get away, that hurts. We really felt we could win this one.” Mustang guard Troy Matthews, who was averag ing 15.9 points a game, managed only eight against the Aggies. “I thought the key to the game for us was Tony McGinnis,” Barone said. “He did a marvelous job of defense against Troy Matthews. I think Matthews is one of the top three guards in the con ference and he’s always very enthusi astic when he plays us.” Wilbert led all scorers with 26 points and Kessel had a career-high nine rebounds. “This was not a pretty game, but it was a win,” Barone said. “We set out to win our last three, and now we’ve won two. Now we have a tough game against Baylor on the road.” Senior guard Tony McGinnis pulls down a SMU Wednesday. Roger Hsieh/THE Battalion Tony McGinnis drives into the lane Wednesday in G. Rollie White Coliseum. Five A&M players honored in pre-game ceremony □ The seniors win their last game at G. Rollie White. By Tom Day The Battalion They went out in style. Playing their final home basketball game at G. Rollie White Coliseum Wednesday night, five Aggie seniors said good-bye to their fans in thrilling fashion, holding off SMU 67-64. “To us, it was real special,” guard Corey Henderson said. “This is our last game we’re going to play here together as a team and we just wanted to win it.” Prior to tipoff, seniors Tony McGin nis, Damon Johnson, Joe Wilbert, John Jungers and Henderson were honored by head coach Tony Barone and the 2,882 fans present. In the pregame cer emony, Barone presented plaques to the five seniors and their parents. After the game, Barone said the players deserve credit for turning around a once struggling, probation stricken program. “The seniors in this program haven’t received the credit they deserve,” Barone said. “Damon, Corey and Tony McGinnis have gone through four years of college basketball in what I would call a disaster situation. “But they have slowly changed the program from one that had absolutely no respect to one that if you’re going to play vis, you’re going to have to beat us.” Three of Wednesday’s honorees accom plished this season what few other play ers can boast. Wilbert, McGinnis and Johnson became only the third trio in Southwest Conference history to each hit the 1,000 career point plateau in the same season. Wilbert accomplished the feat in just two years, only the third Ag gie to do so. “People complain a lot about the crowds we get and that we need more support,” Johnson said. “But, we had the same fans out here when we were 6- 22 our freshman year, all the way through last year when we were 19-11 and through this year. “They came night in and night out and as seniors we want to thank them for their support and believing in us.” Barone said he was more impressed with what the five seniors accomplished off the court. “I have a tremendous amount of re spect for them,” Barone said. “McGinnis, Wilbert and Henderson are all going to graduate in August while Johnson and Jungers are going to graduate in May. “I know my contract is (based on) wins and losses. But, as far as my own personal contract, it’s a lot more impor tant to me to see these guys walk out the door in August.” rebound in A&M’s 67-64 win against UM Terrapins battle for victory over Duke DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Joe Smith scored a career-high 40 points, including the game-winning follow at the buzzer Wednesday night, as No. 6 Maryland survived the absence of coach Gary Williams to post a 94-92 victory over Duke. Maryland (23-5, 12-3 ACC) set a school record for Atlantic Coast Conference victories and moved the Terrapins within one win of their first regular-season league crown since 1980. A victory Sunday at No. 11 Virginia would clinch the crown and give Maryland the No. 1 seed in next week’s ACC tournament at Greensboro, N.C. Foot-stomping Billy Hahn, holding back tears during his postgame comments, got the victory as interim coach after Williams was admitted to the hospital Tuesday with pneumonia. The game featured 14 ties and 26 lead changes and big play after big play by Smith, who atoned for a season-low six points in Maryland’s earlier two-point win over Duke (12-16, 2-13) at College Park, Md. Line should be drawn between desire to win, physical health H CCT T e wanted to be a -champi on.” There is no doubt that boxer Gerald McClellan wanted to be a champion said his coach. Bill Miller. The problem is, he may never get to be one after his fight for* the World Boxing Council super-middleweight championship on Saturday night against Nigel Benn in London. The 27-year-old McClellan, an American, collapsed in the 10th round due to massive head injuries. He was rushed to a local hos pital where a large blood clot was removed from his brain. He remains in critical but stable condition. Benn is con sidering retiring from the sport, while McClel lan’s decision may have al ready come. McClellan’s fight is no longer in the ring, it’s against his body as he lies fighting for every breath. The reality of defeat is some times hard to bear, but when in the face of death in victory’s pursuit, the desire to live should surpass the desire to win. Where is this line between the desire to win and the reality of death? For McClellan, that answer lies unconscious on a respirator. No one wins in this match. So the blame could be placed on the officials for not stopping the match before Mc Clellan’s collapse, or Nigel Benn for his fighting style or on the doctors for their in sufficient treatment. The finger pointing should go to none of the above. The blame should rightfully belong to society’s idea that losing can not be tolerated. Everywhere the idea that winning at any cost is accept able. Sports commercials, bill boards, newspapers and maga zines bombard their audiences with various “never say die” an tics to appeal to the competitive hunger inside sports fans. Now, some may “knock” box ing for its sometimes brutal matches, but, in any sport, the “no pain, no gain,” theory died with the dinosaurs. The victor cannot stand in true honor at the end of a match when their opponent is facing death. Nobody wins. Meanwhile, neurosurgeon John Sutcliffe who performed the operation on Gerald McClel lan to remove the blood clot said it was clear when McClellan hit the mat, something was wrong. No, something has been wrong for a long time in sports everywhere. McClellan will truly be victo rious if he lives through his per sonal battle for life. The sport of boxing will go on and the desire to win will probably never die, but ques tions must be asked when the possibility of death becomes a real contender. A tragedy will occur if Mc Clellan, in his bid to win the WBC super-middleweight fight, loses his life. People will per haps label him as a martyr, one who died for something he be lieved in. Now that will be the ' true tragedy. Maybe the new phrase sports fans should adopt is “winning is n’t everything.” Perhaps they will as they con tinue to await the final decision of the match, life or death. While the victory in the ring may be lost, victory can still be attained in the hearts of sports fans everywhere. Accept losing as something that strengthens and builds true champions who can face reality. Only then will there be true champions. Meanwhile, McClellan lies awaiting his final decision in the last round. Thursday TOY SUBS Live @ 10:00 $2. pitchers 8-10 p.m. Friday CRAWFISH 6 - ? Peeping Tom Live @ 10:00 $1.50 Chugger • .750 Bar Drinks 8 - 10 p.m. STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS: GENERAL INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS WANT TO BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE AND MARKETABLE...STUDY ABROAD Come by one of our weekly meetings held every Friday at 11:00 (room number will be posted outside of 161 Bizzell Hall West) where we will answer questions including: How do I plan a Study Abroad? When should I Study Abroad? What about Financial Aid? - and more - Study Abroad Programs *161 Bizzell Hall West • 845-0544 THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Set .75$ Bar Drinks and $1. Big Beer (32 oz.) from 8 'til 10 p.m