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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1998)
Comhuskers send Aggies to 12th consecutive loss, 75-58 By Jeff Webb Staff writer Two desperate teams faced off last night in G. Rollie White Coliseum, and Nebraska, who was winless in their last four games, easily defeated the Texas A&M Men’s Basketball Team, 75-58, in front of a largely silent home crowd. The Aggies only had eight scholarship players available for the game, a product of four season-ending injuries suffered by the team this year. The first five minutes of each half told the story of the game. Nebraska jumped out to an early 8-0 lead and held A&M without a field goal for the first six min utes of the game. Nebraska led A&M by six points at the half and came out of the locker room fired up. The Huskers reeled off nine straight points to build a 15 point lead that would continue to grow as the Ag gies could not find their shooting touch all game long. “The second half was not a pretty sight for us,” A&M Coach Tony Barone said. “We might be feeling sorry for our selves. That's not good. The coaches are not feeling sorry for themselves. I’m re ally disappointed if that’s the case.” Tyronn Lue probably hurt his bid for an All-Big 12 selection because, despite scoring 23 points, he shot a miserable 8- 17 and had six turnovers. “We might be feeling sorry for ourselves. That’s not good. The coaches are not feeling sorry for themselves.” Tony Barone Men's Basketball Coach Both teams had 21 turnovers each, and Nebraska outrebounded A&M 43-28 for the decisive underneath advantage. “They play so damn hard,” Nebraska Coach Danny Nee said. “Kansas State kicked our ass in rebounding. This is a tough place to play, no matter what the attendance is like. Winning on the road in the Big 12 is tough.” A&M shot 37 percent from the field for the game and continued their free- throw-shooting woes by going 8-15 from the line. One bright spot for Texas A&M was their three-point shooting. The Ag gies shot 54 percent from beyond the arc and hit five three pointers in the first half alone. Shanne Jones suffered a poor shoot ing night by going 3-8 from the field for only 10 points. Freshman Michael Schmidt had 15 points and hit 3 of 5 from three-point land. Brian Barone had a team-high nine assists. Coach Barone said that he will try to recruit some players from other A&M athletic programs in order to bolster the Aggies’ numbers going into their next game at Missouri. Players from the football team are the most likely candidates to fill roster spots for the Aggies. Barone said he would also have an announcement concerning a current Aggie player tomorrow. Transfer-mation Junior transfer Kim Tarkington has stepped in as the women’s point guard By Philip W. Peter Staff writer A point guard is a dribbler, a shooter and a pass er. She initiates the offense, sets the tone of the de fense and is then held responsible for her team’s performance. Her role is to be the glue that holds the team together. She will be die one who has all the pressure riding on her shoulders. So when Texas A&M was looking for a new leader, Coach Candi Harvey knew she could build her team around junior Kim Tarkington. She did not even have to look to another. Harvey said she knew she could form a rela- RYAN ROGERS/The Battalion Junior Kim Tarkington has stepped in well at point guard for the women’s team this season. tionship with Tarkington, a junior college transfer student, that would be beneficial to both of them. “The relationship between a head coach and a point guard has got to be special,” Harvey said. “She is an extension of me out there on the floor and there is a lot of pressure diat goes with that. At first, she would hardly even talk to me; she was so scared of me, but that has gready improved. We talk a lot about basketball and we talk a lot about my expectations. The more we do that, the better a player she is going to be.” Tarkington’s relationship with Harvey has not been her only meaningful one. She was recruited to come to A&M by a familiar friend. Texas A&M . Assistant Coach Tracy Lange was an assistant at Westark Community College while Tarkington was a freshman. When Lange left, she said she would be back for Tarkington. “We had a need for a point guard,” Lange said. “I knew her and obviously knew what she was and is capable of doing, and felt like she could help us tremendously. I probably started recruiting her the moment I found out I was going to come here to take this job.” “When she (Lange) said she was leaving, I did n’t believe her,” Tarkington said. “She said she was coming back to recruit me. Then I started getting letters and I said, ‘Oh my God, she really is.’” Harvey said that Lange’s part in the recruiting was the deciding factor in signingTai kington, aside from the players. “The campus visit is about people feeling comfortable with your players,” Harvey said, “and feeling like it’s home in all regards. From that standpoint, I thought our players did an ex cellent job, especially players that knew she would come in here and substantially cut into their playing time, but unselfishly wanted to con tinue to get good players.” But as nice as the players were, it was the op portunity that caught the attention of Tarkington. “Mainly what I was looking for as a ju-co transfer coming in as a junior was a starting spot,” Tarkington said. Southwest Missouri State had offered her an opportunity to compete with freshmen for their starting spot, but Harvey had other plans. “I talked to Coach Harvey and Coach Lange and they said ‘Yeah, you’ve got the starting spot be cause we need a point guard.’ Kentucky was out based on distance. There was no way that I could be that far away from home,” Tarkington said. Tarkington’s experience adjusting to Texas A&M has not been unlike that of any other junior college transfer. “I like the traditions,” Tarkington said. “At first, I didn’t really understand them, but now I’m start ing to get into it. The main thing is, I’m just amazed at how many people are in one class. At my ju-co we had 50 people, maybe. Now, I’m just worried about finding a seat.” All she has to worry about is finding a seat be cause she has already found her place on the team. '“Kim is well liked on our team,” Harvey said. “She is shy, but once you get to know her, she de velops real and true friendships. I know it has been awfully scary for her at times. But like every other kid, the longer she stays here, the more comfortable she gets.” It appears that the only place Tarkington feels even vaguely uncomfortable is behind the three- point line, where she is shooting 23 percent. “Right now, she’s having to live and die off of penetration,” Harvey said, “and in this league that’s not enough. You need to be a total player. In the off season, the time she spends in the gym working on her perimeter shooting is going to be huge for her. It’s not just about her being the best player she can be for Texas A&M, but also if she has dreams and aspirations of playing professional ball.” But whatever she decides, she has the support of her friends the coaches. “In the off season, we’ll talk to her,” Lange said, “and if that is her goal, she just needs to take the steps in that direction and put herself in a po sition to get that opportunity. I just hope that when she leaves here, she’s made the most of her ability as a player and made the most of her time academically and had a great experience. That will make it all worth while to me.” And apparently it will be worth while to Tarkington too. “If I can get in (to the WNBA or ABL) then I’ll go,” Tarkington said. “But right now, education is the most important thing because basketball won't always be there. I want to stay in basket ball, but if I can’t play, then I want to go into coaching. I think I should give something back and teach someone else.” April 4 th is one of your last chances ever to take the Paper & Pencil GRE! Don’t miss your chance to prepare with the GRE experts. Classes are filling fast, so call today and find out why more than 3 million students have chosen Kaplan to help them score higher. Classes start February 18th! 1 - 800-KAP-TEST www.kaplan.com "ORE is a registered trademark of the Educational Testing Service. an m engineer when yog need one? INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION EPF SUMMER STUDY PROGRAM FRANCE SUMMER II 1998 Get credit for Engineering Courses, study famous European Structures, and travel through France. What better way to spend your summer! Don't miss out, it's not too late to sign up! For information contact: hursday • February BRANDOS: Jbisll Junior Shanne Jones had an off night scor 10por ?s,$ ' Aggie Sports Bi from staff s /ire reports A&M double-dips Southwest! The Texas A&M Softb swept a doubleheader ag Southwest Texas State Tuesday, winning 4-0 and strong pitching and timely In game one, A&M fi pitcher Ashley Lewis thre plete game shutout, g three hits, striking out only walking one. Aggie third baseman Whalen went 2 for 4, scoi and drove in a run, and I er Stephanie Trumbull wt 2 with an RBI. ainst tl Bobca vmg up in game two, A| my Vining threwi ings to pick up the ig way to freshman ara, who cami Sophomore she mith and first bai 'ent a combined^ ig three runs ar iree. Designate: '^'i ole shee chippec 'i-asej ne-RBI performan: M Next for the Agg: jj| epsi-Cola Class.nteii ■ 1 ; 13-15. Reta l IT! lobile D No. 38 women 1 defeats No. 31 s tennis Houston SING By Al Lazarus Staff writer The Texas A&M Women’s Tennis Team passed its first big test of the season by defeating the University of Houston, 6-3, on a cool Wednes day afternoon at the Omar Smith Tennis Center. UH came into the match ranked No. 3 in the region, with the Aggies close behind them at No. 5. Playing No. 1 singles for the Ag gies and winning, 6-3, 6-2, was sophomore Lisa Dingwall. Also vic torious in singles play for the Aggies was senior Monica Rebolledo, sophomore Kathryn Scott and freshman Eva Marcial. Unlike the Aggie’s first two oppo nents this season, UH provided a strong challenge until the very end. Marcial said she had a feeling this would be a difficult contest. “I knew going into the match that it was going to be a tough one, so it was important for me to win, as well as everybody else,” Marcial said. Coach Bobby Kleinecke said he Studi MNISh SHL/| /VEEh stressed the impon&^i ij match to his playei took the court. “We talked about!* know when your be the one, youmigliiy ev it up a little bil, ai fcati some adversity,"Hefe w Heading into douhntly Aggies were up 4-2, iun. one out ofthreedoub n t c secure a victory.Ret ^ if nior Monica San .Miff | yo this by winning tl^ 01 ^ match, 8-6. Scott teamed up for anothff lory for the Aggies,8 ! j- Marcial said she thirty win over a higher-rai’ g ct n have other teams pay. at “Now they (othet g no] that just because wed; nedi] down to No. 38 (natiordditic mean we’re not good ted have always been go‘ rke te they will have torecof ,Unte The Aggie’s next it C | day against Louisiana^ J, sity in Baton Rouge. Come join Us In Saving the Lives Children in the Brazos Valley!! /v'ci n February 20-21, 1998 ^ # # i/jO/^tibio Duncan Dining Hall W UTS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Please call 268-3140! Benefiting G<)/ ** /l nun Questions about getting involved^ man| Call 268-3140