The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, January 26, 2000, Image 9

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    SPORTS
Wconesclay. January 26,2(XX)
THE BATTALION
Page 9
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Aggies travel to face Cyclones
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SALLIE TURNER/l'Ht BatiaI.ION
sophomore guard Andy Leatherman drives against Oklahoma State
guard Doug Gottlieb Saturday in the Aggies’ win.
BY JASON LINCOLN
The Battalion
Bernard King has never become accustomed to
losing. As the Texas A&M basketball team’s leading
scorer, the freshman guard has all the ingredients to
lead the Aggies to wins.
Most recently, he put up 17 points and nine re
bounds in A&M's w in over No. 12 Oklahoma State
University earning ESPN.com “Freshman of the
Week” honors.
I lowever, one opponent — Iowa State forward
Marcus Fizer has had King’s number since their
days playing as best friends and high school rivals.
Tonight the two will face offin their first NCAA
pairing as the Aggies take on the Cyclones in Ames,
Iowa at 7.
The Aggies hope that King and the rest of the
freshmen line-up can make up the difference that has
seen A&M lose by nine or more points in all three
games of the series between the schools.
This season’s Iowa State team looks to be the
biggest challenge yet in the series, as the Cyclones
are 16-3 with only one conference loss at the hands
of No. 18 Oklahoma.
In addition to their impressive start, ISU has won
14 straight games in Hilton Coliseum, without a
home loss since February of 1999.
“Iowa State may be playing as well as any team
in our league right now,” A&M coach Melvin
Watkins said. “They play very solid basketball and
don’t hurt themselves with mistakes.”
Texas A&M (6-10; 2-3) has made major steps in
“It'sgoing to be tough ...
they're really well
coached and we're go
ing to have to play well
to beat them.”
— Larry Eustachy
Iowa State men's basketball coach
improving its game since conference play started
with wins against Texas Tech and OSU. The Aggies
only conference losses have been to three ranked op
ponents.
“It’s going to be tough. They’ve already won on
the road against Texas Tech and they beat Oklahoma
State,” ISU coach Larry Eustachy said. “They’re re
ally well coached and we’re going to have to play
well to beat them.”
Just like every other matchup the two have
played in, Fizer and King continue to dominate the
court for their respective teams.
It started in southern Louisiana where the two
players were making waves as two of the hottest bas
ketball prospects to come out of the “bayou state.”
King was a young star at Coleman High School in
Gibsland, La., while Fizer was controlling the courts
in nearby Arcadia.
Fizer, two years King’s senior, led Arcadia to
dominate the rivalry and eventually win a state
championship.
When Fizer went on to ISU, the door was open
for King to control the courts, leading Coleman to
its own state championship while earning'
Louisiana’s “Mr. Basketball” honors.
Since Fizer’s transition into collegiate competi
tion. King has been waiting to get a little payback on
his best friend.
“They usually won those games,” King said
about their high school competition. “We only got
them one time. Now we have to go out and get him
in college since he beat me so much in high school.”
Getting past the ISU star will not be an easy task
for King and the Aggies.
Fizer has dominated his match-ups with the Ag
gies, posting two double-doubles in the two meetings.
This season, Fizer has pushed his game to a high
er level. The junior is averaging over 20 points and
seven boards to lead the Cyclones.
“Marcus Fizer is playing at a level where his
See Cyclones on Page 10.
snth apo 141.'
araac 12t-
A&M women look to end five-game losing streak
BY BLAINE DIONNE
The Battalion
^Kevengc is a dish best served cold and if the
.hoLtfu: Jems A&M women's basketball team has anything to
(was, do with it. it will be served up nice and frosty this
^vetting at 7 pin. at Reed Arena to the University oft )k-
.-J nr lahoma.
i I S. bvv jwo weeks ago. the Aggies visited Norman and
x-Topx? 'were rudely received by the Sooners with a re-
mucv,*v souhding 87-59 defeat that, according to head
;k>sca£toti r 2 0a lh Peggy Gillom, was not as bad as it looked
; • C / .m paper.
^Dur kids had the shots, but things just weren't go-
or behind the.?
k. which
ttv
e tonfic
mg good for us,” Gillom said. “We were in the game for
most of the first half, but they [Oklahoma] blew it open
n buted the
mers to a con flic,
uinpleyrncnuto
uul low mflSk'n
stock make! cook
x weaken and consi
pending.” he saxl
umusts caution h 1 -
inmiv’s heavy rdiai
tiding can be is
• sentiment can bes
sen factors suchufi
sudden changes*:
,. like a tax inercas
• t , r -fightibefore the half.”
Bowing a game right before the half is a phrase
that could also be used to describe the Aggies’ sea
son thus far.
After opening up the year by reeling off 11 wins in
13 games, the Aggies have hit a losing skid they have
not been able to shake in the last five games. To make
matters worse for the team, all of the losses were against
conference foes.
But Gillom says that the conference struggle is not
a trend that w ill last much longer.
"I don't think the girls are really down,” Gillom said,
“because 1 am a confident person and I always teach
them, ‘This too shall pass.’”
Saying it will pass is one thing, but actually getting
it to pass is another.
According to Gillom, the first step in getting through
this current losing streak was her team's second half
shooting performance against a strong University of
Nebraska team in Lincoln last Saturday.
In that game, Gillom said her ballplayers rediscov
ered two essential ingredients for winning basketball
games.
"With the game against Nebraska, 1 think they found
their shooting touch and their confidence,” Gillom said.
“That was a game that I think we could have easily won,
but because of unforced turnovers or a shot here or there
or a missed assignment, we weren't able to pull it out.”
Gillom is not the only member of the women’s bas
ketball team that is confident they can turn their season
back in the right direction. Sophomore guard LaToya
Rose said that the team is eager to get back on the court
to prove that the loss to Oklahoma was a fluke.
"Oklahoma is a good team, but when we played against
Oklahoma, we had a lot of mistakes,” Rose said, “so if we
can correct those mistakes, it’s anybody’s game.”
See Streak on Page 10.
JP BEATO/Tm Battalion
Texas A&M freshman forward Meg Banahan looks to inbound the ball
in the Aggies early season win over Sam Houston State.
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