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Sports
The Battalion Page 1B • Thursday, February 20, 2003
RANDAL FORD • THE BATTALION
A&M forward Keith Bean works for a rebound against Iowa State. The
Aggies won the game on Wednesday.
Aggies dominate Iowa State
By Dallas Shipp
THE BATTALION
It was an ugly first half, but the Aggies
rode the momentum of a 17-3 run with
11:05 remaining in the game on their way to
a 66-54 win over Iowa State Wednesday
night at Reed Arena.
A&M Head Coach Melvin Watkins said
defense was the key to the run.
“We stepped it up defensively,” he said.
“We started taking away the driving lanes and
that allowed us to rebound the ball better and
we got into our transition game. That’s what
we wanted to do.”
Despite solid shooting performances by
both teams, Iowa State led by one point in an
ugly first half of play.
Iowa State Head Coach Larry Eustachy
said he knew at halftime that his team was
not playing as well as they should.
“I knew (the lead) was short lived,” he
said. “1 told them at halftime if we play the
same way in the second half, we won’t win
the game. I was right.”
During the 17-3 run, senior forward Keith
Bean stole the ball near midcourt and passed
it off as he ran downcourt. Freshman forward
Antoine Wright dished it back to Bean under
the basket for a dunk, sending the crowd into
hysteria with 8:42 remaining in the game.
“Those are the kind of plays that can get
the team going and get the crowd excited,”
Watkins said.
Bean finished the night with 13 points and
10 rebounds, giving him his third double-dou
ble of the season and sixth of his career.
Bean joked afterward that his play has
improved since he injured his ankle.
“I just felt like I needed to pick my game
up,” he said. “1 (have) played a lot better
since I got hurt. I’m still hurt so I guess that’s
why I’m still playing good.”
Senior guard Bernard King led the Aggies
with 17 points.
Senior center Andy Slocum returned
to the Aggie lineup following a seven-
game suspension for steroid possession.
Earlier this week. College Station prosecu
tors reduced the charges to misdemeanors and
the University did not pursue the case.
Watkins and the team expressed their
excitement to have Slocum back in the lineup.
“I was glad he was playing tonight,” King
said. “Everybody makes mistakes. He knew
he made a mistake but he never meant to hurt
this team. He’s a good guy.”
Watkins said he talked to the team before
reinstating Slocum to the lineup and everyone
was supportive of Slocum.
“I deferred to the team to see how they felt
about it,” he said. “They had been on me to
get him back sooner. It made Andy feel spe
cial that the team embraced him even though
he made mistakes.”
In a written statement prior to the game,
Slocum apologized to fans, the University and
his team for the negative publicity his situa
tion caused.
The loss for the Cyclones was their 15th
straight loss on the road and drops their record
to 12-10 overall, 2-9 in Big 12 play.
Junior guard Tim Barnes said that he has
no answers for Iowa State’s lack of effort.
“We just weren’t physical enough today,”
he said. “We played harder in practice last
night then we did today in the game. It was a
lack of effort throughout the whole game. Our
coaches had more intensity than we did some
times during the game.”
Men’s tennis team visits USTA/ITA’s
By Jeff Allen
THE BATTALION
The No. 19 Aggie men’s tennis team will
head indoors to play the No. 5 Ole Miss
Rebels tonight as they begin the United
States Tennis Association/Intercollegiate
Tennis Association National Team Indoor
Tennis Championships in Louisville, Ky.
The Aggie men (5-3) are traveling to
Louisville thanks to an impressive showing
in preseason rankings released Jan. 13 by
IhelTA. The polls ranked the Aggies No. 13
in the nation, earning them a trip to the
Indoor Team Nationals for the second time
in the past three years. Each year the tour-
nment, suggested by many to be a preview
Iff the NCAA nationals held at the end of
the season, invites the nations’ top 13 teams
based on the ITA’s preseason poll. In addi
tion to the 13, the host school is allotted one
spot, along with two at-large spots that com
plete the 16-team field.
After opening the season with three
straight wins, the Aggie men began a slow
slide down the national polls that coincid
ed with a tough road schedule, and a small
bit of internal turmoil. The road schedule
included two games against national top
25 teams. Combined with another top 25
match at home, three of the first eight
matches for the team have come against
the nation’s elite.
“Our schedule is very challenging,” said
Head Coach Tim Cass, “and the tournament
makes it even more so. Our guys have got to
learn some lessons, and the best way to
learn them is through competition. It’s
going to force us to see where we are.”
A quick glance at the tournament
bracket proves Cass’ assessment of the
field, as nine of the nation’s top 10 teams
are represented, including two other Big
12 schools, Baylor and Texas. This is the
first time the Big 12 has had three schools
in the tournament.
A major concern this weekend will be
the indoor environment. So far this season
the Aggies have yet to play an indoor match
as a team. The speed of play has a tendency
to be much faster than outdoor tennis, which
is what the team plays and practices for the
vast majority of the season.
See USTA on page 3B
lUTSfl / ITA National Men's Team
niNIDlQlOlRl Hi I! Ui Nl S J , Hi IF* S
* Began in 1973
- A California team has won every title
since 1 983
- is looking to become the fifth
team to repeat as champions
Seeds (in order!:
No.1 UCLA
No. 2 Illinois
No. 3 Baylor
No. 4 California
No. 5 Mississippi
No. 6 Florida
No. 7 Stanford
No. 8 Duke
No. 9 Texas
No. 10 Kentucky
No. 11 Southern California
No. 12 Texas A&M
No. 13 Arkansas
No. 14 Georgia
No. 15 Harvard
No. 16 San Diego State
SOURCE: COLLEGE TENNIS ONLINE RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
2003
Ecological
Integration
Symposium
“Natural History and
Modern Conservation”
Texas A&M University
Presidential Conference Center
Saturday, February 22, 2003
Speakers:
Harry Greene, Hans Paerl,
Tom Sherry, Maureen
Stanton, Tom Swetnam
Free registration!!
2nd Annual
Spirit Weekend
Feb 21st -23rd **
Friday
Kick off @ Rudder Plaza Tl-lpm
Giveaways
$1 Raffle for a
A.
u cy
Ben Knox Print
01' Army Yell Practice after the UCLA game
Saturday
5k run/Sk walk 2-4pm
Benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley
Sunday
Cookies & Cocoa Reception
5-6:30 pm @Olsen Pavilion
Everyone is welcome!
Brought to you by the:
12IMAN
visit: wfscnettamu.edu
FOUNDATION