Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2004)
«JOS ove'i ant WE last wed 'Far fou 'f charge ' of twi attorney lid Love Kcauseol 'reasons, idge Lk lewarrani we bad for a pre d in com ma’am, :d if slie e, das plead- lossession sycodone liscovered Love was in Oct, ide an ex- 'here she idows, separately count ence of r of the 'idow )bain, h America lonth. She movies ry Flynf n.” eBlan( ygiri (AP)- Sports The Battalion Page 5 • Wednesday, February 18, 2004 Women take on No. 8 Kansas State By Brad Bennett THE BATTALION Texas A&M senior point guard Toccara Williams earned the Big 12 record for most steals 433 career steals, is second in assists with 689 and has scored 1,227 points in her career. She was named Big 12 player of the week Monday, in small part because she led the Big 12 in points and steals last week, while playing top teams. Williams has carried the A&M women’s bas- team (8-15, 1-11 Big 12) through a hard season and will be honored during the Aggie women’s basketball game versus No. 8 Kansas (19-3, 10-1) Wednesday with “Toccara Williams Appreciation Night” at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena. The A&M Athletic Department, 12th Man Foundation and others have joined together to offer Williams autograph cards, which she will be available to sign after the game, free coupons for Freebirds burritos, multiple cash prizes to campus organizations and free food to 12th Man Rewards members. A&M head coach Gary Blair said fans can turn the tide in basketball home games. "Our fans were great, and our team was pretty good,” Blair said. The Aggies will need the support as they take on their third straight opponent ranked in the top 10. “(Kansas) State is looking to hammer us because they have a chance to go into the top 5,” Blair said. “The Big 12 championship will be WM Sharon Aeschbach • THE BATTALION A&M senior guard Toccara Williams drives past Texas Tech sophomore forward Chesley Dabbs last Saturday, decided between Kansas State and Texas.” just want to outscore you,” Blair said. “It is sorta Blair said Kansas State is a strong offensive like the Dallas Mavericks; they play defense just team that will switch between defenses, including to hurry up and get to offense.” a 2-3 zone. “Offensively, they run their stuff so-well, they See Women on page 7 Aggie men’s tennis travels to Fort Worth By Jordan Meserole THE BATTALION The Texas A&M men’s tennis leam is going to need all the rest it can get before Wednesday, when it navels to Fort Worth to take on No. BTexas Christian University. The trip will mark the beginning of a 10-day stretch of five meets. Eluding three on the road for the 1MAggies (7-3). “This is going to be a pretty important week for our guys,” said A&M head coach Tim Cass. “This, thankfully, will be the last really tough road trip of the season.” The Aggies are familiar with the road at this point in the season, with six of their last seven matches being on the road. A&M played four ranked teams in that span, winning only one of those meets against then-ranked No. 12 California. Their only home game was last Sunday against Lamar, when the Aggies eas ily defeated the Cardinals, 7-0. The Aggies will first have to focus on beating longtime tennis giant TCU (3-0). Cass said the Horned Frogs have always pre sented a challenge regardless of their ranking. “We had a really tough match against them last year,” Cass said. “We’ve always seemed to have real similar teams; that makes for good matches.” TCU’s tennis program during the last 15 years has seen a men’s team ranked in the top 30, including a few top-5 rankings. TCU has been climbing the NCAA rankings recently, jumping first from 18 to 16 and to 13 this week. TCU head coach Joey Rive said he is glad to see his team’s recent success and hopes the success con tinues Wednesday. See Tennis on page 7 Aggies face No. 11 Texas By Troy Miller THE BATTALION Texas A&M’s men’s basketball team has lost 10 straight games, a low to which not many would have thought this talented group would fall. But along with being one of only seven NCAA Division I schools without a conference win comes the speculation of coaching changes. Usually with losses mounting, discontent reigns in the locker room, but A&M hasn’t shown anything other than frustration at not getting a win. “(A&M head coach Melvin Watkins’job sta tus) is something we talk about every day we walk into practice because we know that’s a reality in sports today when you’re losing,” said Watkins said. “We’ve had some situations where you’d think we were coming apart, but we’d sit down and talk about things in practice and get right back into the game plan.” When the Aggies (7-14, 0-10 Big 12) travel to the Frank Erwin Center in Austin to take on No. 11 Texas Wednesday at 8 p.m., two coaches on two completely different paths will face each other. Texas head coach Rick Barnes was hired six seasons ago to rebuild a Longhorn program that wasn’t quite in the doldrums of the Big 12 con ference, but it certainly was on its way after a 14-17 season, finishing 10th in the Big 12. Coincidentally, 1998-99 was Barnes’ and Watkins’ first seasons. Both were expected to take their basketball programs to the next level. Barnes made good on the expectations by turning the Longhorns into an elite college bas ketball team, reaching the NCAA Final Four in 2002-03. Watkins, on the other hand, has never fin ished above .500, 14-14 in 2002-03 and has never won a conference tournament game. “I walked into a situation where 1 had good players here, guys who had played and won,” Barnes said. “(Watkins) walked into a situation, and I can only tell you as an outside person. See Men on page 7 f him his wife, : arrival of d Feb, 8, com. The ina. :i in May. -enfroma LeBlanc pera actoi Kkheaded assion foi shov oniemade laracter is ” spin-i ets ►osal i me .p)-^ fits duii! game, hi f ones alsa game wit : a ring, icceptedi ring froii ds durins 1 theWesi East. n led A* ” day# d her ^ 2 View, li Bar# ieira, J 0 ! Elisa# 1 also is 1 Payless begun i rm. -id forfl □n tele' lie staiteo jdio - V d jy Sip came ■ident ft 1 y NeM ^son # ingf d her' Jones was naP and cp s Edi# When You Need It Most •Private Bathrooms Available ♦Apartments Near Campus An MJH (ommitf. fS JWniMMmiofSfflbc. COLLEGIATE RESIDENCES 117 Holleman Drive West • 696*5711 www.sterlinghousiiig.coni indent oi’hOTI! For more 1 information about the Student Counseling Service, visit their web site at http//scs. tamu.edu. Student Counseling Service is: 0 Provides FREE academic, career and/or personal counseling to students that would cost between $70 and $110 per hour in the Bryan/College Station , The programs and services of | your Student Service Fee. area. 0 Has four psychologists on staff who have earned the % coveted American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) designation, the highest number of any college or university counseling service in the United States. 0 Teams with student volunteers to provide Help Dine a nationally respected telephone crisis line fl proven to save Aggie lives. 0 Offers academic success programs that have prov to increase the GPR of students on probation ent Counseling Service are funded by U fc