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Show Utes Try For Second Straight to Over Cougars In Provo Saturday in- hi i , .4,11 IM l ! IC( - ,5 :.jpP( jfr- ' .' , ill U' cJ By BRIAN NUTTING Chronicle Sports Writer The University of Utah "Running Redskins" put their whole season's success on the line tomorrow afternoon after-noon in Provo at 2:15. The game is a must victory for the Utes, who are currently tied for the W A C lead with New Mexico with a 5-2 record. However, New Mexico has two home games left and probably will finish the conference race with at least a 7-3 record. This means that Utah must win at least, two of their last three games, all of which are on the road. A good overall over-all record is necessary for the Utes to get an NIT bid in the event that they do not win the conference and receive an NCAA bid. BYU Smarting All this will be in the minds of the players and fans tomorrow afternoon, af-ternoon, but more important will be the rivalry between Utah and BYU. BYU is still smarting from the heart-breaking loss they suffered suff-ered at Salt Lake two weeks ago. And by the same token, the Utes are riding high on the momentum they gained in the last 14 seconds of that meeting. The game will be especially memorable for BYU because be-cause they were two points ahead with 14 seconds to go when Joe English tossed in a long 25 foot jump shot. While the fans were still in hysterics, Walt Simon grabbed a deflected in-bounds pass and put in the basket that snatched victory from the claws of the Cougars. Cou-gars. Home Court Advantage BYU's home court advantage has been acknowledged by Sports Illustrated Illus-trated to be one of the biggest in the country and the Cats have put together a 26-3 conference record in the six years -of the WAC to substantiate sub-stantiate that. However one of those losses came last week at the hands of New Mexico. That loss all but Cougar Jim Eakins takes rebound as Jeff Ockel (31) defends. Karl u Liimo (33) and Lyndon MacKay (20) start downcourt. Utes won first meeting, 91-89. Second game tomorrow afternoon in Provo bi eliminated BYU from the WAC . championship chase, and BYU will be trying hard to put Utah out of the race too. BYU has been very inconsistent this season, and their hot and cold performances have puzzled everyone. every-one. For example, they played very badly against New Mexico and were badly beaten. Then the next night they shot 56 per cent from the field and ran Wyoming right out of the fieldhouse. No one knows how they will play on Saturday but when BYU is on, they are capable of beating beat-ing almost anyone. Utes Playing Well the Utes won the rebound battl, 59-42, but Schouten 's 20 points to;: ,( unexpected. His outside gunriwX kept the Cougars in the game, m he must be held down. Liimo LeateCate Liimo is the Y's ea& 1 with a 17.4 average, Mkw&tW ly by Eakins with 14.0 and W W ior Marty Lythgoe with 1S.6.TT guards will beScKouten (Hi) a 6-4 sophomore Doug Howard (8.'i Also expected to see a lotofactioi are Scott Warner at center an? Lynn Parsons at guard. Merv Jackson continues his lit scoring pace at 23.9 points pf ;i game. He is hitting .511 from ft field and .844 from the foul 1e Walt Simon upped his average It : 15.4, and with Jackson, give Ulal a big advantage on the guard K . Jeff Ockel's average dropped slight- i ly to a 12.3 but he is averaging almost 12 rebounds a game. Utah's ' forwards, Lyndon MacKay j' and Don Denson (7.1) should be able to hold their own on the ins ! Utah's bench of English (8.5), Rrf Cunningham (4.7), John Hunter. Sam Robinson, and Bob Martin, is superior to BYU's. Utah has recovered from a disastrous dis-astrous five game road trip and seem to be on . the top of their game. If they can put together two halves like the second half against New Mexico, the Redskins should win handily. j Six-foot senior guard Randy Schouten and 6-8 junior forward Kari Liimo both scored 20 points, and Jim Eakins, 6-11 senior center pulled down 14 rebounds against Utah in Salt Lake. Eakins' 14 rebounds re-bounds didn't hurt too much as- |