t Tkaniav NoTember it, 199s The Dally Utah CkrMlde Spoms This Fairs NBA Fashions Are in Very Foul Taste Greg Beacham Chronicle Sports Writer ' I V uitc the contrary from you may have rjlwhat Cbeen led to believe, jocks care deeply about how they look when they play. Style, poise and fashion sense are issues of concern to even the most obtuse mouth-breathin- g neanderthals. In an age where the marketing of one's team is nearly as important as winning games, a team's look must convey a message of confidence, class and poise. If your team looks good, fans will snap up your merchandise like Puerto Rican rum at Drew Barrymore's sweet 16 party. Every year, several NBA teams put their image on the lift and give it an overhaul. This year we've seen several uniform changes by some of the best teams in the league, and their generally rancid selections make you wonder if we, as a society, have learned anything from tragic mishaps like the early '80s Cleveland Cavaliers or the Vancouver Canucks. First and frightening most, we have the Houston Rockets. Defensive Utes Kill Quack Attack Malone Schools Celtic Rookie in 02-9- 0 Jazz Win 1 GREG BEACHAM Chronicle Sports Writer - It is said that the first step is always the hardest. For the Utes, Wednesday's first step was hard, but they were up to the challenge. "We won on our defense tonight," ''ttu-- ' '"-il- " coach Elaine Elliott said of. the University of Utah women's basketball team's victory over the Oregon Ducks in the first round of the NIT. The victory gives Utah a T 73-6- 1 ti ftif JF w , ' taut-- WiiiiiV' 'Afct mw, I'lt "v "V? Malone scored 34 points, including 11 Utah points in a row on Wednesday night as he outdueled the Celtics rookie victoand led the Jazz a 102-9Boston. over ry "Both of them were going back and forth with each other," Celtic guard Sherman Douglas said. "It's something he (Williams) can build on." Williams, playing in his fifth e pro game, answered the with 13 consecutive Celtics points to keep it close. But Malone hit five straight free throws and a layup Utah and put to make it the Celtics away. in PS' .vy "liUJiiV 'jj " fjj'' vupdpwwuwiwiSliimlW hSJ , Nmy f J yJ,.-'- pre-sea-s- Eric Williams. vr" ns 0000kv,r0 f-- fm M .v:v::pj W-' .waw.v (c!W!jr ft, r.- cLiw' jf.A 'tjr i&fGPfy 'Mi. 4LiHb 7 s&S sm (flllH) tjtit 'li'i Even BOSTON (AP) when the game was over, Karl Malone couldn't get away from 2 i Jr; ' ' f'W!""A "" 0 -- jr J quarterfinal matchup with the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder on Friday. Indeed, Utah's defensive rallies, keyed by backup point guard Richelle Cleverley, were what led the Utes to vic- eight-tim- all-st- ar tory. When starting point guard Alii Bills recieved her fourth personal at 18:12 of A the half, Cleverley stepped in and played the rest of the game. In total, ; y I 92-8- 4 Cleverley recorded nine assists and four steals in 27 minutes of play. Asked about Williams, "Coach has prepared me to play a lot of minutes, so I was ready when we needed it," Cleverley said. In addition, the Utah front fine held Oregon's main offensive threat, center Renae Fegent, to only eight points on 7 shooting. "Fegent has to score for that team to be successful, and we were able to control (her) tonight," Elliott said. Malone said: "I think if he stays healthy, he'll be a good player." Williams came off the bench to score 17, taking over the Celtics' offense to cut a seven-poideficit to with 7:47 to play. But that's when Malone checked back in. The Jazz forward matched d every move by the Celtics' and then some, pick adding eight rebounds to lead ' Utah to its eighth consecutive victory over Boston. nt 2-- On the offensive end, Ute center Amber McEwen had a monster game against one of the largest front lines in the western United States. McEwen's 21 points, including Utah's first seven of the game, and 11 rebounds were the sec "Women" on page 9 81-7- 8 Vi first-roun- Chkonkle Photo - Spencer Young Utah guard Richelle Cleverley prepares to dish out one of her nine assists in Wednesday's game. The Utes defeated the Oregon Ducks 1 n and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals. JIMMY GOLEN 73-6- AP Sports Writer pre-scaso- After two world championships, the front office boys apparendy thought it was time to jazz up Fore Days and Cosmo is Still at Large! the Rockets' plain but serviceable old togs. The result: a mishmash of pinstripes, new team colors, futuristic lettering and a phallic logo that looks like a discarded Hanna-Barber- a background. The Rockets broke Mr. Blackwcll's good taste rule No. 1: Keep it simple. What uniforms endure? The Celtics, the Lakers, the Maple Leafs, the Raiders, the Yankees, the Dodgers. All are simple. The Rockets' uniforms may be among the worst in the history of professional sports, but the revamping of the playing floor at The Summit lives down to the uniforms' low expectations. It's been said that if they could only get a few elephants, find a ringmaster, and get the players to paint their faces and wear floppy shoes, they would have the greatest show in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks changed their look as well, and while they don't compare to the Houston monstrosity, the new Hawks outfits are lame on their own demerits. Make no mistake, it's good to be rid of the but the logo, hawk the front on wraparound Pac-Ma- n of the jersey looks like Condorman. You remember Condorman? He didn't get a sequel, and neither should these urns. ; ; ; If we judge the two new expansion teams by their uniforms, we can expect many years at the bottom of the league for the northernmost t "fcaduun" en pagt 10 r IK , Ornomai Fu Photo w The Chronicle V sports staff is aware that it may be easy to get Cosmo 6 J-- -II Mtt lUane On the Mark: Senior point guard Mark Rydalch, shown here in earlier preseason action, will lead the Runnin' Utes against B.C. Zadar Croatia at 7:35 p.m. in the Huntsman Center. CmoNicu Photo Ute Men Challenge Croatia Tonight lOth-ranke- d - Cos a dinner for two at Ruth's Diner will go to waste unless he's found annihilated Athletes in Action 104-80- . The Croatian traveling team had better bring its flak jackets when facing the Utes if its 108-5demolishing at the hands of Weber State on Saturday is an indicator of what is in store 9 tonight. The Zadar boys managed just 36 percent shooting against the Wildcats. .j The game against the Croatian team will be the Utes final contest Kansas before taking on No. - confused with some other putrid pussy, but that doesn't give U. students any excuse for letting him roam the pristine grounds of our If you are the brave soul who can catch Cosmo and return him to the campus any longer. Chrony office (room 240 Union This marks Day Four of the f To warm fans up for Saturday's gridiron extravaganza with BYU, the University of Utah has a primer of a different sport on tap tonight: preseason men's baskctbafl. The Runnin' Utes play their second and final preseason matchup tonight in the Huntsihan Center as they host B.C Zadar Croatia at 7:35 p.m. In their first preseason game, the Utes, led by Keith Van Horn's 32 points and 15 rebounds, less babies, but the reward for finding Building), the dinner is yours. Final Que: Cosmo was last seen golfing between six and seven but die fire department received a call Cosmo Campus Defilement Crusade and nary a Utah fan has come within a whisker of finding Happy Valley's that he was stuck in a tree. He's still not in the fountain, and he ain't a flyin' cat If you are unable precious pet It's tragic that U. students will not only have to cope with the Cougar creature wandering unchecked around campus, preying on defense- - to find the mangy beast now, you are too stupid to be in college. on Nov. 25 at the Martin Luther King Classic in Kansas City, Mo. The Utes, who shot 55 percent in their preseason warmup will have an added bonus tonight in Andre Miller, a flashy point guard newcomer who sat out the AIA game with a sprained ankle. Another new face, Ben Caton, a shooting guard transfer from Ricks JC, will still be on the sideline with a fractured check he sustained in practice. . The status of senior swingman Brandon Jessie is still questionable for tonight's game as the U. athletic department continues its internal investigation regarding his possible connection with professional sports agent Robert Caron. Jessie allegedly carried a pager paid for by Caron and was held out of the AIA game for cautionary reasons as the investi' gation continues. j -JamesJardine