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Show MONDAY • MARCH 12 • 2007 WWW.NETXN0WS.NET Champions Wolverines win United Basketball League Webster's Wisdom Ben Webster Sports Editor Dancing time Can you feel it? Can you see it? Can you hear it? No, it's not another UVSC dance: It's tournament time. People are talking about it; people are telling their friends to join their group on ESPN and the buzz grows all month, from the first round to the final game. In every office, in every classroom-in every bar and every gambling establishment in the countryfolks are pulling out their pencils, printing and passing around brackets, circling and erasing and circling again, trying to win some money. It's the best sports tournament in the world, ever. Just enjoy it, fill out a bracket and forget about it. The thing is, you're n an expert on college basketball. You watch every Mid-continent, Sun-belt, MAAC and big-time conference game, but you still won't beat that girl you know who hasn't watched a basketball game in her life. She doesn't even know the difference between the Duke Blue Devils and the Springville Red Devils, and her bracket will win the pool. She will win all your dough you i See WISDOM-A9 This week in sports P MARCH 12-17 13 Softball against Utah, 3:00 p.m. 13 Baseball @BYU, 5:00 p.m. 16 Rugby against Colorado, timeTBA 24 Rugby against Colorado State, timeTBA Ben Paz/UVSCAthletics UVSC Junior Joe Walker gets one of his three blocks on UTPA's Colin Lien. With the win the Wolverines went 9-1 in the United Basketball League and won the title outright. Jack Jared Waters The win gives the Wolverines the title in United Basketball League play, with a 9-1 mark. UVSC closed out a record- "What a thrill to win the United setting season with a victory on Basketball League championsenior night, capping a success- ship," Coach Dick Hunsaker ful run for the Wolverines with a said. "I can't say enough about 66-57 victory. Their 22-7 record our team and the wonderful ride sets a new school record for total we have had this year." The 22wins at the Division I level for a 7 record is the best mark for an single season. Sports Writer Independent team since Notre Dame went 23-6 in 1985-86. The Wolverines also completed the 2006-07 campaign with an impressive nine-game win streak. The Wolverines' four starting seniors were also able to leave victorious in their home finale. David Heck said that the seniors rallied together to ensure victory, "We were not going to leave on a loss. That's just the way it is." It's rare to find a flaw in the NCAA basketball tournament (opposed to the BCS system in football). But as a Division I transitional team, NCAA rules prevent UVSC from participating in any postseason play, no matter their credentials. UVSC finished with a higher RPI than any team in the Big Sky Conference. It is a bittersweet finish to a remarkable season, in which they are denied postseason play before lacing up their sneakers. "We knew it going into the season. [There's] nothing we can do about it. We could probably beat half of those teams though," said senior David Heck. Heck scored 13 points, including three 3-pointers from downtown, and had four assists, putting an impressive cap to his four-year career at UVSC. Heck combined with Ryan Toolson on the perimeter, making them tough to guard. The Broncs didn't stand a chance with Toolson and Heck lighting it up from long range. UVSC hit twice as many 3-pointers, eight versus four, to compensate for the Wolverines being outscored by UTPA 30-14 in the paint. See CHAMPIONS-A9 Saying goodbye to the seniors Chris Bailey Peter Brown David Heck Matt Peterson Lady Wolverines end their season with best record yet senior, Veva Ahlstrom. Sophomores and freshman dominated Sports Writer playing time as they converted If you missed the women's their talent into points. Sophomore center Robyn basketball team this year, you Fairbanks led the team in scormissed history in the making. ing, accumulating 1,000 points This year the women's basketball team finished above .500 in 49 games while averaging at 15-13, their best record yet. 23.7 points per game and finThe women's season started off ished fourth in the nation in scorwith a bang. The team went 9-1 ing. Freshman Asumi Nakayama led the Wolverines with 58 steals in their first 10 games. for the season, while freshman However, UVSC played Julie McMurray led the way in BYU and their loss to the Coufield goals finishing with over 40 gars began a series of unfortupercent behind the arc. nate events as the Wolverines Not only is women's basketdropped one-won one and then ball very young in age, it's also took a horrible detour onto a young in it's makings. UVSC seven-game losing stretch, makmade the jump to Division I ing their record 10-10. Coach Cathy Nixon com- sports in 2003-04 and these mented on the detour, "A com- young players have answered bination of playing on the road the call to rise to the occasion against very strong teams, close of playing seasoned teams at the losses against good teams and Division I level. Nixon commented on her our youth and inconsistency." team's effort to meet the chalThe Wolverines were not lenge of playing Division I athabout to give up, and their fiery youth refused to let them go letics, "It's been a monumental quietly. They rallied together for challenge. We're the newest, the last eight games and only let poorest program in the country three of those games slip out of and the fact that we beat teams their hands. Their last five vic- consistently, and very good Ben Paz/UVSCAthletics tories rounded out their final re- teams, it's just unheard of. It's Sophomore Sandy Marvin gets past the defense for a layup. phenomenal the progress our cord. team has made in a very short The women's basketball team period of time.'1 that they can meet the challenges hustle. They've shown the abilis loaded with talent, very young This young team has proven placed in front of them. They've talent. This year, there was one shown us they have heart and See WOMEN «A9 Heather Mecham i |