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Show SignOff -A Look At Sports 4E Men's Basketball it !mf , , lit)''-' l-'v r-. 1 I nit.) :r v.- - For the Wcbcr State basketball team, the roller coaster ride finally came to an end. And for Head Coach Larry Farmer, the ride attendant asked him to step out while an assistant coach from Stanford University took his seat in an effort to begin the ride again. This year, the Wildcats took to the road to begin the NIT pre-season tournament against the University of New Mexico. This game proved to be an indication of the entire season for WSC. Weber played very well against the Lobos, only to see a tight game in the first half turn into a blow out, with UNM taking a 61-37 lead and eventually winning 88-72. Weber bounced back the following game against a Cal State-Fullerton team to pull off their first victory of the season. The Titans from Fullcrton later went on to beat powerhouse UNLV. The Wildcats then tangled with the University of Utah on the Dee Events Center floor, losing to the Utcs in what proved to be the first of six straight losses, four of those on Weber's home court. Weber State lost the first of four tries to Idaho State in the Cougar Classic at BYU, got hammered by powerful DcPaul, lost to Big Eight school Colorado and twice to in-state rival Utah State. Farmer's team was dominated by new faces. We quickly saw Rico Washington rise to the top and dominate opponents with strong inside moves and powerful rebounding ability. He is easily the most dominate inside player to wear a WSC uniform since Willie Sojourner. Washington, a junior from Philadelphia, led the Big Sky Conference in rebounds with over 10 caroms per game and was second in scoring, tossing in around 20 points per contest. The Wildcats briefly got back on the victory road against Southern Utah State College. Weber then started Big Sky action against Montana and Montana State. Weber played well in both contests, but ended up with two more losses. Weber had many good performances from key players. Point guard Moochie Cobb played a vital role all season with his leadership abilities. The JC transfer from Connecticut averaged five assists per game and could be relied on to find the open players to connect on easy buckets all year. Timmy Gibbs helped balance the WSC offense with his strong shooting skills. Gibbs had many' strong games for Weber, launching long range jumpers with fluid grace and ease. Senior Jeff Schoficld clogged the middle for Weber. A former Clearfield High standout, Schofield helped Weber with his consistent play and endurance. Weber struggled throughout the Big Sky play, especially on the road. The Wildcats lost 24 straight road games before winning the season finale against the University of Nevada-Reno. Weber started to turn the dismal season around against Boise State and Montana State. Both the Broncos and Bobcats were fighting for strong finishes in BSC play when they invaded the Dee Events Center. Weber played two brilliant games, electrifying the enthusiastic crowd as it watched the Wildcats pull off two giant victories. Along with Schoficld, three other seniors played their final games for Weber. Greg Boyd finished an impressive career at Weber, with his trademark bombs from the three-point stripe. Tim Tyler played a reserve role for Weber, seeing limited time on the season. Chene Gardner also saw limited time for Weber, but played a key role in many games for the Wildcats. Gardner could always be counted on for his aggressive play. He often made clutch plays, including nailing key free throws for Weber in its only road victory against Reno. Weber went into the BSC tournament with high expectations. It was matched up in the first round against the Wolf Pack of Reno. Weber played an intelligent game and knocked off the Pack before finally losing to Idaho State in the next round, ending the season and career of Larry Farmer. Weber finished the season with a 9-21 mark. Farmer ended his coaching career at Weber with a 34-54 mark. E3 Michael Butler Women's Basketball Before an athletic program can develop into a traditional powerhouse, it must first experience some losing seasons. Weber State College's women's basketball team has struggled in the past. However, the time is at hand when this program may just be able to turn the corner and become a perennial winner. This year's team began that drastic turnabout. Although the Lady Cats struggled through the season, they worked hard and improved. This effort should help lay the foundation for next year's team and many years to come. "We may not have had a successful year in terms of wins and losses," said Lady Cat Coach Joan Campbell. "But in terms of development, we had a good year. We learned a lot about ourselves and each other and we are now on our way of becoming the team that I came out here (to Weber State) to build." "Despite a poor season this year, Campbell feels that her team will reap the benefits of this year's team's efforts. "We took our lumps this year," said Campbell, "but it will help us next year." One of the reasons that the women struggled to a 7-20 record was the lack of court experience of many of their players. "We had young players playing in key positions," said Campbell. "Our freshman were not just coming off of "the bench, they were starting and it is hard for someone who played high school ball just one year before to come out and play against college juniors and seniors." Although the freshmen are undoubtedly quality players, their contributions were not as great as an uppcrclassman would have made. "It is real tough for a young player to come in and contribute consistently," said Campbell. "They may have some good games but other games will not be as strong. Consistency comes with maturity," she added. It is easy to keep a good attitude about a losing season when the future appears to be so bright. "We constantly improved and we ended up on a strong note," said Campbell. The team avenged a drubbing that they had suffered at Nevada-Reno in the last game of the season by beating the Wolf Pack soundly at home. "This victory left us feeling good about ourselves and our future," said Campbell. "Even though we struggled, the attitude of the team was fantastic," said Campbell. "We never looked at ourselves as losers and we never believed that our record was indicative of our skill." The team was greatly benefited by the individual play of a handful of players. Katie Weyenberg was a force to be reckoned with at the post position. Weyenberg hit plenty of big shots for the Lady Cats, and for a three week period in January, she led the nation in field goal percentage. Weyenberg ended up 9th in the nation and best in WSC history with a 62 percent mark. She also set the school record for a single game-field goal percentage when she hit 90 percent of her shots against BYU. "Katie was our mainstay," said Campbell. "She had a great year even though she was forced to play with people she had never played with before. It was really a tough adjustment but she came through." Laurie Seehawer and Sheila Krahn came through for the team with strong leadership. "We really needed Sechawer's and Krahn's leadership," said Campbell. "They came through for us and never let the team get down on themselves." Two outstanding freshmen also came in and helped the Lady Cats' cause. Melanie Knott and Cindy Holcomb had fine seasons as only freshmen and may have made a statement as to what route the rest of their careers at Weber State may follow. "Both (Knott and Holcomb) played great for us and have nothing but future in front of them," said Campbell. Knott came in as a big guard and proved her athletic ability immediately. "Knott has all kinds of athletic ability," said Campbell. "She may be the best athlete we have ever had. She is in charge of how far she wants to go. If she works hard enough, she could become an All-Amcrican."Holcomb started off shaky but once she gained her confidence, there was no stopping her. "Holcomb had a great game against Boise State," said Campbell. "After that game she earned a starting position and never looked back." With Weyenberg, Seehawer and Krahn coming back to show senior leadership and the fine talent of the young players, Knott and Holcomb, the story of this year's team may unfold until the end of next season. Blaine Bringhurst |