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Show Utfes rip Murray for 79 cond flirsff region win Kerry Rupp, Uintah's head basketball basket-ball coach during the 1978-79 season, returned to his former stomping grounds in Vernal as the Murray High School coach, and the Uintah hoopsters whom he left behind greeted him with a 79 to 71 triumph over the Spartans in Vernal, Friday. The win improves Uintah's Uin-tah's record to 1-2 in Region 7 and Murray Mur-ray drops to 0-3. Murray's Brian Hazelgren hit the first field goal of the game for a 2-0 lead, but the Utes struck for four top-pointers top-pointers as Ron Ellis and Joe Gardiner put in two baskets each for an 8-2 advantage. ad-vantage. The rest of the quarter consisted con-sisted of the Ron Ellis-Clark McClellan show. Ellis popped in two field goals, and Clark McClellan scored a field goal and converted four free throws for a Uintah first quarter lead of 18 to 11. The Spartans began pressing the Utes in the second quarter and they gained positive results from their actions as they forced Uintah to commit countless turnovers and a three-point play by Brian Hazelgren cut Uintah's lead to 22 to 20. However, Uintah silenced the Murray threat in the second quarter when Joe Gardiner fired in three field goals in a row for a nine-point Uintah lead at 34 to 25. Murray cut the Utes' lead to five points, 36 to 31, late in the second quarter. The Spartans had a chance to narrow Uintah's lead to three points, but Clark McClellan stole the ball and fired it to Derrin Gardiner for a two-pointer. two-pointer. A field goal by Joe Gardiner in the final seconds delivered a 40 to 33 advantage ad-vantage to the Uintah Utes at the end of the second quarter. The first two minutes of the third quarter was all Murray's as the Spartans Spar-tans scored six points and clipped Uintah's Uin-tah's lead from seven points to one point. Uintah scored its first basket in the second half w hen Ron Ellis flipped in a two-pointer at the six minute mark. The Utes' other "G-man", Derrin Gardiner took over in the third quarter as he struck for point paydirt in the hoop with three field goals in a row and a free throw for a 49 to 41 Uintah Ute advantage. advan-tage. Gardiner hit his fourth and fifth field goals of the third quarter to give the Utes a ten point lead of 58 to 48. He also put in a free throw for a three-point play after his fourth field goal. A 70-foot shot by a Murray eager at the buzzer made the score at the end of the third quarter, Uintah, 58 and Murray 50. The Utes' other "G-man" Joe Gar- ' diner took over in the fourth quarter as he poured in 12 points on four field goals and four charity tosses. Murray cut Uintah's lead to seven points, 60-53 on a free throw by Dave McBride and a rebound basket by John Durfey after the missed free throw shot by McBride, Uintah's 6' 5" center, Joe Gardiner, smashed the Spartans as he fired in three field goals in a row and hit three straight foul pitches for a 12 point, 69-57, Uintah lead. . However, Murray refused to roll over and die as they reeled off ten points, and cut the Utes' advantage to four points. 71-67, with 57 seconds left in the contest. The Utes' defense shutout Murray's Mur-ray's offense in the final minutes, and Uintah's "G-men", Derrin and Joe Gardiner, Gar-diner, combined for seven points, Derrin Der-rin Gardiner put in four free throw s in a row, Joe Gardiner hit one free throw, a field goal and Ron Ellis added one chairty toss as the Utes outscored the Spartans in the final minute, 8-0, for a 79 to 71 triumph. Uintah's win over Murray featured a balanced scoring attack as four starters scored in double figures. Joe Gardiner in his first start in his varsity career blistered his former coach Kerry Rupp and the Spartans with 24 points on ten field goals and four free throws. Gardiner hit 4 out of 7 free throws. Derrin Gardiner tossed in 18 points on six field goals and six free throws. He hit 6 out of 9 free throws Ron Ellis put in 17 points on eight field ooaJs and one charity toss. Clark Mc- Clellan hit 10 out of 13 free throws arid connected on three field goals for u points. Burke Buckalew put in otJr, points. The Utes put in 29 field goals arj converted 21 out of 35 free throws for $ . percent. Uintah committed only y fouls. The top scorer for the Murray Sp tans was Brian Hazelgren with 19 point, ' on nine field goals and one free throV Also scoring counters for Murray werti Dave McBride, 12; Bruce Moffitt, Kelly Angell, 9; Steve Edwards, 8; Kurf Shumway , 7 ; John Durfey, 2 and Wa Dudley, 2. Murray put in 30 field gojij and connected on 11 out of 17 fr throws. The Spartans committed a fouls. i 1 . ...... I - ' ' i . C es 3 s . IV;.V -? .: I r i - V ' i 1 DERRIN GARDINER, Uintah, leaps toward the hoop for a fastbreak basket during the Utes' 79 to 71 victory over the Mur- T ray Spartans, Friday. Il |