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Show Determination, crowds make huge difference . Danielle Blaisdcll ' asst. sports editor After a bit of a slump and frustration in the women's basketball team's last couple of regular season games, Coach Carla Taylor and her team put things back together to win the Big Sky Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament. However, the tum-around was not easy, and the wins may not have come if the 'Cats hadn't been so determined. The Wildcats' first opponent in the Big Sky tournament was the Eastern Washington University Eagles, who gave Weber State University a scare earlier in the season. On Feb. 27, the 'Cats won by just six points. This time around, the Wildcats led 35-28 at the half. Kristen Hesselbach hit two three-pointers from the baseline, Crystal Howe converted lob passes to points underneath and Julie Gjertsen sparked things up with her shooting. Gjertsen finished with 24 points. The Wildcats really took control in the second period, and the crowd of 1,210 livened up as well, thanks to a few avid fans. Most everyone who attended the men's tournament probably noticed guys with their shirts off and letters painted on their chests to spell "Weber St." My ears can testify that these guys yell just as loud with their shirts on. They started their own cheers and even the wave. I have never seen fans do the wave at a women's game. Taylor said she believed the difference in the men's Big Sky Championship victory March 12 was the crowd. The crowd did its best to help make a difference for the women as well, especially the next night. The Wildcats had a rematch with Montana State University, and with 14 minutes remaining in the second period, it looked as though the Bobcats might be going to The Dance, but the 'Cats stayed determined. I think the best example of that determination was freshman Sheila Robertson. Robertson came out in the second period and missed four three-point attempts. I think that would have been enough for me to A coach can teach players the skills, but determination has to come from inside each athlete. ... the WSU women proved that it is what's inside that counts. stop shooting, but not Robertson. Soon after, she made two of her next three three-pointers, desperately needed by the 'Cats. Robertson's first successful attempt received perhaps one of the loudest cheers from the crowd, which sounded much larger than 1,424 people. How the Wildcats came back from a 10-point deficit in the second period and won by 11 still amazes me. Bobcat players commented how hard it is to play at the Dee Events Center, and that the difference was definitely the crowd. MSU coach Robin Potera-Haskins said afterward she prefers to be in the position her team is in because if they had advanced to the tournament, they'd probably be blown out in the first game by 30 points. I guess that's one way to rationalize a loss, but I liked Carla Taylor's attitude much better, who after the game said all that matters is her team was going to dance. The Lady 'Cats proved to me that although a good shooting percentage and few mistakes are important to win, determination is more important. The 'Cats only shot 38 percent against the Bobcats and had their share of missed free throws, lay-ups, and turnovers, but they never gave up and won both games. Before the tournament, Gjertsen said her team's goal was to go to the NCAA tournament. I commend the Lady 'Cats for the determination they played with to achieve that goal. A coach can teach players the skills, but determination has to come from inside each athlete. By getting to the NCAA Tournament, the WSU women proved that it is what's inside that counts. Fraternities Sororities Clubs Student Groups Earn $1,000-$2,000 this semester with a proven CampusFundraiser 3 hour fund-raising event. Our programs make fund-raising no risk. Fund-raising dates are filling quickly, so get with the program! It works. Contact CampusFundraiser at (888) 923-3238, or visit www.campusfundraiser.com. S39 A MONTH! I MIKE SHAW'S TAE KWON DO 1 m pafsr$ aer tsvt e f fit O A ATTENTION WSU STUDENTS! Weber State University, in cooperation with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), is exploring the feasibility of implementing a mass-transit program for the University. The program being explored is known as Ed-pass. Ed-pass would provide a bus pass for every student, faculty and staff of the University. The pass would allow the holder to commute to and from campus, use other standard UTA bus routes, and ride Trax. It would not allow the holder to ride ski resort bus routes. The Ed-pass program started more than ten years ago at the University of Utah and has recently been implemented at BYU and UVSC. Ridership at the University of Utah has increased from 10 of student population at the outset of the program to a current level of approximately 25. The program is of different size and is financed differently at each of these institutions. The University of Utah pays for its Ed-pass program through a student fee of approximately $0.90 per-credit-hour and a $30-$40 increment on all parking passes. BYU assesses a student fee of approximately $2.00 per-credit-hour. And UVSC charges a flat $9 per-student and $5 per-employee annually. It is expected that if Ed-Pass were fully implemented at WSU and the costs were shared equally across all faculty, staff and students, the annual cost would be between $20 and $30 per-person. The regular annual cost of a UTA pass is in excess of $350. There are several potential benefits to the Ed-pass program. Use of mass-transit instead of individual vehicles would benefit the environment in which we live. As the campus population increases it is hoped that Ed-pass would enable the University and its patrons to avoid costly additional parking lots andor parking structures. Traffic on major arteries surrounding the Ogden campus would be reduced if fewer individual vehicles were used to reach campus. Finally, as mass-transit improves and expands, travel throughout the Wasatch Front would become a less costly and environmentally friendly activity. The University Parking Committee has been asked to survey the University community regarding the Ed-pass program. If done here, it would need to be a self-supporting activity just as it is at the other institutions. UTA has committed to fund the program in Year 1 through the use of a grant. However, beginning in Year 2 the full cost of the ? program would be the responsibility of the University. The Parking Committee is developing a survey to measure campus support for the program and receive input as to the best way to finance it if the University proceeds. Please watch for opportunities to complete the survey and provide your input in ... J, MARY ELLEN MARK Wednesday, March 26 7:00 P.M. Lindquist Lecture Hall, Room 120 Ethel Watlis Kimball Visual Arts Center, WSU AtJOUT THC ARTIST l li.t(ij.s-j-H in I Kf;m ic m-likt Ji-tv - t lx-f V4il - t, l-lu.f "i-vt-ryt Liy" m uiMMi.il. MuL .-. u- .! I y vm-( "M-rJ lnlUMftli.il VVn.in I'U. .',r ,j d x-f A All lii in-" t iv i'.Mk-s(l AuVf .111 I 'tuHo , y;.iHM-. i .I. i. Miuuiiivin .it i ,.ll..l ylv.ini.t. I .m history -it ll' t Inivi-rsity i t IV ,tl..Jt.il I ( ! .ks. In r must rt -iit nlill.-l wm .umI Ixilih M iwr.-. .! itn- I Iruu-f I St. !-.. I n ivT Hint- .Kt4-, -VVnK l.i lr.v-ntl rxtif v-ivHy. .iimI hit tm.u;i-. I UM- a if 1 mvr timm-. h.im- i n t.ituliM.uks in llw 1 1. Id tfc x t.mtiU.wv J di rfij;n Jiy. 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