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Show SUSC plans MSU attack CEDAR CITY - The Southern Utah State College basketball team has an advantage over what General George Armstrong Custer faced when he went to Montana. At least the Thunderbirds know to some degree what they are getting into when they journey to Bozeman Monday to battle Montana State University of the Big Sky Conference. Also, the T-Birds have the advantabe of a coach born and raised in Montana who is well aware of the rowdy nature of Montana State crowds. (Incidentally, SUSC Coach Tom McCracken's hometown of Culbertson and Bozeman are about equidistant from the site of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.) "We know that Montana State is very difficult to beat on its home floor; no one has done it in three years. But we also think that we have a good ball team this year, and we aren't about to fly into Montana with the idea that we'll get clobbered. We intend to play Montana State a heck of a game, and we intend to win," McCracken explains. SUSC opened its season this week with a 66-59 win over a respectable and very disciplined Grand Canyon College team. "One of the things that concerns us most about the Montana State game is the difference in the number of games played," McCracken says. "They will have played lour games, two on the road and two at home by the time we play there. Prior to our game, they are scheduled to have home games against Portland State and Utah State." Meanwhile, SUSC has already played its only game until the Bobcat confrontation already. "The difference of one game under your belt and lour games under your belt is' significant," McCracken worries. "That is our major concern." Pleasing to McCracken in the T-Bird opener was the offensive play of guards Steve Hoagland (24 points and 10-for-12 field goal shooting) and Hal Welch (six of eight from the field). Defensively, SUSC has some work to do, according to the coach. Doug Hashley, a 6-7, 220-pound senior forward, is causing some concern for the T-Birds. Hashley averaged just under 16 points last year and is a tremendous percentage shooter. Combined with John Maclin, who averaged 13.4 points last year, the Bobcats sport strong scoring from their forwards. Maclin is a 6-6 senior. "We obviously made some first-game errors, but considering that it was Grand Canyon's third game, and our first, we generally feel very good about the way things went." Most likely starters for the 'Birds at Montana State will be center Norman Adams Most likely starters for the 'Birds at Montana State will be center Norman Adams (6-8), forwards Scott Brown (8-7 (8-7 and Dean O-Driscoll (6-6), (6-6), and guards Steve Hoagland (5-11) and either Willie Hicks (6-2) or Hal Welch (6-1). SUSC shooting was as good as optimistic fans had predicted, 57.7 percent from the field; , and the depth that McCracken felt he had did materialize. Ten I players saw action, and . seven scored. . 1 |