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Show The Daily Utah Chromck, Friday, February 21, Page Ten 19S6 SFORTS (Lite moDcQcl shocks Aw Force Hendrix heroics give Utah win f Utes and Cougars tangle Saturday f; Special to the Chronicle COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. by John Voungren Sports Editor It was one of those games that could have As if it needed any more intensity... A Utah-BY- U basketball game is always gone either way. But the Utes had Manuel Hendrix. shoes Stepping into the miracle-makin- g wins that served him so well in at the end of last season, Hendrix drove the length of the court with seven seconds left and layed in a shot the ball sat on the back at the buzzer of the rim for a split-seco64-63 thriller here Thursday. to give Utah a "He just did it for us," said Runnin' Ute Coach Lynn Archibald, 'it's better to be lucky than good at times, maybe." Maybe. Actually, both Air Force and Utah had chances to win this one long before the final seven seconds. After the Falcons had blown out to a 9-- 2 lead in the early first half, they slowly frittered away the edge, allowing Utah for Air Force at the back in. It was 32-2- 9 half. It was Utah's turn, however, in the a big one, particularly this late in the season. But Saturday night's game and its meaning to both teams and their pursuit of the WAC crown was intensified Thursday evening, when the Utes beat Air Force in Colorado Springs and the Cougars lost for last-seco- nd the first time in their last 12 games at nd Wyoming. "If we win (Saturday's game) we put the Cougars and UTEP with us in a tic for second place in the WAC," Runnin' Ute Coach Lynn Archibald said. "So our magic number is three." That's because Utah, now 4 in the WAC, would be 10-- 4 if it beats the Cougars and still has league-leadin- g Wyoming to play. The Cowboys and Cougars were tied at 10-- 3 in the WAC lead 6 loss Thursday night; after BYU's UTEP stayed in a second place at 10-- 4 with its 1 win over Colorado State. at 7:35 p.m. Saturday's game will tip-oin the Special Events Center. The game will be broadcast live by KUTV (Channel 2), by KALL Radio(910 AM). For those still wishing to attend, as of late Thursday afternoon, the SEC ticket office still had about 100 student ducats left 9-- 1 Jl" fc 66-5- -- second half. With Hendrix and Jerry Stroman teaming up, the Utes ran out to a 0 lead, their biggest of the night. But at 9 the Utes went haywire. The Falcons, taking advantage of two Bobby Adair turnovers, ran off a 10-- 4 run to make 64-6- ff 54-4- 56-4- and a ballgame again. p the last second thrills. After the Falcons' Jim Gulsvig scored to give his team a 0 lead, Stroman was fouled by Mike Lockwood, sending the Ute to the line with 35 seconds left. The senior calmly hit both; giving Utah a 62-6- 1 lead. But the Falcons came back. After calling timeout, Air Force whittled the clock down it 60-5- 9 That set-u- for Saturday's contest, but all were expected to be gone by early Friday. 61-6- while setting up a shot for Maurice McDonald, who settled in a leaping jumper with just eight seconds left to make Falcons. Still, Hendrix had the it 63-6final say. 2, The Utes should start the same lineup they did against Air Force Thursday, g scorers Manuel including Hendrix, who scored 21 points against the Falcons, and Jerry Stroman, who scored 14. Starting point guard Kelvin Upshaw, who was ill and played only nine minutes in Colorado Springs Thursday, should be ready to go against the Falcons. team-leadin- Chronicle ho(o by Steve liriltin Runnin Ute forward Albert Springs jockeys for position in recent hoop action. Springs scored nine points in Utah's 3 shocker over Air Force Thursday night; the Utes host rival BYU Saturday in the SEC. 64-6- Ute swimmers prep for WAC meet against Cougs Friday schools this year. Utah won in Salt Lake City and BYU won in Provo. So since by Laury Livsey Sports staff this meet With the WAC swimming and diving championships coming up in Albuquerque, March 6-- the Ute swimmers are readying themselves with their final dual meet of the year against BYU Friday at 7 p.m. Utah, which has an overall record of 11-- 2 on the season, has split the two 8, other meets held between the two Ute-- Y. is being held in the Ute Natatorium, according to record, it is Utah's turn to win. And Ute coach Don Reddish agrees. Reddish, who is in his 34th year as Utah's head coach, has been faced with a lack of depth all season but is obviously pleased with the way his team has done up to this point. "I wouldn't say I am surprised by our performance because we have worked hard and stayed with it," he said. But team depth could be a problem against the Cougars. "They (BYU) have the most depth of any team in the WAC so we will definitely have to be ready for them," Reddish said. Utah has been led by junior Dennis Tesch all year and Reddish expects that to continue. "Dennis, right now, has been swimming as well as anyone I have ever seen," he said. The Utes will also need good outings by Sweden natives Anders Bladh, Toby Johansson and Johan Holm as well as sophomore Shawn Roland and diver Randy Gordon in order to beat the Cougars. The Reddish formula for success? "We will just have to swim faster than BYU does." That's easy enough. Now they. will just have to do it. game has attention of Manniion, Roberts What do Jazzmen Pace Mannion and Fred Roberts wager when their alma maters Utah and BYU tangle on the basketball court, as they will Saturday night in the Special Events Center? "I have a steak dinner on it, so they (the Utes) better win," Mannion said Wednesday night, following the team's overtime victory against Atlanta. There's no game like it. It's the biggest rivalry in the country." Roberts agrees. "The game is great because those people (in Salt Lake City) are insane, crazy. There's so much hype and pride involved," he said. "To me, the game is just as intense as last year's NBA playoffs." In Utah's locker room, Mannion's and Robert's dressing stalls are only a few feet apart. Following Wednesday's contest, the situation was ripe for joking. "People outside the game build the hype more than the Mannion," said a players do, unless you're a. his sure teammate heard the smiling Roberts, making comment. "I want you to print that, that Fred called me a jerk," me owes one and Mannion shot back. f (steak dinner) l"He already hopefully, I can collect on two this year," boasted Roberts, who left "No, seriously, I think Pace is one of the greatest guys BYU for.the NBA in 1982. "Last year, I had to divvy up ' standing in this circle right here," cracked Roberts. Only tWO." Roberts, Mannion and one reporter were in the immediate :' ,Utah defeated the Cougars twice last season and BYU area. " M in Provo. won this year's first meeting, UTAH vs. BYU in the NBA: How do the three A dinner may not sound like high stakes, especially players (Greg Kite and Danny Ainge, Boston; NBA-size and Roberts) compare in terms of statistics to the trio of when you consider both are pocketing But doesn't mean that Mannion or Roberts paychecks. (Danny Vranes and Tom Chambers, Seattle; and don't take the game seriously. Mannion) who are playing in the NBA? In points scored this season, the "I think they (the Utes) have a good chance. It's going group leads with BYU BYU 710. leads BYU the to to for 1,133 to be tough squad with 522 Ainge them," predicted stay Mannion. "The biggest thing going for Utah is its poise. points; Chambers has collected 680. Utah has some senior players that should take charge. If Mannion, Chambers and Vranes have a combined kind It's of can that rivalry. scoring average of 8.2 points; the former Cougars pour in happen. they don't, anything 5.5 points a contest. Ainge leads the pack with a 10.7 clip on 52 percent shooting, also tops. w BYU is the better shooting group. It stands sink charity tosses at a rate at 84 percent while the of 77 percent. Once again, Ainge is the better shooter. The 1980 graduate has hit free throws. Utah has 520 rebounds; BYU 251. Chambers, despite free-thro- ex-Ut- es 70-of-- 77 missing a handful of games with an injured leg, leads that category with 246 boards. The Utes have more steals than BYU, 109-8- 0. BYU has committed less fouls, though. The Cougars have been caught playing dirty 222 times; Utah 377. According to the aforementioned numbers, one might JAZZ NOTES jerk-Pa- ce Mike Prater '"' 87-6- 9, ex-BY- ' U ex-Ut- es ex-Ut- ah tk . get the idea Utah produces superior professional-basketbalplayers. That is not the case. . Actually, Utah's threesome has played in more games than their BYU counterparts Vranes, Chambers and Mannion have played in a combined 138 games, while Ainge, Kite and Roberts have seen action in 129 outings. That explains the statistical difference between the two groups. JAZZ DRIBBLES: During Wednesday's game, some Utah fans let it be known they are upset with coach Frank Layden. While one fan stood up with a sign that read "Trade Frank," part of the soldout Salt Palace crowd began to cheer. As usual, the comical Layden took the jab in stride. "I hope they trade me to the Lakers or Celtics," he said. l |
