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Show Friday, March 31, 1995 The Daily Utah Chronicle - 7 Sports No foolin' around for U. Softball Hen's Final Four SUU visits Utah Champions from in home twinbill r past and present BY PATRICK SHELTRA battle in Seattle Chronicle Assistant Sports Editor BY JIM O'CONNELL Associated Press The 57th Final Four will have a field - it's just a matter of how long ago those titles were won. UCLA ) vs. Oklahoma St UCLA last won a national title 20 years ago, the last of John Woodcn's 10 (29-2- (27-9- ): in a and the Bruins' last visit to a Filial Four was in 1980 when Larry Brown took a freshman-lade- n team there. The Cowboys were last in the Final Four in 1951 and their second of two national tides was in 1946 under the legendary Henry Iba. The Bruins are college basketball's hottest team, holding the top-seede- d No. 1 ranking for the final diree weeks of the season. Fourdi-sccdc- d Oklahoma State rode its combination of Bryant Reeves and Randy Rutherford to the Final Four. The last three games were Reeves as impressive ones for the he met and dispatched dircc outstanding centers: Antonio McDyess of Alabama. inside-outsid- c Tim Duncan of Wake Forest and Marcus Camby of Massachusetts. Massachusetts felt the wrath of die Cowboys' defense, scoring while shooting a season-loa season-loloss in the 28 percent in a Second-seede- d 68-5- 4 East Regional final. The Cowboys can't run with the Bruins, few teams can. but Uicy can set the tempo and it's done with the defense. UCLA will want to get die ball FINAL FOUR 1 - It's a long way MINNEAPOIJS from 17 and no NCAA tournament berth to 28 4 and a berth in the Final Four. The Georgia women made that leap in one year. There are a couple of reasons. One is the aging of last year's six 1 expect. I! Speaking of mistakes, if Evans could erase a few that her team has made, their record would be better. "We're beating ourselves." said Evans. "We have to get back to basics." How arc they beating themselves:' Evans says that there team hasn't been getting the big hit. Give last year's team a runner in scoring position and less dian two out. and you can put it in the book. This year's team is having trouble doing that. The U.'s offensive problems can be summed up in three statistical areas: 75 inns in 23 games, just over three per game; a higher perthan slugging percentage centage (.337.334) and 105 strikeouts in 604 Although not having the year she enjoyed as a freshman, U. pitcher AH Andrus leads the team in wins and earned run average. on-bas- e stolen 41 bases in 50 attempts, an astounding 82 percent success rate. At that pace, they would demolish the team record for steals in a season, "I feel like we've done everything to manufacture runs." Evans said. And she's right. This year's team has set hist year with 5)2. vote, with only Baltimore and Toronto opposed. But with t lie BY RONALD BLUM Associated Press court hearing and more bargaining, teams weren't sure if replacement baseball would start as scheduled Sunday night. Boston "Right now. it's Red Sox chief executive officer John Harrington said. Asked how long the uncertainly could go on. Harrington replied: "How 'bout 8:03 p.m. (Sunday). Mi st pitch." - NEW YORK On the eve of a federal court hearing that could end the strike and stop replacement baseball, negotiators returned to the bargaining table Thursday night for the players' response to management's new offer. Owners, during a midday con- National Championship Monday, April 3, at Seattle Semifinal winners, 6:40 p.m. 50-50.- ference call, formally approved in the open court so Tyus Edncy can perform liis brcaditaking feats. North Carolina (28-5- ) vs. Arkansas (31-6Arkansas, die defending cliampi-ons- . is l(X)king to join Duke in 1991-9as the only repeaters since UCLA's seven-yea- r run ended in 1973. The Razorbacks. despite having all five using replacement players in a 26 2 U. women netters play New Mexico ): 2 starters back from the title team, squeaked and squealed their way The match will be held on April 2 in the Ecclcs Tennis Center at 1 Utah enters the match having lost six straight matches, all of which came to the hands of ranked 68-6- Regional final. North Carolina won each of its tournament games by at least 10 points and topped off the run to its third Fuial Four in five years. Arkansas" guards will have to be able to handle the changing defenses and looks the Tar Heels w ill use and they and Scotty Thurman will have to hit the outside shot to open things up inside for Corliss Williamson. The Razorbacks' focus on defense will be to bottle up Rashccd Wallace inside while trying to limit die all around game of Jerry Stackhousc and the sudden resurgence of signing guard Donald Williams, die MVP of the 1993 Final Four. reflect our skill." A key to Utah's success will be the play of Mil ja Wallmai k.. She is currently ranked No. 47 in the nation in singles competition with a 1 a.m. e. 7-- Mexico. through their first three games by a total tner-tim- arc unrauked. but they come into record the match possessing a 3 10 record. Utah's to compared Utah head coach John Tsunias. said. "Our record doesn't directly The Utah women's tennis team plays its final home match of the this weekend when it faces New of eight points, the List two going They reached the Final Four by in the Midwest beating Virginia opponents. Fortunately for the U.. the WAC tags two 7 women's basketball team's season but the honors keep coming for Julie Amber and Krommenhock McEwcn who were named to the WAC's 1 !)!)." All Newcomer team. Krommenhock. a guard from American Fork, was already named as the I99.i WAC Freshman of the Year and was an All WAC first team U. baseball team grabs win No. 6 FINAL FOUR Utah's sluggers split a double header against Southern Colorado on Thursday in Cougar Field, bringing their record to 6 15. Tennessee vs. Georgia. 12:15 p.m. Connecticut vs. Stanford. 2:45 p.m. U. In the first game. Southern Colorado and Utah were lied in filth inning but the U. allowed five unearned runs in l lie final iwo innings and handed the Indians 12 9 vicloiy. a National Semifinals Saturday, April 1, at Minneapolis National Championship Sunday, April 2, at Minneapolis Semifinal winners. 1 :45 p.m. Southern Colorado pitcher 'let in Hill (31 picked up (he win. Reliever Jason Hagen look the loss lor Utah, dropping his record to 0 5 on the year. (he second In trailed 4 2 in game. Utah the sixth inning but rebounded in the seventh as Travis Parker drove in two RBI with a no out. game w inning double oIT Southern (Colorado reliever Darryl O'Brien to give Utah a 5 1 victory. Utah reliever Kevin Snyder picked up his first win of the son. ) nation. il semifinals at the 'target Center on Saturday, to be followed by Connecticut against Stanford. The championship game is Sunday. "In Saudia Roundtiee. voti have someone who can run (he show and really complement the other players." Summit! said. "That right ihere elevai-e- d (heir team tremendously when Roundirec stepped on the lloor. 'Hut's when Georgia started to show their maturity and come into their own." Joining four sophomores in the start- stars as best newcomers first team All WAC and All coach Andy Landers said. "Where that's really made a difference is in our -- Compiled Iibos The other part to manufacturing is bunting. "Bunting is all we've worked on." said Evans, indicating one weakness in her team thai needs to be corrected. runs llic other factor is just as important. She's Saudia Roundirec. a dynamic junior who plays with a pizzazz the Lidy Bulldogs had lacked. Roundirec stepped onto the Georgia campus List fall after being named the national junior college player of the year at Kilgorc. 'lexas. and in one package gave the team someone who could drive, dish, pull up for the jumKT. hit the lime )oiniei and play defense. Those skills gave her the ability to lead, to make a diifcrcncc. though she's much too modest to give herself that much credit. "1 knew I was joining a greal bunch of players." Roundtiee said. "I knew ihey would be ready to play with me. but I wasn't Hying to make a difference. I was just Hying to blend in." But there's no denying her contributions, 'lennessee coach Pat Summit!, winner of 563 games and three national championships, certainly has noticed, lennessee will play Georgia in the ing lineup. Roundirec is Georgia's No. 3 scorer with a 14.!) average. She leads the team in assists at 6.!) a game and even averages 4.7 rebounds a hefty figure for a point guard. "She's given us a dimension of quickness on the perimeter." Georgia record. 7-- A 49-4loss to Southwest Missouri State put an end to Utah's 1 highly touted freshmen into more mature, confident sophomores. They've been amund the block a lime or two now. They know what to a mistake." National Semifinal Saturday, April 1, at Seattle CHUCK SCHOFFNER Associated Press Owners ready to use replacements UCLA vs. Oklahoma St., 3:42 p.m. North Carolina vs. Arkansas, 6:12 p.m. Georgia's on the minds of teams in Minneapolis 1 BY in conferAlthough they are ence play, the real beginning of WAC play begins tomorrow at 1 :3() for the University of Utah Softball team as they host Soudicrn Utah University. Starting this weekend, the U. will play 24 of their next 28 games against WAC teams. SUU resides at the bottom of the WAC standings, having won only four of 22 games. Don't, however, try to convince coach Jo Evans that this will be an easy weekend. "Sonic of there players may have wanted to come here and weren't offered scholarship offers." Evans said. "They want to prove you made 3-- full of former national champions f Women's Final Four by James Edward selection. She also received WAC tournament MVP honors for her 26 point effort in a upset over San Diego State in Albuquerque. N.M. 61-5- Krommenhock 7 averaged 16 points per game and was the first freshman ever to lead Utah in scor ing. McEwcn. a transfer from Southern Idaho Junior College, was -- also :t sea- Compiled by James Jardine tournament selection. The junior center averaged 13.4 points and 7.1 rclxHind. Rounding out the team are freshman guard Courtney Stapp of Wyoming, junior center Tanisha I Itiddlcslon of Fresno Stale and junior center Tracy Aldridgc or New Mexico. -Compiled by James Jardine - defense." Koundlrce's defensive abilities never were more apparent than in Georgia's H2 7!) victory over and No. 2 ranked Colorado in the Midwest Regional finals List Saturday. Basically, she took Colorado's All American point guard. Shelley Shcetz. (Hit of the game down (lie stretch. d |