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Show OM OComicsDS 0 pj Classified D7 (J if fill IA if CM j jj iiJ mail ) HOUSTON - j Friday, December 3, 1993 The Daily Herald " B II I Esnssa bb n - (AP) Notre Dame offensive tackle Aaron Tay- lor, accustomed to beating defen- sive linemen, did it again Thursday night when he won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top college lineman. Sports Editor Larson key to BYU's game tonight CHARLESTON, N.C. Tonight's Diet Pepsi Tournament of Champions will open a few doors for some and open eyes for others. George Washington University's Yinka Dare and North Carolina's Eric Montross, both seven-focenters, are expected to draw the most attention. Both are considered first round draft picks when they decide to come out. Hall of Famer Jerry West, now an NBA scout was among many talent experts in the Coliseum who was sniffing the goods during Thursday's practice sessions. The doors will certainly swing for Dare and Montross. But eyes could open wide at a player like BYU's Russ Larson, a relative unknown commodity since the Maui Tournament a year ago. This tournament has featured current NBA stars before, including Sean Elliott, Mark Macon, and Richard Dumas. The Cougar offense is ahead of its defense right now and Larson, barring injury or foul trouble, could put on a show tonight. And you can believe some scouts will take notice of the Cougar star trapped in the athletic body of a 2 player. BYU's offense, geared for a motion game with back picks and screens, is custom made to free Larson inside for his patented smooth jump shot. BYU's opponent, South Carolina, will try and trap BYU off and on and plays similar to Roy Williams and Kansas. South Carolina is coached by another Dean Smith assistant Eddie Folger. Because South Carolina is young, inexperienced and lack depth, they will try to interrupt BYU's offense early and stay out of a half court game. BYU's guard play will be key. The Cougars should defeat South Carolina tonight and advance to the finals Saturday, probably against Dean Smith's Tarheels. In the crossfire, Larson could be the uncovered gym gem. .The Cougars, explains John Fish, the old veteran in BYU's program, is a few adjustments away from exploding. "We have the potential to be an outstanding team, as good as any I've been on at BYU." ;Fish, whose paddled around the BYU Ocean for six years, says BYU's players from top to bottom are working harder and are more dedicated at getting the job done than any he can remember. t ' We have to get a feeling of urgency for an entire game and not just a portion. We've had that off He beat out three defensive nose players for the honor guards Sam Adams of Texas A&M and Rob Waldrop of Arizona ami linebacker Derrick Brooks of Florida State. "It's a tremendous honor to be 6-- and on in these games. This is something that has to develop, it is a chemistry. Once a team gets it, it hates playing without it. VVhen we get it, we'll be a very good team. " Fish said the Cougars need to get away from just playing textbook defense. "That isn't good enough. We need to play hard and well enough to make a difference, to cause turnovers, and stop opponents." That comes, explained Fish, when you have complete trust that your back is covered when guarding somebody. "It comes when you know your teammates , beneficiary. In the ir.ear.timc ihe urgency may come. The Cougars hope they are if it Anc Chris Zorich (1990) the previous winner for the Irish. he showed enough to be recruited by Notre Dame and was starting by his sophomore year. "When I was a kid, everybody expected me to be good because I was bigger than anyone else and that kind of scared me off," Taylor the greatest offensive lineman I ever caarhrt js Aaron Taylor. I wish I could buv 10 percent of his "He was the best at that time run-biock- and 299 Taylor, pounds, didn't play football until his junior year of high school, but and I had practiced asainst him a lot," Taylor said. "He had a lot of good advice for future." Adams anchored the Aggie me." Wrecking Crew defense to a No. 3 ranking nationally in total defense. Adams had 79 tackles, 14 for losses of 5 1 yards and 10 Vi sacks as the Aggies rolled to their third SWC tide. He forced five fumbles, recovered three others and one resulted in a score. Other Notre Dame winners were Walt Patulski in 1972 and run-orient- ed team," Taylor said. "I take a lot of pride in run blocking. I don't get that much out of pass ' blocking but I'm working on it. Ross Browner in 1977. "It's hard to say that he's the greatest football player I ever coached," Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said. "But I'll tell you this, Taylor is the fourth Notre Dame player to win the award, with Rockets clip Knicks; near NBA mark Tom Chambers By The if being suspended them. Will the Hawks do it tonight? The job is beating the Houston Rockets, preventing them from setting an NBA record with a 16-- 0 start. That would be one more win than Red Auerbach's Washington Capitols had at the start of the 1948-4- 9 season. The Hawks have never been among the league's elite, but this season they are playing better than in the past. Atlanta hasn't lost game at home this season, winning by an average margin of 14.1 points. The Hawks' winning streak has reached nine. But at the Omni, they'll go against a team playing perfect basketball. Led by Hakeem Olajuwon's 37 points, the Rockseason-hig- h ets beat New York 94-8- 5 Thursday night. Olajuwon didn't just score, he completely dominated rival center Patrick Ewing in every facet of the game. It got so one-sidthat Ewing was booed by the home crowd after throwing up - Even SALT LAKE CITY team, the Indiana Pacers were no match for the Jazz as they fell 103-8- 7 before a second consecutive at the Delta Center. The Jazz were playing without the services of Tom Chambers, who was suspended for a game and fined $5,000 for his altercation with Denver's LaFonso Ellis Tuesday. Ellis received the same suspension and fine. Utah was still without David Benoit, who is recovering from a partially torn hamstring, and Jay Humphries, who is suffering from a pulled hamstring. Thursday's second consecumarked the first tive time that has happened since the 1986 season. Indiana's sharpshooting Reggie Miller, who just scored 35 points Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, had a rough night against the Jazz thanks to the play ofUtah'sJeffMalone. Malone held Miller to 15 points, 0 from the field) and made him work on defense as 27 Malone netted a season-hig- h end. other the at points The game seemed to drag on as atthere were 87 this contest. tempts during Jeff Malone was the game's while Karl Malone added 25 points and 18 rebounds. John Stockton had 12 points and 13 assists while Felton Spencer had the best game as a Jazz player. He scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. "I'm feeling very comfortable and very happy to be here in Utah," Spencer said. "I'm getting more offensive opportunities here than I got in Minnesota. This is a totally different situation for with a short-hand- ed ut non-sello- - c.Wv - ut non-sello- off-gua-rd ed one too many shots. Olajuwon outrebounded . him high-score- r. 5--16 11. "They (Utah) played great defense and we didn't shoot the ball very well," said Pacers Coach Larry Brown. "We hurt ourselves, I thought, every time we had a chance to at least keep pace we missed free throws. But I said. That rematch won't take place until Feb. 24 when the Rockets will have already played 50 games. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich Utah's Felton Spencer (left) and high-scori- 1 The Pacers did open the second quarter with a 10-- 2 run to take the lead at 35-3- 4 with 8:32 left in the half. The Jazz, at that point, really lacked emotion and number of former Jazz player Darrell Griffith will be retired. Utah looked good at the start of the game and it was apparent that then that their games would fit nicely in this team tournament. But until this year, they never made the field. "It never panned out," Sieck- - so for a rebound against Indiana's Dale Davis (32). it's more fun to pass. " The Jazz enjoyed a first period as they poured in 32 points. The Mailman had 1 of those. Indiana scored 25 in the quarter. think, to be honest, they just defended the heck out of us. " Utah is now 10-- 5 as they nailed down the second of a five game homestand. Saturday will be an important game against a tough Charlotte Hornets team. During halftime of the Hornets game, the their confidence would carry them to an easy victory. "That's the best we've started off on defense in a long time," the Mailman said. "Jeff Malone played a great game at both ends of the court. I'm being paid to score, but I don't mind passing every now and then. Sometimes Karl Malone intensity as they scored four points in the first seven minutes of the stanza. The Pacers led 41-3but after a Jazz timeout, Utah half-tim- e came back to take a 50-4- 8 6, lead. The Jazz shot just 35 percent from the field in that second quarter but still managed to hold sin. MciHIa' me two-stro- ke onto the lead. w alternate-strok- Towards the end of the third period the Jazz really took it to the Pacers. At one point, Utah outscored Indiana 0 with nine points coming from Jeff Malone. During that run, the Pacers missed seven consecutive free throws. 15-- mat, ioned an round on the Innisbrook Report Copperhead course. Tied at 65 are defending chamFors-mapions Dottie Mochrie-Da- n Beth Daniel-ToPurtzer and Sherrie Steinhauer-Kenn- y Perry. At 66 are Shelley Hamlin-E- d Dougherty and Val Skinner-Mik- e Standly. Sieckmann and McHaffie met eight years ago when both were working with" the same teaching pro in Austin, Thv prfvl Sieckmann-McHaffieight-birdi- e e, no-bog- n, m T" T 6-- Riley said. The Rockets eventually led by 21 in the third quarter, and New York got no closer than 10 after that. "I can't tell you how proud I am of this team. We are in the 6 With Indiana trailing to start the fourth quarter, the Jazz really put the game out of reach as they increased their lead to 8 early in the period and they never looked back. 75-6- 81-6- This was the second consecutive decisive win for Utah and comes on the heels of their worst defeat last Saturday against the record . spa not alone. That won't happen without a win at Atlanta. Phoenix Suns. r- - mann said. "Deborah was injured a couple of years or something else always came up. " Now realizing the opportunity had at last arrived, Sieckman-Mc- - m book," Tomjanovich said. In the record book, yes, but (See ROCKETS, Page D2) me 4 iw ieao in fm 8 FEl H Haffie birdied five of their first seven holes. "We ham and egged it real well," said McHaffie, 35, who , did not take up golf until she was c- - B . "Every time I seemed to be in trouble, Tom came through, and if he was ever in trouble I was able to 21 help out." Last year, Mochrie-Forsmawon the event by four strokes, e while Beth Daniel is a past champion with two different partners, Tom Kite and Davis. n two-tim- it forfash- e was tied after the first quarter, but New York missed 10 of its first 1 1 shots in the second period and the Rockets capitalized with an 1 2 spurt. "In the first seven minutes of the second quarter, we couldn't buy a shot," Knicks coach Pat 28-2- m Classic. Playing an said the team is taking things day by day. "Streaks can be a negative. They can be destructive if you dwell on them," Tomjanovich said. York game The Houston-Ne- Herald PhotoPatrick J. Krohn emmm TARPON SPRINGS, Fia. (AP) Tom Sieckmann and Deborah McHaffie, finally getting a chance to play together, a shot an 63 Thursday to take a lead after the opening round of the J.C. Penney Mixed-Tea- 8. guess I was lucky. When he comes back to Houston, he'll be coming after me, "Olajuwon er The Pacers only had four players in double figures. Even with Miller's terrible night, he was InRik Smits diana's added 14 while Dale Davis and Pooh Richardson had 12 and 1 1, respectively. Richardson also had a poor shooting night as he from the field. As a went missed 15 free Pacers the team, throws and the Jazz misfired on 13-- "I just played my game and I free-thro- w me. off-balan- ce Ewing finished with only 12 points and missed his last 12 (2-1- high-scor- Associated Pres3 The Kricks couldn't do it, and neither could 14 teams before By ANTON GARRiTY Herald Correspondent better." The entire BYU team is eager for a victory. After the loss to Arizona State on the road and a late second half rally by Athletes in Action clipped the Cougars at home, Fish said the Cougars are due. "Taking the tough road at the opening of the season. We could have opened up at home with Diddly Tech or some pushover. But we wouldn't have learned what we need to. " BYU's clash with South Carolina begins at 5 p.m. The game will be televised live on KTVX Channel 4. : Fish said the Cougars will be searching for a "sense of urgency" tonight on the court. There will be a lot of eyes locked on some inside play over the wtf kend and Larson could be the said. "But when I finally got started I really liked it." A superb layior helped Notre Dame average 429.5 yards a game this season. He's started 29 straight games dating back to 1991. "At Notre Dame we are a Jazz win despite ot 6-- 10 voted the best over all these people," Taylor said. "I'm excited but any one of us could liavc won it. I'm just fortunate that I did." - for Weber foofbafi Wildcat OGDEN, Utah (AP) boosters' big effort to sell season football tickets and save Weber State's football program will come Saturday at the basketball game against Utah. the school's board of trustees on Riursday scheduled a Dec. 17 meeting to vote on the program's "We decided we better give these boosters a chance to see what they can do as far as season tickets future. The football program costs $1 million a year but generates only The boosters have until then to w u vfui inuokvi ouAi t iu reduce the football program's defi- - and donations are concerned," said Fred Ball, board chairman. The boosters' effort to come up with $500,00 a year includes a drive to sell 10,000 season tickets. Only 750 were sold this year. Lt Ov made up by students and taxpayer?. No? m?j?w fiHntq on to the games. Weber President Paul Thompson said the football subsidy must be reduced by $500,000 if the program is to continue, He said the action must be taken soon to allow players and other Big Sky Conference schools to make plans for next year. Weber has been pressured by the state Board of Regents to reduce its subsidy of the athletics program. Thompson said Weber spends more tax dollars on athletics than any other Utuh school. Love III. With Love unable to play because wife Robin was expected to give birth this week to their second child, Purtzer stepped in. "It took me a millisecond to accept when I was asked," Purtzer said. And it took about that long for the two to put themsel ves into contention. started the day with birdies on their first four holes. They canceled two more birdies with two bogeys before they birdied Nos. 17 and 18. ; Daniel-Purtz- er |
