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Show n Scoreboard. f2 Yt rM i C1 fflji Cl ILIUOf uC) f D3 E Utah Outdoors D6 I H Comics D7 1 I 1 JL i " B 1 Thursday, December 21, 1995 :The Daily Herald Pressure rides with Red Raiders v fj Texas Tech may be the best team BYU will face this season, give or take Utah two or three times in the coming months. The Cougars arrived in Lubbock, Texas, Wednesday about 10 p.m. Qddsmakers don't give BYU much bf a chance of knocking off the Red Raiders. Roger Reid would have it no other way. Pressure, it seems, is on the ranked, the promised and those " anointed with expectations and .anticipations. The Cougars enter ithis season with all those types of labels pushed upon others. I It is an atmosphere a Reid-- 1 coached team usually thrives ! upon. They wear the coat and hat with pride. But it will take more than pride to defeat the Southwest Confer- ence" preseason favorite on its home court Friday, a place the in 21 games. , Raiders have not lost task has immediate BYU's I been to practice and regain some r o V V i I - By DICK HARMON Daily Herald Sports Editor LUBBOCK, Texas Strictly preseason talk has Texas Tech as the best basketball team in the Southwest Conference. And this is the last season of existence for the SWC. So this must make the Red Raiders the last great SWC basketball team before extinction. The Red Raiders join TexaSj, Texas A&M and Baylor as members of the Big 12 Conference next year. The remaining SWC teams, SMU, TCU and Rice, will move into the new WAC. Texas Tech is 0 heading into Friday's game with BYU. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be televised live by KSL-Tchannel five. "Texas Tech is a very good learn." said BYU coach Roger Reid. "Besides Utah, they are the best team we are scheduled to play the rest of the season." The Red Raiders are fresh off a five-poiwin over Old Dominion. They just finished whipping Nichols State by 15 points, scor-in- g 95 on Saturday and now have a 21 game home win streak on the line. Texas Tech's best win of the season was over Oklahoma and Arkansas Little Rock, a team that went on to whip Mississippi State, which was ranked No. 8 at the time (this is the same MSU team BYU nearly took into overtime in Mississippi). Tech beat Southwest Missouri State 97-7- 4 at home. The 0 start by the Raiders is the best in Lubbock, since 1978-197- 9 some 7 years. The Raiders are led by a shooter named Koy Smith, a 5 senior. The other guard is Jason Martin, also a senior. The center is Tony Battle, a sophomore. The two forwards are Darvin Ham, a 6-- 7 senior and 7 senior Jason Sasser. the second-leadin- g scorer. Smith started the season on fire, hitting threes in the first three games (45.7 percent). He is averaging 23 points per game. He hit against Oklahoma, one school record. the of shy "Jason Sasser is an NBA lottery pick." predicted Reid. "They have a quality team that whipped Oklahoma in Norman and have a winning streak at home. This will be a tough challenge for our team, just like the Mississippi State came." ? ; y over-achiev-- er M fX . v M f vv; 6-- . f , Dick -- nt Harmon " -- Daily Herald 'Sidelines ' of the 'timing lost during finals week. "We've had some guys at I practice and others missing and it hasn't been the same crew out there. Guys have stayed up late at night studying and are relieved it is over. So are the coaches," said Texas Reid, whose team is IYU ; ; 5-- 2. Tech is 6-" Reid is pleased with a scoring binge the Cougars got in their last outing, a win over Weber State. "That showed me something because Bryon Ruffner was not well. Good teams find a - shooting way to compensate for that and we did by having five guys step up and carry the load. This makes a team harder to defend." Reid said since the opening three or four games he's noticed teams have gone after Ruffner, trying to reduce his offensive role in BYU's scheme. "That's natural. He scored a bunch." Ruffner has been dogged, held, double-teame- d and focused upon. A'gairrsf Utah State, coach Larry Eust'achy sent Jon Wickizer after Ruffner, a former Aggie, and his assignment was to follow Ruffner all over the court. "Wickizer tailed him and didn't have to box out, rebound, help with other parts of the defense, just watch Ruffner. That may have got to .him. But we have to expect that.: Bryon has to expect that." Ruffner, who is averaging 18 points, a game, had 13 against Weber State and Utah State. He 0. five-play- managed 13 against Louisiana Tech. Other than that, Ruffner has hovered around the 22 points per game atmosphere. ' "If people center on him, we've got Ken Roberts and others they'll have to worry about on offense," said Reid. Another noticeable development is the performance by freshman Todd Christensen against the Wildcats. "He may not do that every night he goes out, but I tliink it was great that Todd had that experience. It gave him confidence in himself, let the coaches and team develop some confidence in him and gives a weapon if we need to go to a small lineup like We did against Weber State." The Cougars have started Randy Reid at point and moved Ruffner from small forward to shooting guard. Ruffner has moved to forward when freshman Nate Cooper has come in at shooting guard. The Cougars will look at going with Ruffner, Cooper, Reid and Christensen at times ip they need to try aria aeienu anu keep with a smaller quicker team. ' j "But on the other hand," said Reid, "It is also nice to have an opponent have to worry about a matchup on the other end if we keep Ruffner at shooting guard in a mismatch we can take advantage of." , Reid said BYU continues to work on improving, digesting his multiple set and complex, motion offense which utilizes screens and picks and set plays. "We have a long ways to go to get the set 20-poi- nt nlavs down." I ' ' But there is no pressure. It's on the other guys. Merry Christmas! er 13-poi- nt midway through the second half to post a 71 victory on a shot by Kari Gallup. Wednesday evening in the Marriott Center, sophomore Kari Gallup made sure it would be a happy holiday season for the BYU women's basketball team. Gallup hit a twisting, leaning i in the lane with less than a second left to give the Cougars a thrilling 72-7- 1 victory over the a Gauchos of Santa Barbara team that still featured many of the players that knocked BYU out of the NCAA tournament three years ago in its only trip to the big dance in the '90s. "The play was just to get the ball either to me or to Cindy Pierce," said a smiling Gallup of the Cougars' plans after Amy Smith had given the Gauchos a lead with eight secone-poionds left. The Cougars got the ball to halfcourt and called timeout with 6.1 seconds remaining. j six-foot- er come-from-behi- nt Gallup received the pass from midcourt. She dribbled into the key until a Gaucho player stopped her, leaned in and let it fly. The ball bounced on the rim and fell through, much to the delight of the Cougar players and fans. "I didn't know if it would go in, but I hoped so," she said. UCSB got a timeout with less than half a second left and set up a h long-pas- s play. But Ann the inbound her hand on Olpin got pass and time ran out before any Gaucho could get to the ball. Merry Christmas, indeed. "It's a great win for us," said BYU coach Soni Adams. "It gets us even 5 and gives us a big boost going into the holidays. The kids get six days off now and they need it, and then can come back rested and with a really good attitude." The Cougars can feel even betoverter about how they won finals-wee- k and blahs the coming deficit midway a through the second half. After a spirited comeback trimmed the , last-ditc- 5-- nt margin to just six with 9:09 left, the Gauchos got another spurt and after a three-poiplay from Amy lead with Hughlett, had a 64-5- 6 6:03 left in the game. But the Cougars came back again. Senior Behka Stafford, visibly limping at times during the game because of painful shin splints and the only carryover from that BYU NCAA tournament team, came back into the game and sparked a Cougar comeback that just wouldn't quit. "I thought Behka really fired she's just amazing," us up Adams said. "And everyone was playing hard. Cindy is really tenacious and Kim Morris was playing so hard...just everyone was playing hard. And that's even though they were in finals week. They were physically and mentally exhausted, but they still wouldn't give up and pushed through." First, Sheri Quinton took a feed from Gallup and scored on a short jumper. Then Morris, playing tough defense, knocked the ball away from a Gaucho nt dribbler and dove to save it from going out of bounds. She batted it to Kim Henry Anderson, who scored on a fastbreak layup to trim the deficit to 64-6Stafford then came up with another steal, but a traveling call negated it. So Pierce came up with another steal and, with the shot clock about ready to buzz, Gallup drained a to bring BYU within two with 4: 16 left. Stafford then picked up her , fourth foul keeping Erin Alexander from making an easy layup. Alexander hit one free throw and Olpin answered with one charity toss on the other end to keep the deficit at two. Dio Aguinaldo came up big for UCSB. hitting a pull-u- p jumper in the key for a 67-6- 3 lead, but Stafford answered with a driving layup. After a Gaucho miss, the Cougars, who were badly outrebounded in the game, came up with a big board and Stafford eventually ended up on the line. She hit one shot to bring PHILADELPHIA (AP) Trevor Ruffin knew he was having a good night when he came within a point of his career high in one quarter. Ruffin scored 19 points in the second period and finished with a 32 Wednesday night as career-hig- h the 76ers defeated the Utah Jazz 108-10The win marked the first time this season that Philadelphia consecutive victories. Ruffin, who played for Phoenix last season and in Athens, Greece, from earlier this year, was from the field, including range. He entered the game a minute into the second period with Philadelphia trailing 37-2- 1 and hit all six of his shots, including four 3s. The 76ers closed to 59-5- 3 at halftime. "I just tried to go out and help the team win," said Ruffin, who 4. was signed Dec. 3 as a free agent. "Sometimes you just have to wait your turn, but you have to keep working and working. If they don't rotate to me, I'm going to take the open shot, and I had quite a few open ones tonight." Philadelphia coach John Lucas was high in his praise of Ruffin. "Trevor Ruffin gets four game balls," he said. Jerry Stackhouse, who had 18 points and 15 rebounds, was also a major factor. "I think this was Jerry Stackhouse's best game, even though he had six turnovers. I think his shot selection has improved dramatically," Lucas said. Philadelphia trailed by 13 midway through the third quarter and didn't take its first lead until a jumper by Sharone Wright moved the 76crs ahead 97-9- 6 with 5:53 to play. The teams then battled evenly until Vernon Maxwell made two free throws to give the 76ers a 106-10- 4 edge with 36 seconds to play. Utah's John Stockton was fouled with 3.8 seconds left, but missed his first shot. He missed the second intentionally, but Philadelphia gained possession and clinched the win on two foul shots by Stackhouse. Utah coach Jerry Sloan was dissatisfied with his team's inability to hold its early leads of as much as 18 points. "We just weren't able to sustain at all, and our execution just broke down," he said. "Once we started to take those quick shots and missing, they got back in the game. With a veteran team, I expect good execution, yet we threw the ball all over the world." It was a night for unlikely heroes in the NBA. Kevin Gamble, forced into a starting role by injuries to his Miami teammates, scored a career-hig- h 37 points as the Heat snapped e losing streak with a 04 victory over New Jersey. "We can't use (the injuries) as a crutch," said Gamble, who was a 1 five-gam- 12-- 1 averaging only eight points. "Those guys can't help us right now, so we have to step up and carry the load until they get healthy." Trevor Ruffin, playing in Greece before he signed with Philadelphia as a free agent Dec. 3, 32 points early. There was pushing and shovscored a career-hig- h lead the 76ers ing. I took it another step, and I Wedne.daj night to 4 to a Utah. over guess he took it another step. He victory Don MacLean matched his got a good first shot, and I hit him career high with 38 points, helping with a forearm and then with an Denver defeat Golden State open palm. Later on, he hit me, but But McLean also lost part of a no one saw it." Elsewhere in the NBA, it was tooth when he got involved in a Orlando 107, Minnesota 100; Indifracas with Chris Gatling. MacLean was livid, and ana 109, the Los Angeles Lakers remained so after the game 98; Detroit 102. Milwaukee 77; and Phoenix 106, Washington 104 media the to with refusing speak out of fear he would say something in overtime. 100 about the officials that would cost Magic 107, him a fine. Anfernce Hardaway scored 32 But Gatling wasn't nearly so points and Shaquille O'Neal had 30 as Orlando remained unbeaten reticent. "I got him," he said. "It started at home. Nick Anderson had 21 108-10- 109-10- 4. POOR COPY 6-- 5-- ; 6-- 6-- 16-of-- (See COUGARS, Page D3) 1 wvyi Xt. S eft -- Mh r - So tf JM tMiWfcr r ap Pnoto Utah's John Stockton lands on top of Philadelphia's Trevor Ruffin ing the first half Wednesday. The 76ers knocked off the Jazz dur- 108-10- 4. Unheralded players spend night in The Associated Press . 1 er .: : 5-- 0. Ruffin leads 76ers past Jazz By la last-seco- unwraps early Christmas presert By DOROTHY KNOELL The Daily Herald Assistant Sports Editor ; I knocked it away. Morris was able to recover it for the steal. BYU rallied from a deficit BYU's Kim Morris, left, and Santa Barbara's Frial battle for a loose ball after Morris PhotoJason Olson MBA's 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Magic improved to 1 0 at Orlando Arena. Pacers 109 Lakers 98 At Indianapolis. Rik Smits scored 27 points and Derrick McK-e- y of his had the first triple-doubeight-yea- r career for the Pacers. 'Pistons 102, Bucks 77 At Auburn Hills, Allan Houston scored 29 points, including consecutive during a 10-- 0 in control. run that put Detroit 104 Nits Heal 112, Bimbo Rutherford. At East 14 his of six scored Coles points in Miami handed the overtime as loss. fourth Nets their straight points, 3-- le spotligh Danny Schayes had 17 pointy and 16 rebounds, both season highs, for the Heat. : NugRets 109, Warriors 104 At Denver, Dikembe Mutombcr hit a hook shot with 13.5 seconds left as the Nuggets held oil Golden State. ' Suns 106, Bullets 104, OT. At Phoenix, Charles Barkley made two free throws with 1.8 seconds left in overtime to lift the Suns over the Bullets. Elliot Perry had 20 points and 12 assists for Phoenix, while Barkley had 26 points and 14 rebounds, although he was only cold-shooti- from the field. |