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Show Tfie TfmnderSird Momfoy December 5, 1983 Page 15 Lady cagers earn weekend split SUSC now l'l in conference action; host Mesa Mavericks tonight trap. The quicker Cowgirls executed the press with by Brooks Washburn ease, making it difficult for SUSC to set up a potent After pulling out a victory over Western New Mexico Thursday night, the Southern Utah State College Lady Birds hit a cold streak Saturday decision to New Mexico and lost a close Highlands for a weekend split in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Womens basketball action. on the season and The women, now in RMAC play, will host to Mesa College in War Memorial Fieldhouse at 5:30 this evening. It wasnt until three minutes into the first half that New Mexico Highlands drew first blood in Saturdays game. SUSC came back, however, to tie affair. the score, and the game became a Cynthia Estrada was deadly for Highlands, as she hit several perimeter shots in the early going. Gwen Thomas kept the Lady Birds in the game with driving layups and short jumpers. Highlands hit a cold streak at the 10 minute mark, giving the Lady 'Birds the opportunity to build a lead. After a brief timeout, however, the visitors regrouped and climbed back into the contest. Amy Wright came off the SUSC bench to add scoring strength, and the Birds led at the half, The two squads battled back and forth in the second stanza, and each team had an opportunity to lead the game. The turning point for the visitors came when Highlands Coach Rick Arguello ordered a 75-6- 5 72-6- 4 see-sa- 37-3- half-cou- rt offense. By forcing the ball away from the middle, Highlands forced the Lady 'Birds to take poor shots, lead and the Cowgirls jumped out to a midway in the half. When SUSC Coach Boyd Adams instructed his team to work the ball inside and attack the zone press, the Lady Birds were able to get inside shots, but could not convert them. After another belabored cold streak, in which neither team could buy a basket, Highlands put the clamps back on the SUSC offense and pulled ahead, with 7:34 remaining in the game. SUSC had an opportunity to climb back into competition, pulling within five points with six minutes remaining, but missed free throws, missed shots and key turnovers harmed the home squad, win. and Highlanders pulled out a Thursdays game was a replica of Saturdays in the first half. Each team shot well from the floor, and warfare on evenly matched lineups made for the boards and defense. Thomas paced the Thunderbirds, scoring from the outside, whild Paula Burgoyne and Lisa Ballantyne ably manned the boards for SUSC. The Thunderbirds play their third game in five nights this evening against Mesa College. SUSC is picked in one poll to win the RMAC crown, and picked to finish fourth in another. five-poi- 56-4- 9 72-6- 4 all-o- SUSCs Lisa Ballantyne (24) is snuffed by Yvonne Torres (35) of New Mexico Highlands in an RMAC womens basketball game Saturday night. Highlands won 72-- 6 4. Though hes small, Daniels plays with the big boys by Paul Husselbee The mere appearance of Southern Utah States 2 forward Shawn Daniels may not scare opposing basketball players. But perhaps thats because they dont get scared until the games a few minutes old. Daniels may be short for the position he plays, but he says this makes the challenge that much greater. The junior from San Francisco uses his muscular, powerful body both as an offensive weapon, snaking inside to score in double figures, and as a rebounding threat to be reckoned with. Though his height could be likened more easily to that of a guard, Daniels leads SUSC in scoring average with 20 points a game, and in rebounding, with eight boards per outing. And as far as SUSC Coach Bob Schermerhorn says he is concerned, Daniels height doesn't bother him at all. Shawns a player, Schermerhorn beams. I love the competition and the challenge of basketball, Daniels says. I especially enjoy going up against bigger people. I like being the underdog and beating people out that youre not supposed to beat. Daniels grew up playing basketball in the ' iaygrounds of San Francisco. He was an allinference performer for Galileo High School in the I y area, and averaged 17 points a game there. fter high school, Daniels moved on to Skyline Junior College in San Bruno, Calif., where he helped lead his team to the California Junior College championship in his freshman year. Last year, Skyline won runner-uhonors in the same championship tournament. Daniels was all 6-- big-tim- e p conference both years, and last year made the JC squad. While Daniels was performing heroics for Skyline, Schermerhorn was recruiting players for where he assisted before taking the SUSC coaching post. Schermerhorn says he recruited what he felt were the two best players Skyline had to offer for Irvine. orompted him to come to SUSC, Daniels said. Lots of coaches tell you one thing and do another, Daniels says. Coach Horn isnt like that. He lays it on the line and hes square, with .us. Whether you score 30 points or none, everybody gets treated the same... 1 like that. Daniels said the coach warned him life would be different in Cedar City than it had been in California. He told me it was a small town and that there wouldnt be much of a social life for me here," Daniels I says. "No lies. But here am... where can concentrate on two things: the ball and the books. Daniels has had to fill some pretty big shoes with the graduation of four SUSC starters from last years Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion. Schermerhorn says Daniels has filled those shoes quite adequately. Shawn is just what we need, Schermerhorn says. Hes a scorer. Hes a good shooter, but not great... he just finds a way to get the ball in the basket, and know can count on him to score. Two weeks ago, Daniels took on former NBA player Ray Townsend when SUSC entertained the Brazilian National team, and scored 37 points in a victory. It felt great to play that well against a bona fide star like Ray Townsend, Daniels says. Hes a great player, and that kind of challenge really turns me on. Though he is known mostly for his scoring ability, Daniels is also an effective rebounder. I like to rebound, Daniels says. It surprises people because I and when we played Brazil they had some am only giants. It was fun to go in there and prove I can rebound with the big boys. 1 like beating someone you re not supposed to beat, says 1 Shawn Daniels. 1 1 However, he kept close tabs on Daniels also. I remember telling Shawn I may be going somewhere else to coach, and when I took this job, hes one of the first peoplt I called, Schermerhorn says. I now think I made a mistake at Irvine... Shawn could b as good or better than one of the players I recruited for them. Schermerhorn was one of the deeding factors that 6-- |