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Show The Salt Lake Tribune SPORTS Sunday, March 11, 2001 Good Byefor U.? No, It’s Goodbye Given break, Utes makeearly tourney exit BY PATRICK KINAHAN semifinals in New York. THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE up,” said forward Jeff Johnsen. LAS VEGAS — Thebye was precursor to a premature goodbye. “We'll probably play some more games.” In the future, the Utes may want to waveoff any conference tournament byes. Thelast time the Utes had a bye, in 1998,theyalso losttheir first game. “Coach told us to keep our heads Utah lost to New Mexico 56-53 late Friday night, marking the second consecutive season the Utes were ousted in the Mountain West men’s basketball tournamentsemifinals. At And this bye may have cost them a victory they needed to improve their 19-11, Utah likely will be relegated to NCAA Tournamentcredentials. No. 4 seed New Mexico beat ColoradoState to ae ro the top. the NIT, which will extend invitations tonight after the NCAA an- nounces its tournamentpairings. has not Rick Egan/TheSalt Lake Tribune Cougars inbounds pass and drewa foul. He madea free throw, but missed the second, giving New Mexico onelast but the Lobos’ go-to guy (14 points) tallies single-handedly. “Sometimes you get in a groove like that and it seems like everything you throwupwill go in,” said Wesley, who leaped onto the scor- er’stable at thefinal horn, as though dimbing the mountain he and his team had been scaling for four launching a three-pointer from straight on. But it bounced away, Trent Whiting hugged the rebound session with his wife and daughter played the final six minutes with ur fouls. Didn't matter. He kept shooting, drawing a foul on an offtalance layup with 4:48 thatheld off Jet another Lobo charge. And when New Mexico drew vithin two with less than a minute fp go, the Cougar team captain lled for the ball again. First, he . it’s just teams to play host to NCAA Tournament games on Saturday. The men’s Saal‘pmiller@sltrib. com Douglas 4-13 34 14, Chatfield 2.8.14 5, vould have enough chances; Wesley through Thursda’ The Utah einen maybe oneof16 outside the BYU locker room. “To posted up.” For a time, it was doubtful they team also could play host to addi- tional games next week. Last season, Brigham Young won two NIT games at homebefore losing at Notre Dame. The four teamsthat win three games advance to the NEW! 1912) ‘ae $840 11 ‘Smith 2-4 4-4 8, eeaeous Johnson 1: Totals 23-58 12-1865. BYU 120412, Dowty 25 004 the country, but only one of them could advanceto the national tournament. Dixie did, thanks to Saturday night's 76-75 victory in thefinals of the Scenic West Athletic Conference tournamentat Burns Arenain Valley in the women’sfinal, as the Wolverines advanced .to the national tournamentat Salina, Kan. Snow was ranked No.12 in the final national poll. Casey Cooke led tourney, March20-24 in Hutch: club to the final four in 1996. The Wolverines wentthree other times underformer coach Tom Perkins. Kan. Kristen Saliby scored 22 points Saturdaynight at Smith Fieldhouse in Provo. ‘The only trouble was, No,4 Stan: ford was also in town Stanford scored 196.775 to BYU's 194,300 and Southern Utah's 194.000, The Cougars, usually solid on bars, had two gymnasts fall and scored a 48.125, a season low by more than four-tenths ofa point. BYUalso shots, Kevin Bradley missed a threepointattempt. “Any time you don’t free throw any better than we did, you'll have a hard time winning any game,” Hun- sakersaid. For the second consecutive game, er,” Hunsakersaid. “We needed to keep our concentration and not let him gethis flow going. Once hedid, he was tough to handle.” New Mexico 56, Utah 53 NEW MEXICO (19-11) }0-0 7, Smith 2-9 1-25,| Mereprtpelllinees 5116016Cute 29247, 10-3 5-6 Broussard 1-3 0-0 2,Johnson 1-1 1-23, Dennehy 1-32-34. Totals 17-51 20:30 ve 24 4-5 9, B.Johnsen 5-13 7-12 17, Cullen 1-2 023ages4128 Sm 24207Buy 20125 0-0 0-0 0, JJohnsen 3-7 1-2 7, Atholl 1-4 0-2 2. Totals Faran Haitime—New Meco 28, Ush 22. Three-Point Shots— New Mexico 2-12 (White 1-1, Smith 0-1, Douglas 0-3, Parmer 0-2, Chatfield 1-2, 01), Uh 310 W. 14, BJohngen 0-1, Cullen 1:2, Spivey 12, 0.3, J.lohnsen 0-1) (Douglas 6 ‘Spivey, Bradley 2). Total Fouls—New Mexico 25, Utah 21. A—13.474. NCAA Automatic Bids On ColonialAbit Association (Oral Roberts,Mid-Continent Pennsyvani, Wy League The Sooners rallied in the second half, putting together a 10-0 run — capped by Sunny Hardeman’s threepointer with two minutes left — to cut the Cyclones’leadto 65-63. Oklahoma was still within two Ed Zurga/The Associated Press Oklahoma's LaNeishea Caufield, front, and lowa State’s Angie Welle battle for a looseball in the Big 12 championship at KansasCity, Mo. Lindsey Wilson missed thefront end The Cyclones defeated the Sooners, 68-65. points, 67-65, and had theball in the closing seconds after Iowa State’s of a one-and-one with 25.4 seconds to go. The Sooners retained possession MISSOURI VALLEY: toumament in Pocatello, idaho, and clinched its #16 Southwest Missouri State 84, Drake 69: Jackie Stiles scored 21 of her 47 points consecu- Idaho State (25-4) extended its winning streak to 21 games, tying Pennfor the longest active tively, leading Southwest Missouri State to the MVC championship in Springfield, Mo. Stiles, who leads the nation in scoring and is the NCAA women's careerleader, got 21 points in justoverfive minutes after the game was tied 38- 38 in the second half. She hit 8-of-11 shots from the floor, which included two of four 3-pointers, and made three free throws during the run. Erica Haugen scored 11 points for TowaState, which got 12 rebounds 10 in the first half — from Tracy Gahan. Taylor, Dales, Wilson and Oklaho- mentallyfocused, and this is what happens. Physically we are capable, ma’s Rosalind Ross joined Welle on the all-tournamentteam. Towa State, which brokeout to an early 123 lead, never trailed in Saturday night's game. The Cyclones led 28-23 at the half and were up by as many as 12 points near the midpoint ofthe secondhalf. first berth in the NCAA toumament. streak in nation The Bengals dominated the boards in the first half, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, and built a 35-28 lead byhalftime. OTHER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS: UCSanta Barbara 79, Long Beach State 76: Neishea Caufield added 1 points, We've had three meets aven't shown up for. The effort wasn't there. Theeffort to stay Utah State on Friday in Provo and visit Utah on March23, Mexico point field goal inthefirsthalf. id BYU coach Brad Cat- Wecan stay with any teamif we hit.” The Cougars(9-4) have two meets remaining before the NCAA Regionals, They will compete with Britton New missed 14 oftheir first 15 shots and went almosteight minutes without a struggled on the beam, scoring a 48.375. In fact, the Cougars failed to State to beat trailing 54-52, The guard, who scored a career-high 24 throw and added 13 points for the , third-seeded Cyclones (25-5). Towa State overcame poor early shooting to win the closest championship gamein the conference's fiveyear history. The top-seeded Sooners (25-5), playing in their first Big 12 final, Hardeman’s last-second three-point try rimmed out after Welle missed her second attempt. Dales and Jamie Talbert led Oklahoma with 14 points each and La- BYU Southern Uttah women’s GYMNASTICS PPinos nuctics Utah Johnsen madeoneoftwofree throws. After Tim Lightfoot canned both foul Parmer. No.13 IowaState beat No. 7 Oklahoma68-65 for its secondstraight Big 12 Conference tournamenttitle. Center Angie Welle, the tournament MVP,hit a critical late free on a heldball call with 6.7 seconds left, but Stacey Dales lost the ball off herleg on the inboundspass, Welle hit one free throw after being fouled with 5.1 seconds left, and Brigham Young recovered well enough from Friday's loss at Utah and Utah could not contain Marlon points against the Utes on March3, had 14 points in the second half Friday. During a four-minute stretch midway through the second half, he scored eight consecutive points. He also scored twofield goals to turn a one-pointlead into a 52-47 lead. “Parmer is an outstanding play- ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Cougars Top Southern Utah, But Fall Hard to No. 4 Stanford THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE bruised sternum. The team’s free-throw shooting was especially atrocious, at 55 percent. The Utes missed twofree throws in thefinal 27 seconds. With 10 secondsleft in the game Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune Utah's Jeff Johnsenreacts to the Utes’ 56-53 loss to New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference toumamentFridaynight. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Megan Taylor hit six three-pointers ‘and scored 28 points Saturday night as cent from thefield to UVSC’ St. George. Utah Valley State College upset mn, Chris Burgess left the game midway through the second half with a Taylor, No. 13 Iowa State Slip Past No. 7 Oklahoma the Badgers with 16 points, Anna Bateman added 13 and Kamie Jo Masseyhad11. Snowshot percent. UVSC’s national tournament appearance will be the second for coach Cathy Nixon, who took her Snow 72-65 for the women’stitle. Dixie moves on to the NJCAA behind the 32 per- WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL score-BYU 33, iene Tepe Mexico 7.21 (Parmer 153,Johnson, Chat0-2),BrehagCa Cooper 4-1, Lyday 1-2, Wesley 1-2, Nielsen +1), Fouled out—Whit, abounds one 9 (Deray 1) BYU 23 (Wesley 8). Assists—New Mexico 9 (Parmar 4), BYU 14 (Montague 5). Total fouls—New Mexico 19, BYU 17 and Miriam Sy added 12 for Utah Dixie State College and Southern Idahoare twoofthe top four junior game this season, cent against Texas. TwoofUtah’s best shooters, Nick Jacobson and Phil Cullen, took a combined six shots. ‘Wesley 11-12 7-8 30, Nielsen 2-4 3-4 7, Whiting 5-12 2:2 NarrowVictory Puts Dixie college men’s basketball teams in cent from thefield, its second-worst 15, Lyday 49 2-2 11, Montague 0-1 0-0 0, Knight 0-0 0-0 0, In National Tournament they Utah anit 35 per Eeee een nee SCENIC WEST TOURNAMENT ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE eer home game. Utah’s athletic department has told NIT organizers the Huntsman a is available Clevelandsaid after a long hugging BYU 69,, New Mexico 65 a Utah forward the lobbyers.” Ifthe Utes go to the NIT,they stand adecent chance ofplaying atleast one Cleveland’s season-long goal was finally achieved. “Tt has been a great experience,” “Give credit to my guardsfor throwingit tome when I had myguy feel for the NCAA be takeninto consideration, butthat will be out ofmy hands andin those of and took a foul, and coach Steve winveals eSamplonett: deft Johngen “We have a team that’s played extremelywell as oflate. I hope that will in the second, had a good look, Starting with a layup with 16 eae eee ae zt eu ie > pee ae a Tournament,” said acting head coach Dick Hunsaker. Parmer,scoreless in the first half minutes to go, Wesley took over for i) minutes, drawing fouls, driving games. streak. 3 “I don’t have a gasp. tetween double-teaming defenders and generally foiling repeated Lobo more ga last three games,the witha three-pointer, Wesley took an flay: Giveit to Mekeli. our heads up. We'll probably play some Before losing two of their lon Parmer electrified the crowd @ Continued from C-1 “Coach told us to keep . saia utah forward probable. then, after New Mexico guard Mar- Earn NCAA Bid oat pod= fiveNCAAbid but with only 16 Divi sion Iwins, itisim- laid a soft hook over two Lobo defenders to restore the lead to four; Defeat Lobos, abandoned hope for TOP25: UCLA 81, #22 Washington 56: Kristee Porter scored 22 points and led a second-half comeback by UCLA in Los Angeles. Despite the loss, Washington ends the season in a three-way tie for the Pac-10 championship, sharing the title with Stanford and Arizona State. Rachelle Rogers scored 25 points to lead Santa Barbara to its fifth straight Big West Conference toumament title with a win over Long Beach in Anaheim, Call ‘scored seven of her 17 points in overtime as top- Idaho State 68, Montana 59: Mandi Carver Scored 16 points as Idaho State beat Montana 68-59 in the finals of the Big Sky Conference land for their seventh Mid-American Conference championship. Stephen F. Austin 73: tanta Pulled esprit eneeciee to lead Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Con- ference championship in Bossier City, La. The sends the Ladyjacks to the NCAA Toumament for the 14th straight time and 16th overall Dominion 66, James Madison 62: At Norfolk, Va., Okeisha Howard scored 13 points as the Monarchs won their 10th consecutive Colonial Athletic Association toumament. ‘TCU 66, Hawall 58: Tricia Payne scored 26 points and Texas Christian held off a late rally to beat to win the the Westem Athletic Conference toumament in Tulsa. Alcorn State 86, Grambling State 74: ference tournament in Birmingham, Ala. -° ‘scored 36 points, includingfive in overtime,as the Rockets defeated the Golden Flashes in Cleve- Cherea Wood had 34 points and 12 rebounds as ‘Aicom State won the Southwestem Athletic ConDelaware 69, Vermont 64, OT: Lindsay Davis BIG SKY: ‘UC Santa Barbara, 8gWestConterence Wisc-Miwaukoe, Confer aver, ante 10 ‘seeded Delaware rallied to beat Veromont in Burlington, Vt, its first America East toumament tte. Toledo 74, Kent State 65, OT: Kahii Carter ference toumament in Chicago and eamed their first NCAA bid. Howard 63, Delaware State 44: Essence Coggins scored 10 points during a 21-2 second- half run to lift Howard in the Mid-Eastem Athletic Conference final in Richmond, Va. UTAH GYMNASTICS Despite 2 Falls on Beam,Utes Post 7th-Best Score in School History, Defeat Oregon State BYDICK ROSETTA ‘THE SALT LAKETRIBUNE bites University of Utah women nasts proved just how good they are freSat y night, that their No, 3 national rankingis validand that the two — ranked higher hadbest be i HowTsao? The Utes had tocount a fall on balance beam from each of the two best beam workers in the nation und still posted the school’s seventh best score ever in a 197.425-196,060 victory over C State in front of luntaman Center, Georgia, but when we have the executionlike tonight, nobody is better,” said Marsdenafter the school’s 163rd straight homewin. Any suggestion that the Utes might be in a mini late-season slump after their 196,725 tie at Washington last Sunday was dispelled on the strength of a winning 39.625 allaround score from junior Deidra Graham andthreespectacular team In posting hersixthall-around win standing as the No. 4 all-arounderin the nation. “I did my double layout on bars for the second meet in a row, stuck my beam dismount and was able to makeup for being a little off in theair on my vault. Thefloor was just an everydaything.” A walk in theparkis about what scores on three events. * “Wejust had a little hitch in our giddy-up last week,” said Marsden, “Wecameback to the gym and sucked it up and committed ourselves to staying motivated by working hard.” Marsden says “is back on schedule for peakingat nationals.” For instance,in compiling a 49.575 bars score just off the school record Graham, whotied a career high of 9.96 on the uneven bars and tacked on 4 meetending 9.96 on floor, said the UWtleserved as a “wake-wycall that ‘or [No. MHUCLA.No 2) intend to have any moreof those.” of the year, Graham cemented her you need once in a while.;We don’t becoming for this Ute team that Theresa Kulikowsk!’s 9.95 was almost anticlimactic, When the Utes took a 49.50 vault score and the superlative bars score and the 10,0-starved fans athrill when she stuck her 10.0 difficulty start thinking about an all-time best vault. The handspring front pike with a half-twist was scored a perfect 10at to beam, there was good reason to school record (197.925). But Ku: likowski and Bowles both tumbled from the 4-inch-widestriy of leather to the audible gasp ofthefans. Never had both All-Americansfallenin the first, but the wrong score went upand shesettled for a career best 9.975, At least, one judge sawperfection. Leclere seemed a trifle disap- same meet. pointed in missing the 10, but ac Marsden leapedto their defense. “How can you say anything harsh? I knowledged she “can be more consis- told them they were going hard and those things happen sometimes. of 49.70 Utah had career-high scores from freshmen Annie Medcalf They'll be back. They'll be back strong.” (9.9) and Veronique Leclerc (9.9) and Marsden said if either had stayed up, “we would have had a school record. If both of them stay up, we do junior Shannon Bowles (9.95). Senior Theresa Wolf (9.925) and Graham tied their persénal bests. Sophomore be.” Leclerc, a rookie from St. Hubert, Quebec, gave her visiting parents 4 198, That’s how good this team can tent with my landings.” Marsden weighed in on his gymnast’s behalf: “There was just a judge whodidn’t want to giveout a 10.0 tonight.” Wolf, whousually goes all-around, did three events about as well as she ever has: 9.925 on bars, 9.850 on beam and 9,925 on floor, “Yeah, theP were right on,” said the team captain. “We had to come out and prove to ourselves we're the best. We haveto stay likethis for nationals,” |
