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Show Sports SUNDAY, January 22, 1995 The Salt Lake Cribune PREP BASKETBALL Page C-9 SECTIONC Page C-10 Jessie’s Sick, But Not Tired DICK ROSETTA ne Brigham Young Cougars LARAMIE, Wyo. — Despite Injury, Felton Knows He’s Doing OK Utah Guard Scores 26 leber, i THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE most standards, life was good for this tract, a degree in broadcasting from the University of Louisville, recognition on the 1995 NBAAll-Star ballot and his NBA club on a record pace. Felton hadit all Not a bad portfolio for a guy who was cut from his sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade teams at Louisville’s Crosby Middle School, only to later be- tieotehone ipetned ae ey ie ae WAG es to improve Fighting the flu, the Utah guard scored a career-high 26 points as the Utes beat Colorado State 91-79 Saturday night at Moby Arena “T wasfine,” he said. “It’s just mythroat and chest were utes. He made his only three- “Maybe youshould be To make things worse for Jessie, he jammed his left shoulder diving for a ball with three minutes left in the The Associated Press Joe Vogelthinks about how to shoot over Utah's Alex Jensen, No. 50, and Ben Melmeth, behind. @ See UTES, Page C-5 ior forward rebounded with a game-high there See BYU, Page C-5 By Gordon Monson THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Two days before his birthday, Spen- The football hung thick in the cer threw his 265-pound body into a air like defensive posture against old Louisville teammate Pervis Ellison at the Boston Garden. Gonein an instant was his left Achilles tendon. Gone was his type fruit, you know? Twenty yards downfield, Alfred Pupunu, as wide open and timein his five-year career. Yet, there is no looking back for the former academic All-American who graduatedin four years with a degree in broadcasting. “Just bad timing,” says Spencer of the latest injury. “Just anothertest of myresolve.”’ Life has been onebigtest. After growing up in Louisville in a singleparent home where his mom,Betty, had to work three jobs to ensure her five kids were healthy and well-edution of perseverance. Even as a 7-footer at 15, Spencer wasregardedaslittle morethan, as he remembers, “another uncoordinated big kid.” Then, after he established himself at Eastern High in Louisville 45s ofit.” No,Spencer will make sureofit. NBA 7 i 117, Lakers 113 (OT) Philadelphia ATVI REAR Atlanta 89, Boston 84 Sacramento 92, L.A. Clippers 86_ Big 5 Men’s Basketball Utah 91, Colorado State 79 After the Ags claimed a 11-10 advantage on a Jon Wickizer bucket, they fell apart The Rebels went on a 17-2 run over the next five minutes byhitting everything they threw at the rim. In the game's first five minutes UNLV shot a blistering 79 per- cent en route to a 25-13 lead We just dug too deep a hole. said USUcoach Larry Eustachy “They're as talented a five as there is in the conference. You can't be down 15 with 12 minutes left and expect to win.” Aggie center Eric Franson led all players with 21 points and nine rebounds but said Utah State came out unprepared to play The Rebels “were pumped for this game,” Franson said. “They were ready to play. Obviously, we weren't ready tonight. To try to come back the rest of the game was a hard thing.” Staring at a back to win the game, it was like a Pupunu knows all about im- probable dreams — working them, praying for them, waiting on them, burp, guzzling them. “He always wanted to play in who, with his wife, Polini, reared their five children in the Salt Lake area. “‘As a boy, he was a good athlete. But he learned important things. He learned that people who work hard, have pa@ See PUPUNU,Page C-2 16-3 USUrun left the Ags behind by only a basket with three minutes on the clock, but the Rebels hit free throwsin the end and the Good Chargers Not Afraid of Great 49ers THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NFL,” says William Pupunu, Alfred’s father, a retired repairman Maybe the Super Bowl, which looks to manylike another blowout by the NFC, should be approached this way: At least the AFC team isn't Buffalo or Denver, losers of seven of the last eight NFL title games. Taking thefield at Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium next Sunday will be W@ The SanFrancisco4vers. four Super Bow! titles in four tries; four Vince Lombardi trophies in the case in the lobbyof the Marie P. DeBar tolo Sports Centre. 15-point deficit with 10 minutes to play, the Aggies mounted a desperaterally. A The Associated Press Alfred Pupunu wantsto catch the nation’s attention in next week's Super Bowl. dream cometrue.” ey @ The San Diego Chargers, on top. no Super Bowl titles in no “Youcan't afford to lose one at tries; only the 1963 AFLtitle, the reward for a 51-10 blowout of the Boston Patriots be- homeif you're going to contend,’ Eustachysaid. Despite the bad start, USU had fore 30,127 fans at Balboa a shot whenSilas Millshit a layup Stadium The AFLno longer exists, to close the gap to 67-63 with 1:12 to play. The Rebels ate the clock @ See SUPER BOWL, C-2 on the ensuing possession and @ See AGGIES, Page C-5 Sick of Being Prey, Volleyball Team Turning Into Real Predators a sluggish start to handle Sacramento in TammyLileyand Kristin Klein and beach training in San Diego, setting with the Na- ball Association match at Hunter High a Predator mainstay spotting the Utah Predator starter who's not a USA National Team memberor a beachvolleyball star is hardly easy. Linda Byington and Charlene Johnson School. The scores: 9-15, 15-7, 18-16, 153. Whenthe Predators took control in the Still, the former University of Utah star has no delusions about her playing tional Team in tryout arranged by Predators general manager Don Black “By Friday, I felt pretty good about myself, and the coacheswerepretty posi- future. tive.” are blending in that well, and the Preda- erythingin sight. Surrounded by National Team players Natalie Williams, By Kurt Kragthorpe THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE WEST VALLEY CITY — These days, tors are rolling. Saturday, they overcame IdahoState 86, Weber State 70 S. Utah 74, Cal Northridge 50 Top 25 Hl UMass 59, Temple 58 5 UConn 86, Seton Hall 810 N, Carolina 87, Virginia Tech 76 _ UCLA85, ArizonaState 72 Kentucky 81, Vanderbilt68 four gamesin a women’s National Volley- fourth game, Byington was blocking ev- Syracuse 60, Providence 59 ; Big 5 Women’s Basketball WeberState 85, Idaho State 64 — Seattle 117, Dallas 91 Cleveland 101, Denver 100 (20T) give UNLV(5-7, 2-4) a huge lead punu, 25, who wasborn in Tonga and moved as an infant with his family to Utah. “It was my biggest moment in football. It woke up the whole team. When we came blend in with All-Stars Karl Malone, few minutes of basketball this vear to “It's a ritual-type deal, a cultural thing, you know?” says Pu- John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek. Therecord speaksforitself. The durable Spencer played 79 games last year and had playedall 34 this year until that fateful night just over a week ago whenthe Achilleslet go. Now, it’s rehab time. “I'll be ready for training campin October.I canstill lift for my upper bodystrength. A guy has to try and keep up with that Malone guy. He'll be needling the heck out of me to keep up with him. I can a a 69-63 victory. The Aggies (12-3. 6-1 Big West) played perhaps their worst eight homeland, left him like anisland. No Steeler touched him. Hecelebrated by pretending,right there in the end zone, to crack open one end of the fruitball and slurp up the sweet TD nectar, ‘‘just like drinking juice on the island.” A damaged orbital socket kept him out of 20 games his second NBAyear; an ankle injury kept him out of 10 his third year. ‘‘Flip-flop coaching direction” kept him on the bench lot more. Then, in 1993 came his chance with the Jazz ‘when the T-Wolves traded him for Mike Brown. ‘From the worst team in the league to a conferencefinalist . to someone who wanted me to play a lot,” recalls Spencer. Therest is history. Although getting little respect from the league’s officials, whostill regard him as nothing more than another losing T-Wolf, Spencer was just the big body with a soft shooting touch the Jazz needed to stacking aren't dead UNLVbrought back someofits good old days Saturdaynight at the Spectrum, ending Utah State's nine-game winstreak with play named afterhis heritage, his and later as a Cardinalstar, Minnesota now SPECIAL10 THE TRIBUNE LOGAN — Contraryto popular opinion, the Runnin’ Rebels ever,” he says. Whentheball finally plopped into his arms, the former Weber State player squeezedit tight and rambled towardthegoalline. The found it convenientto relegate its No. 1 draft pick to the bench. him ByJared M. Eborn dry-mouthed as anyreceiver ever was, waited and waited and waited. His arms, his heart, his parched throat screamed for the ball. In due time, like all good things in Pupunu’slife, it would come. The play is called ““Run/Pass 60 Counter Tonga” and the San Diego Chargers had practiced it repeatedly the week leadingup to their AFC Championship game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Everyoneontheoffense would fake the run while Pupunu, a 6-foot-3, 265-poundtight end, sneaked out for a pass. Midway through the third quarter, trailing 13-3, the Chargers madethe call and . ... Pupunu waited. “It took for- cated, Spencer knowswell the defini- [pounds] on my machine.” And Spencerwill lift them. “Mom told me a long time ago everything in life happensfor a reason. Maybe when the tendon let go, somebody wastelling me I neededto lift more weights; that I needed to develop better footwork.” For a guy whohadit all, add more strength and better footwork. Said a smiling Spencer,‘‘Karl will make sure Struggling UNLV Ends USU’s Streak papaya? A lush mango? Kava, perhaps? Some kind of island- 1995-96 campaign While his Jazz colleagues motor along in their best start ever, Spencer is left to contemplate what might have been his best NBA season.Atleast, through 34 games, he was scoring more (9.3 points per game) than at any see Rebels Race To Upset Of Aggies well, like a fat, juicy pineapple, or, was it a succulent 1994-95 Jazz season. Maybe part of his {conference} season Larson played like it. Quiet the last three games — — the si Pupunu’s Success Was Worth the Wait| runs again, although not as long, he says, as forecasted by medical experts. 1 al 22 points in 39 minu s. Defensively, he held Wyoming scoring leader Theo Ratliff to 13 points. Russell proved why he’s the best player in this league.” said BYU guard RandyReid, wh broke out three-game slump with 12 points. "He of his oy always plays well against Theo. There's a pride thing come one of the city’s most decorated basketball collegians. Yet, the 7-foot Utah Jazz center would gladly have given up all the birthday comforts to be running up and downthefloor with his Jazz mates. It will be some time before Spencer ee overall 1o-4 and coming off a humbling, nine-point effort at CSL sick burning really bad.” to said forward Russell Larson. ‘We were backedinto a corner. We werefighting for our lives pointer and was5 for 6 at the foul line “Who knows, maybe you should miss the shootaround,” said coach Rick Ma. jerus. over Wyo- in a tremendous hole to lose It would have put two in a row so early 15 fromthe field in 29 min- FORT COLLINS, Colo. — If State. BYU Witha record Arena-Auditoriumcrowdof 15,218 looking on, the Cougars controlled the game from i 7 = rally i a miss the afternoon shootar- all the Utes could getsick like Brandon Jessie, the WAC might as well cancel its conference tournament young man from Louisville, Ky. A multi-year, million-dollar NBA con- at Color: regrouped tofor; g ming Saturday afternoon oa ound. He didn’t miss much during the game, going 10 for ByPatrick Kinahan Felton Spencer spent his 27th birth- Win Oh, is that all? Jessie was sick enough to Despite Flu dayin his Salt Lake condo Jan. 15. By lomen desperate are better when they BACForsCoe lope oF Ci Kansas 91, Colorado 77 - star Blaine Roque, Byington has become Johnson, meanwhile, is definitely tar- UTEP63 (OT) aDiego Arizona 94, Southern Cal 83 Towa State 79, Kansas State 73 Air Force at Hawaii, late Wake Forest 67, Clemson 60 NHL St. 65 Quebec 3,Philadelphia 1 Nevada 74, New Mexicc ‘ico Washington 1, Hartford 1 Minnesota 77, Illinois 66 St. 67 N.Y. Islanders 2, Florida 1 N.Y. Rangers 5, Montreal 2 Anaheim 4, innipeg 3 Johnson, the ex-Brigham Bee eae eka te caer @ See PREDATORS, Page C-4 @)1:30 p.m. — NBABasketball, ~ TV IW Sports SPO ) 10 a.m. — College Basketball, Georgetownat Vila (2) 11 a.m. — NBABasketball, Oregon 92, Washington 83 said Young setter who hopes to be invited San Jose 3, Toronto 2 NewMexico 69, Fresno St. 69, says the Ute geting the Olympics. She spent last week WAC - outh Carolina73._ Arkansas #8, South Carolina 73 “I'm just coaching,” assistant Bulls Rockets at (5) Noon — College Basketball, Michigan State atMichigan (PSN) Noon — Women’s Basket- ball, G. Washington atRutgers Magic ie at Suns A. CES )2Be ne a — Cok Golf, Nees Ni SN) 2:30p.m, — College Basketball,Duquesne at G. Wash. CINK) 3 p.m. — Auto Racing, NASCARWinstonWest Series p.m. — College Basketball, Marquette at St. Louis CESPN) 6 p.m. — College Foot- ESPN) 12:30 p.m. — Bowling, PBA Hilton HotelsClassic (taped) 9 p.m. — College Basketball, Air Force at Hawaii (taped) |
