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Show SPORTS co| DallyHerald SATURDAY, MARCH11, 2006 ‘SPORTSEDITOR| Darnell Dickson - 344-2555- ddickson@heraldextra.com MWC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT| BRIGHAM YOUNG Major downer Nodenyingloss to rival Utes put damperon great season for BYU Jason Franchuk DENVER — Thescene was pathetic as one could imagine after BYU lost, 74-70, to Utah on Thursdayin thefirst round of the men’s basketball Mountain West tournament. | A half hour after the game, players were | | | DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/Associated Press BYU guard Mallary Gillespie, center, joins coaches spacious Pepsi Center | | and teammatesin celebrating BYU's 63-53 victory over TCU in the teams’ MWCsemifinal. slumped around their locker room, | =eLady Cougs trum hardly any except for a few whotried “ouknow, eee| TOU to set up title N y to explain 3 the breaks 7 (ou? foe didn’t go our Coacheswere match with Utah way.It hurts room,dead . . losing this i Senie: Jimmy Balderson BYU guard = silent Outside, | | schoolofficials looked despondent. | Darnell Dickson DAILY | Icy glares D DENVER — Howstrongis Dani Kubik? | Strong enough to carry the BYU women’s bas- were the ketball team into the Mountain West Conference norm.It Tournamentfinals. wasn’t much different than | at the podium where coach Dave Roseand players Trent Plaisted and Jimmy Balderson answered Kubik, 6-foot-3 junior, scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead top-seeded BYU (25-4) to a 63-53 victory over No. 4 seed TCU in the semi- questions. “You know,the breaks didn't go our way,”Baldersonsaid.“It | | z hurts losing this game.” | S_<_— NO.1BYU 63 Center. No. 2 seed Utah (23-6) set to practice again. Another | NO.4TCU 53 defeated UNLV 61-45 in the BYU returned homeFriday, | gameis likely, in the revamped NIT.The Cougarswill likely play host to a game. But somehow, along the way finals on Friday, setting up a third meeting with rival Utah for the tournamenttitle this afternoon at 4 p.m. in the Pepsi earlier semifinal to advance. “To get a rivalry game for the championship, there's nothing better,” Kubik said. BYU also got a strong game from sophomore of a 20-8 season,this finish seemed like a big: disappointment. Entering as the No. 3 seed Mallary Gillespie (18 points) and a double-double from senior Ambrosia Anderson(12points, 10 rebounds)to beat TCUforthe third timethis season. “TCU is a very good team,” said BYU head > DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/Associated Press (buttied for second place with Air Force), BYU looked forward 4 , Brigham Young coach Dave Rose hangshis head as time runs outin Utah's 74-70victory in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournamentin Denver,late Thursday night. See LOSS, C3 See COUGARS, C3 Anderson:Utesarejerks andstat-stutfers ‘ou’d think maybe,just maybe, Utah’s Kim Smith drove BYU's Ambrosia Andersonto this point. Andersonwill look you square in the eyes and refute the comparison, even though they sharedthe Mountain West Conference Player of the Year award and will face each other at 4 p.m.todayin the league's tourna- menttitle game. Anderson's game may have evolvedthis year, comparedto the past three in which her talent never fully shined through. But she'sstill indifferent about the Utes andtheir ever-present star Smith, who is winding downa college career that was —_excellent from thestart. A Colorado woman, Anderson couldn't care less about Smith and Utah in Denver. Take these nuggets, which were released after a breezy Friday semifinal win against TCUat the Pepsi Center,just as easily assheflicks a 3-pointeroff the fingertips. On the Utes:“I just hope we beat them. You know, the thing about them is, they're a good team but their players arejust not very nice. All the other teams areat the hotel, and talking to each other when we cross paths. And they just walk by you and don’t say anything.” On Smith: “It’s different for her. On our team,it's about the team.If we’re up 20 points, coach (Jeff Judkins)is J lason Fr,‘anchuk See FRANCHUK,C3 BASEBALLCLASSIC WORLD The Front Row PREP BASKETBALL Classic r US. bounces back with17-run rout “l-Sta set for Tuesdaytip Griffey knocks in “28em seven runs to help U.S. advance Tom Haudricourt MILWAUKEE JOURNALSENTINEL SCOTTSDALE,Ariz. — With a second-roundberth in the World Baseball Classic at stake, Team USA showed no mercy to South Africa, The international rule book did, however. Under the mercy rule that states all games will be Team USA had short day at the office Fridayf whipping South Africa, 17-0, before a full house of 11,975 fans at involved in a mercy-rule game, Team USA third baseman Alex Rodriguez said, “Yeah, in Little ae Neverin professional Given secondlife when Mexico pounded Canada,9-1, the previous evening, Team USA advanced with Mexico to the second-roundbracket in Anaheim, Calif, joining Japan and Korea. Team USA,seeded See US., C4 MORRY GASH/Associated Press USA's Ken Griffey Jr., hits an RBIsingle during the fourth inning against South Africa on Friday. Griffey drove in seven runsin the 17-0 win. tana Darnell Dickson DAILY HERALD Gameinfo For the 10th straight year, the Wrat: 2006 Utah Valley ateeer All-Star Basketball Classic of hoops. When: Tuesday, March 14 sh Valley AILSt The 2006 Utah V: ar ake Basketball Classic will be held _\| Where: Timpview High is en 14 at Timpview ig! Thunderdome ih ee iat caace fers on display. As soon dotaa local charity, This ear,it's the Crandall Historical ‘inting Museum in Provo, eerfag between the and até p.m. Thé North t Girls Game: 6 p.m. : Bove Game: 6 pin. The Word: soo te ee senior basketball playe' in Utah Valley will Bey .. Tickets sold at the door. | Adults ($4); family pass ($10); 12-and-under ($1); ‘students ($2). ... Proceeds ‘are donated to charity. |