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Show !MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2001 UNIVERSITY JOURNAL SPORTS PAGE 13 'Birds net share of Mid-Continent Championship Southern Utah University breaks a school record, winning 22 games and a share of the Mid-Con title BY JASON ERICKSON JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR court as the 2000-2001 Mid-Continent Championship banner was lowered from the rafters for the first time ever at the Centrum Arena. SUU finishes the season tied with Valparaiso for the Mid-Con's best record. The nets came down Saturday night in the Centrum as Southern Utah University "To finish the season like this is amazing," Chandler said. "Our team really came finished the season with a 91-73 victory over Oral Roberts, netting a share of the Midtogether this year. We are all great friends and have good relationships with one Continent Conference Championship with another, which shows out on the court.· for the first time in the school's history. Oral Roberts kept things close early in The 'Birds p1ayed in front of a packed the game, trailing by just three with 10:56 Centrum crowd, the biggest of the left in the first half. SUU responded with a season , {5,163) giving T-Bird faithful a lot 12-3 run to go up by 10 with 7:32 to cheer about as SUU pulled out the remaining in the half. SUU went into victory over the Golden Eagles, extending halftime with a 43-37 lead. its record to 22-5 on the seasonand 13-3 Midway through the second half SUU in the Mid-Con. went on a 22-3 run and never looked back Seniors Fred House and Jeff Monaco as the Thunderbirds went on to win 91-73 . went out in style, with House scoring a "I will.miss playing on this court ," House career-high 30 points while Monaco said . "I will miss lacing up the shoes added 27 , including four steals to lead the before every practice and game. There 1s 'Birds to victory. nothing better than coming and playing on "We came out to win the championship this court with my teammates ." tonight ," Monaco said. "You got to give all The 'Birds will now look to the Midthe credit in _the world to our guys tonight. Continent tournament beginning We push each other hard to bring out our Saturday. best and it has paid off this year.· "We have to focus on what's ahead SUU brought its home winning streak to now," Evans said. · we will be matched up 22 games , moving them to the fourth against a tough Western Illinois team. longest home streak in the nation. Everybody seems to step up their game in Seniors B.J. Chandler. John \Nheeler , the tournament and we will have to do the Justin Sant, House and Monaco stepped same. Our defense will have to be better on the Centrum hardwood for the final ~ · than we played tonight. " time Saturday. All were honored in a pre- ~ The Thunderbirds will have the second game ceremony before the game. ~ seed going into the tournament because Q "These guys have taken our program to 1 Valpo swept the season series with third new heights ," Coach Bill Evans said . "The:!!: place Youngstown State , while SUU split leadership they have brought to this team ffi the YSU series. SUU's Fred House holds up the net in triumph Saturday night after the 'Birds defeated will truly be missed . They are all good The Mid-Continent Conference people and great friends of mine ." Oral Roberts University 91-73 at the Centrum. The Thunderbirds clinched a sharg of /he tournament will be held Mar. 2-6 in Fort Mid-Continent Conference Championship for the first time in school history. As the game ended fans rushed the Wayne , Ind . 1 Ladies end sea·s on with win BY LYLE GOULDING JOURNAL STAFF WRITER in the secpnd half of the game. Oral Roberts tied the game at 50 with 7:02 left in the game but SUU answered with a 10-2 run. The Southern Utah University women's basketball "I am so proud of this team," said Coach Joe Hillock. team ended its regular season with a 72-65 win over ' We have learned to answer the runs other teams bring Oral Roberts University Saturday nigh in the,Centrum at us with a run of our own ." Arena. Oral Roberts pulled to Seniors Sarah Mortensen within five points with 1:34 and Jacque Palmer were left in the game on a threehonored before the last pointer by Christina Kelley. home game of their SUU answered quickly basketball careers. with a three of its own by "We are very proud of our Lindsey Hille. seniors th is year," guard With the win over Oral Sally Johnson said. "We will Roberts , SUU has now really miss them next defeated every team in the season.· Mid-Continent Conference Mortensen scored 11 at least once this season . points, grabbed seven "I think this win gives a rebounds and had three heads up to the other blocked shots in the T-Bird teams in the conference." victory. Mortensen said. "We plan Johnson led all scores with on winning the conference 22 and Megan Woolston tournament, we are not added 13 for SUU . Krista going just to play around." Ragan led Oral Roberts in SUU end the season scoring with 20 points. with an 11-5 record in the Johnson has averaged 17 Mid-Con and 16-11 overall points per game in SUU's record . last three home wins. ~ The Thunderbirds will "I am just trying to get my ~ travel to Fort Wayne, Ind . teammates the ball , but if the ~ for the Mid-Continent opportunity comes up I shoot lJl Conference tournament it," Johnson·said. ~ beginning Saturday. SI.JU ~- ::i; Southern Utah went to the :!!: could be seeded as high locker room with a 37-33 · ffi-as second, pending halftime lead. The SUU-guard Sally Johnson drives to the hole for two of tonight's Mid-Continent Thunderbirds never trailed her team high 22 points in the win over Oral Roberts. Conference action. Women r un to share of Mid-Con Southern Utah's women 's indoor track team used the final race of the day to grab a share of the MidContinent Conference championship with Oral Roberts, 152-152, while SUU 's men put on a furious rally to finish second behind ORU , 159-122.50, in the final day of competition at the Mid-Con Indoor Track Champion ships Saturday in Norman, Okla. It is the women's second indoor title in four years of Mid-Con competition. The T-Bird women trailed ORU by two points heading into the 4x400-meter relay . SUU took second in the race to score eight points, while ORU finished third and received six points, ending the meet in a deadlock. SUU also took six of the top eight places in the mile, with senior Teresa Rice repeating as the mile champion with a lime of 5:00 .10. Rice finished third in the 5,000-m (18:20.75) and had won the 3,000-m in Friday's first round of competition. Sophomore Kelly Snodgress (2 :14.63) and freshman Anna Crosby {2:15.18) led a strong SUU showing in the 800-m, placing first and second , respectively, as the T-Birds swept five of the top seven spots in that race. In the men's competition, senior Curtis Moore successfully defended his 5,000-m title by winning the event by nearly 21 seconds with a time of 14:34.06. Senior Zak James followed in th ird place (15:00.82) and sophomore Dustin ~dspeth took fourth (1 5:02 .13). Sophomore Troy Ford won the shot put with a throw of 52-11 . "Our women did an outstanding job today ,' Head Coach Eric Houle said. ' Our middle distance and distance runners stepped up and our {4x400-m) relay team did a great job in securing it. Our men also performed well and did a great job to come back and take second." ' 1• |