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Show 'Birds dancing into Madness 33-21 lead into the break, scoring 14 of his 24 points all in the first half of play. "I wanted to step up my game tonight,· House said. "I knew what was at stake tonight and I was not going Senior guard Jeff Monaco described it as "Rocky IV, to let things shake out like they did last year," referring where Balboa faces the Russian -and somehow wins". to last year's championship game against Valpo that For the first time in school history Southern Utah saw SUU lose a lead . University will be dancing in March. The Thunderbirds Southern Utah saw its 12-point lead quickly slip did the unthinkable Tuesday night. defeating the big away in the second half. The Crusaders went on an bad boys of Valparaiso 62-59 at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind. 18-2 run and captured a one-point lead with 8:51 remaining in the game. Valpo's Barton found his touch, "I don't knownew to dance, but I'll go anyway." connecting on four 3-pointers in a span of six minutes. Coach Bill Evans said. He ended up with 22 points in the game . Evans will need to take dance lessons because SUU "After he will be among the connected on nation's elite at those four treys I the NCAA thought to myself, tournament, he's a pretty beginning next good shooter,' week. Evans jokingly "This is what said. "Barton March Madness is played a heck of all about,· ESPN2 a game for Valpo analyst Quinn tonight. He's a Buckner said. great player.· As the final After trailing for three seconds of the first time in the gal]le ticked the Mid-Con away, tournament, Valparaiso's SUU's Monaco Lubos Barton found his touch , attempted a scoring on three desperation big buckets, one 3-point shot that of which was an went long. SUU NBA 3-point shot. players and fans Monaco finished ru shed the court the game with in disbelief, four 3-pointers shocked by what and 17 points. had just evolved . "I can't believe "I'd had a rough. time getting my it. I ju st can't believe it," SUU shot to go throughout this guard Justin Sant tournament," said as he looked Monaco said. "My up at the shot finally scoreboard in started falling so I wonderment. took over down Players, fans and the stretch and coaches stormed hit some big the court in celebration, shots." parading around Valparaiso Memorial University had won the previous Coliseum, laying claim on· a Midsix Mid-Con titles Con tournament and last six trips Utle and automatic to the field of 64. berth into the However, now it NCAA's field of is SUU's tum to show the rest of 64. "Other than the nation what getting married Southern Utah Mid-Continent Conference MVP Fred House slashes past Va/pa's Antti and my kids being Nikki/a in Tuesday night's 62-59 win. S~U dances in March. University is all born this is the about. greatest thing that has ever happened to me," Sant "I am just so proud of my boys tonight,' Evans said. said. "They are a great group of kids who came together Valparaiso inbounded the ball with six seconds . a(ld united as a team to bring this title back to Cedar remaining when SUU's Fred House stole the ball from City." vu·s Duane Toatley. House was immediately fouled In a ceremony following the game the players and connected on two free throws , giving the :Birds a recieved the championship plack from Mid-Con three-point advantage. Valparaiso missed on a commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and the nets in 3-pointer at the end of the game and the 'Birds Memorial Coliseum came down. clinched their first-ever Mid-Con tournament crown . SUU's Monaco, Beus and House were named to the "I got that tingly feeling throughout my body," all-tournament team. House was named tournament MVP. Mid-Con pl~yer of the year Jeff Monaco said. "We had In the women's championship game, Oral Roberts a lot of energy coming into this game and were able to came out a winner, defeatin g the number one seed make the big plays when we needed them." Oakland 61-46. ORU will also move on to the NCAA All-tournament team selection Dan Beus got the women's tournament. 'Birds rolling early with five quick points to help the SUU will now look forward to Sunday's selectio[l Thunderbirds grab an early lead over the Crusaders show on CBS at 4:30 p.m. (MST}, where the NCAA 9-0 in the first three minutes of play. Bells scored all selection comittee w ill announce where and who 11 of his points in the first half. Southern Utah will play in the first round. Tournament MVP Fred House helped SUU take a BY JASON ERICKSON JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR _ __ . ... .. . . __. .. _._.._ _ . .... . . . . _. __ _._ . . -··· · · · PAGE 13 UNIVERSITY JOURNAL SPORTS !THURSDAY, MARCH 8 . 2001 . --··~· ····- ·· · -- ·~ OUT OF BOUNDS SPORTS COMMENTARY BY JASON ERICKSON My tournament diary I couldn't help but rush the court after SUU's 62-59 win over six-time Mid-Con champion Valparaiso Tuesday night at Memorial Col iseum. Sure, I am supposed to be an objective journalist who should sit on press row, showing absolutely no emotion throughout the game. Yeah , right ! I am a student journalist with a student newspaper and my school is playing in the biggest game of its history. VVho wouldn't rush the court? I had never before seen the kind of intensity , toughness and emotion that I did over the last few days. Teams vying for a dream, for national recongnition, a ,trip to the NCAA tournament. The opportunity that only comes around once a year. Lose once and you go home. Win and you play another day. Of more than 400 college basketball teams, only 64 make it. I've seen a lot over the last three days, so I felt it necessary to share a few lines from my journal. Day one: I am greeted by a happy old man at Fort Wayne International Airport, offering me a free cookie. My first impression is that Fort Wayne is a great place. Later that day I had some spare time before checking so I tried to find something to do. Fort Wayne is a great place for a basketball tournament. There is absolutely nothing in Fort Wayne that would take a player' s mind off the game, unless he or she likes strip joints. Later that day I check in at the press table and get my credentials. They give me some cheap backpack w ith the Mid-Continent Conference logo on it. later that day SUU 's women's hoop squad loses to IUPUI. I am really disappointed but hoping that the. men do better. Day two: I am ready to watch the men play their first game. The players don't even seem nervous. Coach Evans looks nervous, but he usually does. I watch the other games and notice that everyone is playing at a different level. There is definitely a lot at stake here. SUU easily handles Western Illinois in its tournament opener. There is not a lot of celebration among the players. They still have to win two more games. I really miss my wife. Day three: Still nothing to do in Fort.Wayne. However, I did learn that Johnny Appleseed is buried here and _Fort Wayne has the largest indoor mall in Indiana. As the players file into Memorial Coliseum, Valparaiso is playing its semi-final game against IUPU I. Valpo struggles a little to get the win but does. Later that night SUU easily handles a tough Oral Roberts team . The stage is set for another Valparaiso-Southern Utah matchup. A cbssportsline.com reporter interviews me about SUU and the players for a column he is writing about SUU 's run to the NCAA tournament. That night I find a place called Steak 'n Shake , where I encounter a few smug Valpo students. I talk a little trash and leave the restaurant satisfied that I had held my own against the soon-to-be-losers. Day four: I couldn't sleep at all last night. I can't imagire what the players must be fe'eling. All I can do is think about . the game. I shuffle through all the stats I can get my hands on. 1 search the internet for some kind of stat that would give an advantage to SUU . All I find is that SUU and Valpo are evenly matched in every statisical category known to man. It's fin ally game time. I say a little prayer and head to the Coliseum. The players look confident, unified , and ready . Tip-off. The game is intense. SUU looks great on defense and goes up 9-0 to start the game . .SUU goes into halftime with a 12-point edge. Evans tells the team in the locker room that Valpo is too good of a team to go away. He's right. In the second half Valpo unleashes a comeback and suddenly SUU fin ds itself trailing for the fi rst time in the tournament. Three-thousa11.d Valpo fans are going crazy, yelling "let's go Valpo~ over and over. I am gettjng very annoyed by the Valpo faithful. Monaco drains a 3pointer. The crowd goes silent. With three seconds left on the clock Valpo's Lubos Barton misses a three. SUU wins. SUU faithful-myself included-go crazy. . .... . . . . . . . . . . ... ........... . . . . .. ... . ... .. .. . . . ... . . .. ... . .... . . . . .. . . . ~ ' I• |