Show 2C Ogden Tuesday February 3 1987 Sports Runnin’ Rebels return to the No 21-- 1 B ROBERT MACY A&socd'ed Press LAS VEGAS Nev — Las Vegas the town that makes its living on losers is in a frenzy over a real winner the Rebels of Nevada-La- s Vegas The Rebels 1 returned to the No 1 spot in the Associated Press college basketball rankings on Monday after being knocked out two weeks ago UNLV returned when Notre Dame knocked off last week’s No 1 team North Carolina while the Rebels were lacing then-N-o 18 Auburn 5 on the road About 1000 UNLV fans gathered at the airport to welcome the team home “Weren’t we great? We were great!" UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian told the roaring crowd “This was one of the best games in UNLV history" College Basketball This city of superstars and showgirls has fallen for the Rebels Attendance for games at the Thomas and Mack Center is averaging nearly 19000 about 500 over listed capacity It’s easier to get tickets for a Sinatra speciaL “I’ve just never seen anything like the response this city is showing" said Tarkanian who has a 2 mark in 14 e years at UNLV and a 2 coaching record of Residents of the city which caters to tourists are talking about becoming tourists themselves during the last week of March when the NCAA Tournament nals are staged at New Orleans But Tar kanian says it is a bit early to begin talking about the Final Four “I think we have to be lucky to get thete" Tarkanian said “I think any team is going to have to be lucky to get there except maybe North Carolina We still have nine more games to play Our kids don’t even talk about the Final Four" Tarkanian hedged when asked whether this team was his best ever After all his 1977 team went to the Final Four “I’ve never had a team that could go into Auburn and win the way the kids did Sunday On that day they were the best I’ve ever coached" Tarkanian said “But check with me at the end of the season and I can tell you then “Without a doubt they’re the hardest working I’ve had They play hard and they work hard" The hard work was rewarded with 48 votes and 1243 points from a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who gave UNLV a second trip to No 1 The Rebels were first for six weeks before losing a game at Oklahoma opening the way for Iowa and then North Carolina to make appearances atop the pile 1 This week UNLV easily outdis2 tanced Indiana which jumped from fourth to second with 10 votes and 1181 points The Rebels first opponent as the nation’s No 1 will be Utah State University Thursday night in Logan Utah 2 North Carolina dropped to third e with four votes and 1148 Top skaters set to defend titles TACOMA Wash (AP) — How has success changed Debi Thomas? “It just means setting higher goals for myself" the world champion said as she prepared to defend her American title this week in the United States Figure which Skating championships start today “I’ve always felt I could accomplish what I set out lo'do Now I guess I’m trying for jnOre” I Thomas a d student at ’Stanford has followed in the steps of Tenley Albright the Dlympic champion who combined athletics with a career and was graduated from Radcliffe before becoming a surgeon She says her studies enhance her skating and her skating helps her Schoolwork each offering a release from the other “I don’t have a lot of time for other things right now but I’m enjoying myself” she said “One thing I need to do is get more organized I can study anywhere — at the rink in the car on an airplane during competitions But I might get more done if I was organized better" The championships start today with the junior men’s and novice The ice dancing competition competition gets under way at night It would seem that Thomas skating would suffer because she can not devote as much time to it as say Tiffany Chin and Caryn Kadavy her main challengers for the national title But Alex McGowan her coach is impressed with the way Thomas handles her dual disciplines “There is a reserve that we are just now beginning to tap that in the months to come will bring out her very best” McGowan Prep From 1C to come away with a win against a struggling Box Elder team which is overall and still looking for its first league victory Davis High tries to bounce back after suffering its first league setback when the Darts tied for the top spot in Region 4 at 4 overall travel to Salt and “Salt Lake is really a blessing in disguise for me” he said “I love the outdoors and I love all kinds of weird things" Malone spends his free time exploring the mountains in his drive pickup tracking mountain lions or fishing luxuries few NBA cities offer “I can’t think of another one” he said “I know one thing that drive truck I’ve got parked outside wouldn’t fit well in Dallas or LA or anyplace like that" Region From High school standout will join the Huskies 80 percent improved over last year This year there is a lot more risk and a lot more challengers for me” Count Scott Williams Christo pher Bowman and Dariiel Doran as his main foes The pairs event is wide open Defending champions Gillian Wachsman and Todd Waggoner will be pushed by Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard the 1985 national champs Natalie and Wayne Seybold and Katy Keeley and Joseph Mero Cross whom they already feated once this year Ogden and Bear River both in Region 5 play will break their deadlock Friday night on the Tigers’ court Ogden fresh from its first league win brings a season mark into Friday’s battle with the Bears who are 8 overall Region 9 setbacks on the road last weekend must take its act on the road again this time around as the Trojans 4 in the overall travel to league and Lehi This game is being played on Thursday to avoid any conflict with the State Wrestling Championships this weekend de- Over in Region 5 defending State champion Ben Lomond faces its toughest league test of the season when the Scots still perfect at 0 in the region and 4 overall visit Sky View in a battle between the league’s two The Bobcats also boast an unbeaten 0 Region 5 record and 4 identical season mark so this duel shapes up as a dandy Friday’s final Region 5 matchup finds neighboring enemies Logan and Mountain Crest both m league play tangling on the Mustangs’ home hardwoods Morgan which suffered back- - Mavs post biggest win of season9 The Dallas Mavericks after winning their series against the Los NBA Angeles Lakers aren’t quite ready to proclaim themselves the best team in the Western Conference “We know we’re good enough to play with any team in the league" guard Derek Harper 9 said after the Mavericks beat the Lakers Monday night at the Forum in Inglewood Calif “That’s as far as 111 go" "This was probably our biggest win of the season" center James Donaldson added "It means a lot to know we can come in here and beat them That should help us in the playoffs should we meet them" Mark Aguirre scored 27 points for Dallas which handed the Lakers only their second defeat at home this season Their other loss to Atlanta on Nov 25 was which lost the season senes to Los Angeles went into the game with a the Mavericks record when it led at halftime The Lakers had a advantage after two periods 18 points against Dallas but they scored only m the third period to give the Mavericks the lead "We weren’t concerned" i said Harper who 1C division of the Region 5 tourney will qualify for the State championships scheduled Feb 4 at West High School meanwhile Morgan High Tournamoves into the State ment Friday and Saturday at Richfield High School The Trojans finished fourth in last weekend’s Region 9 tourney and their state contingent which placed fifth in last year’s state meet will be led by league Adam Walker (107 champions pounds) Dan Walker (147) and Tracey Woolsen (157) LA loses second at home B BILL BARNARD Aitoc a'ed P'ess 1C known as the Mailman “because he delivers" It quickly became apparent that Malone and Utah were made for each other Figure Skating Lake City to face an Highland team In Friday’s Region I matchups traditional enemies Roy and Weber renew their intense rivalry on the Royals’ court while neighboring Layton and Clearfield will also renew their bitter differences this time on the Falcons’ court and Bonneville rates as a heavy favorite to continue its winning ways against Box Elder Davis swings into its second Region 4 duel of the week Friday when the Darts entertain Woods spot Malone From said “The best is yet to come” Thomas will need to be at her best to successfully defend her crown Chin who returned to major competition last February at the nationals at Nassau Coliseum following a layoff with a muscle imbalance in her legs won the American championship in 1985 She is far better prepared this year and has returned to her original coach John Nicks after a falling out with Don Laws whom she joined late in 1985 Chin showed she is back in form when she won at Skate America “My training has been very systematic” Chin said “I spent more time training off the ice Last year was the first time in my life I failed at something Last year was really disappointing I’m much more confident this year" So is Kadavy who easily won the Golden Spin international meet in Yugoslavia in November Three other world champions will be on ice at the Tacoma Dome Cindy Bortz of Tarzana Calif who won the world junior title in December will be in the women’s seniors field In men’s competition Rudy Galindo — the first double medalist ever in junior world’s when he took the individual gold and a bronze in pairs — will double up here too Brian Boitano seeking his third straight American title also is the world champion Boitano won in 1986 despite a painful foot injury “I know I am not the best I can be f” he said “but I believe I am 1 points The Tar Heels must play the next two weeks without senior scoring leader Kenny Smith who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last weekend 41 points in Smith scored a his last game before the surgery a o 14 Clemson victory over 2 fell from second to fourth Iowa vote with 999 points and one loss at Michigan on Saturafter a day DePaul the only Division I team besides Nevada-La- s Vegas to have just one loss jumped from eighth to fifth with 1 beat 935 points The Blue Demons Weber State and La Salle last week and 2 then pounded North Carolina State Monday night Temple Purdue Oklahoma Alabama and Georgetown completed the Top 10 NBA scored four of his 15 points during a late run “We had control of the game even though they were ahead We knew that if we stuck to our own thing and slow down their fast break we’d be in good shape" "They know from years back that we’re going to fight back and not quit" Aguirre said Lakers Coach Pat Riley blamed the Lakers’ third defeat in five games to poor rebounding Los Angeles which still has the N3A’ has now been best record of in eight straight games "We are playing defense well enough to win but we have got to do a better job on the boards" he said "We couldn’t make the plays and they made a lot of key plays when they needed them" Sonics 108 Nets 100 Seattle handed New Jersey its sixth consecutive loss and 22nd defeat in 24 road games this season as Xavier McDaniel had 35 points and 14 rebounds McDaniel and Dale Ellis scored six points each during a 20-- 4 spurt in the first quarter lead with that gave the SuperSonics a 1:49 remaining in the period New Jersey never got closer than nine points the rest of the game until Leon Wood hit a shot at the buzzer Nuggets 140 Clippers 112 in 2 Denver outscorcd Los Angeles the third period en route to beating the visitfor the first time in three ing Dippers tnes this season Lafayette Lever scored 16 of his 23 points and Alex English 14 of his 28 in the third h quarter as the Nuggets tied an NBA for points in a period Denver extended halftime lead to a going into the fourth quarter Bullets 104 Knicks 93 Washington got key contributions from reserves Jay Vincent Manute Bol and Darwin Cook in the victory over visiting New York Vincent led the Bullets with 19 points Bol had nine points seven rebounds and eight blocked shots and Cook hit four consecutive streak that turned baskets to highlight an deficit into an a Washington lead St Joseph jumps back into the Region 11 wars Friday night in the 2 when the on the season go region and on the road to tangle with Rich SEATTLE (AP) — Terrance Powe a heavily recruited nose guard from Banning High School in the Los Angeles area has said he will play his college football at University of Washington “Washington was my first visit and my first choice and I took trips to three others to see how they compared” Powe said Sunday night “I visited Oklahoma Arizona State and Colorado but they just didn’t come up to the same level" Powe has run a dash and has a 34 grade point average He has a highly regarded teammate Tyrone Rodgers a defensive lineman who also has visited Washington Swiss turn attention to women’s squad Switzer- land (AP) — With its leading man a happy gold medalist at last the home crowd turned its attention today to its women’s squad and to skiing history Pirmin Zurbriggen cheered by Swiss fans unusually skied to his first title of the World Alpine Ski Championships by winning Monday’s slalom Zurbriggen had to settle for silver in his favored disciplines downhill and combined although the Swiss received considerable consolation when Swiss Peter Mueller won the downhill triumph Zurbriggen’s supcr-over defending World Cup overall champion Marc of Luxembourg gave Switzerland its fourth gold of the equaling the championships team's total in the previous world competition at Bormio Italy in 1985 The home team was set to tie the championships record of five titles set by Austria at Chamonix France in 1962 in today’s Skiing women’s super-Swiss women led by defending overall champion Maria Walliscr were the favorites in the race to be run down the same Chctzcron course on which Zurbriggen won Monday Walliscr who won the downhill on Sunday bids for her second gold in the super-the newest Alpine discipline which is being contested for the first time in this meet The discipline combines the speed of downhill with the turns of giant slalom Walliscr has won two of the three World Cup supcr-G- s held this season She was joined in the lineup by three brilliant team— 1985 overall champion mates Michcla Figmi the downhill silver medalist Vrcni Schneider the defending World Cup giant slalom champion and standout Brigitte Oertli 9 |