Show Ogden Sports Southern NEW YORK (AP) — One team’s poison might be another team's candy That could be the lesson for Southern Mississippi Coach MK Turk who put his team in a zone defense during a decisive stretch of its 5 victory over Nebraska in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals Tuesday night But Turk might think twice about doing the same thing against La Salle in the final on Thursday La Salle took advantage of Arkansas-LittlRock’s zone defense in the other semifinal hitting range to eight of its first 12 shots from lead late in the first half VShen build an in the second half the UALR went shot but went on Explorers took only one to a victory “I was happy to see the zone" La Salle Coach Bill "Speedy” Morris said “Making our first four shots got us off good and relaxed us” La Salle will play Southern Mississippi 1 in Thursday night’s 50th NIT championship game Randolph Keys had 24 points and nine rebounds Standard-Examine- r Wednesday March 25 1937 SViiss vs La Salle for en NIT and combined with John White to score all of Southern Mississippi’s points dunng a d-half spurt that broke open a close game before White who had 19 Nebraska led goal giving points started the streak with a lead with 7:17 left the Golden Eagles a At that juncture Turk went to a zone defense “We had defensive problems early and in the second half we struggled until we went to the zone Turk said when we got ahead pressure is our usual defense but we had to use the zone when we got ahead because their fast break was hurting us" With White scoring eight points and Keys seven 2 the spurt ended with the Golden Eagles ahead with 2:58 left and Nebraska got no closer than the final score Southern Miss made only two of its first 15 shots in the first six minutes of the and fell behind game After making 542 percent of their attempts in three previous NIT victories the Gold Eazles hit just 439 percent egamst the Cornhus-ker- x "It was not a pretty win but it was a great win" Turk said “We aren’t beautiful to watch to anyone but our wives and girlfriends" The Golden Eagles got back in the game with a 0 spurt late in the first half giving them their first lead at After that there were 12 more lead changes until Southern Miss grabbed the lead for good at In the first game Tim Legler had 26 points Rich Tarr 23 and freshman star Lionel Simmons 21 for La Salle against UALR Guards Legler and Tarr had three each bomb fest when they dunng the Explorers’ collected all but one of their nine goals "No team in the country can play us like they tried to" Legler said "Temple played a zone against us and we were up 20 at the half I think they didn’t know we were such good shooters" Legler said La Salle’s game plan was to establish an outside game to open up the inside game for Simmons the team’s leading scorer with 198 points per game "It just happened that we tried three pointers be Nl title cause they extended the zone out that far" the guard said defense aftei UALR switched 1o a La Salle led and the Trojans cut the deficit to at halftime In the second half the Explorers abandoned the outside game and went inside to Simmons who had nine points during a streak that rebuilt La Salle’s advantage to with 10:26 left "We just didn't miss in the first half" Simmons said "and when they went that freed ’ me up I knew the ball would come in to me" Arkansas-Littl- e Rock got 19 points from James Dawn 15 of them in the first half and Paul Springer had 12 Trojans Coach Mike Newell said a lack of depth forced him to use a zone defense "We don’t have the depth to match them only seven players" Newell said Keys Southern Mississippi’s leading scorer was scoreless in the first 14 minutes of the second half but had points the rest of the way "He’s a money player for them and when he got going that won the game for them" Nebraska cocaptain Brian Carr said Aztecs attract coach Phoenix roughs up the Lakers Associated I Press For one night the Los Angeles Lakers — the team with the best record in the NBA — looked more like The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight The Lakers lost Magic Johnson early in the game with a bruised calf muscle and NBA then had their winning streak Tues3 snapped by the Phoenix Suns day night Along the way the Lakers made only two of 24 shots in the second quarter — the fewest field goals in one period ever in the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum — as they were outscored 2 and fell behind at halftime “There’s not a better team in the NBA to beat outside of the Lakers to come out of a slump" said Larry Nance who scored 32 points as the Suns snapped a seven- game losing streak “It was our very very poor game combined with their great game" Los Angeles Coach Pat Riley said after his club fell to 5 “It was our mental slippage more than anything else They were aggressive they got all the loose balls and second shots They dominated the boards" Despite their cold shooting the Lakers were warmer than Washington’s Jeff Malone a scorer In what he conPhoenix forward Larry Nance (22) appeals to the officials that he did not foul LA’s Kurt Rambis (left) ceded was "probably my worst shooting night" Malone missed his first 13 shots of 78 points in the first half and 135 points then stole the ball and scored on a slam Mavericks went on to their 14th victory in and scored only six points getting his only in a game in routing the New York Knicks dunk 27 seconds later After a the last 18 games field goal of the game with five seconds replay by Gene Banks Jordan added a free 7 throw and two more baskets to give the Bucks 135 Knicks 96 maining as the Bullets lost to Atlanta Hawks 96 Bullets 87 Bulls an lead with 5:14 left 1 Craig Hodges scored 27 points and MilMeanwhile at the other end of the therDominique Wilkins took six stitches lead in waukee opened a 0 111 Cavaliers 88 mometer above the left eye when he caught a stray Celtics losing streak Ricky snapping a Michael Jordan scored 56 points and elbow in the first quarter but came back Kevin McHale had all his 22 points Pierce added 24 points for Milwaukee burst in the fourth to score 31 points as Atlanta moved one and Bird had all but two of his 32 in the Trent Tucker scored 19 for the Knicks sparked a quarter as the Chicago Bulls held off the game ahead of idle Detroit in the Central first three quarters as the Celtics built a who lost for the seventh time in the past 1 Division lead and substituted freely in the eight games New York played without Philadelphia 76ers final period Atlanta shot 39 percent and Washing— Patrick Ewing Larry Bird made 13 of 16 shots inthree injured cluding his last 10 and added nine assists ton 25 percent in a first half that included Bill Cartwright and Jawann Oldham Mavericks 119 Nets 107 and eight rebounds as the Boston Celtics Wilkins’ injury a between At103 Rockets 97 rolled to a lanta’s Spud Webb and Washington’s Mivictory over the CleveAguirre scored 18 points in the first Spurs land Cavaliers chael Adams and the automatic ejection of quarter and 17 in the fourth period when Artis Gilmore scored 24 points as San Mark Aguirre who became involved Bullets Coach Kevin Loughery who Dallas came from behind for its sixth Antonio avenged a string of five straight in controversy after being ejected from a picked up two technical fouls for arguing a straight victory New Jersey which led by losses to Houston The Spurs had four oth43 call nine points in the third penod was ahead er players in double figures — Walter Bergame on Saturday scored a points and tied the pro scoring record for early in the final quarter Then ry with 22 Jon Sundvold 18 and Johnny the Byrne Meadow lands Arena as the Dal- Bulls 93 76ers 91 Aguirre took over scoring all of Dallas’ Moore 17 while David Greenwood had 14 las Mavericks defeated the New Jersey Jordan scored 56 points and sparked a points in a 4 spurt that put the Maverpoints 10 assists and 15 rebounds HousNets burst in the fourth quarter Jor- icks in front for good ton was led by Akcem Olaiuwon with 22 The Milwaukee Bucks set season highs dan tied the game with 9:50 left 1 See NBA on 2F The spurt put Dallas in control and the SAN DIEGO (AP) — In the battle for Jim Brandenburg’s heart Wyoming more than matched San Diego State dollar for dollar but ended up losing its veteran basketball coach to the allure of Southern California At a Tuesday news conference to announce his appointment as College Basketball San Diego State’s new basketball coach Brandenburg said he relished the challenge of rebuilding an Aztec program that sagged to new lows in He also said he was attracted to the job by the quality of life the city offers “I think this is a tremendous community and I think there is unlimited potential It’s an opportunity I just couldn’t afford to turn down" Brandenburg said Wyoming Athletic Director Paul Roach who failed in an bid to change Brandenburg’s mind said he hopes to name a new basketball coach within 10 days Roach said he offered to raise Brandenburg’s annual pay but could not convince the coach to stay “I know the issue wasn’t money" he said Brandenburg left a Wyoming club that won the Western Athletic Conference tournament and advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament before being eliminated last Friday by Vegas Last season the 2 and adCowboys were vanced to the finals of the NTT tournament where they lost to Ohio State All five starters from this season’s Cowboys team are returning next year At San Diego State Brandenburg 51 takes the reins of a team that suffered through a school record losing streak cn record the worst route to a in the school’s history He replaced David "Smokcy" Gaines who resigned Feb 6 but stayed on to coach through the end of the season when he became San Diego State’s assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions Brandenburg is no stranger to rebuilding projects In 1978 he took over a Wyoming program that in the previous eight years had only one winning season Fred Miller San Diego State's athletic director said Brandenburg was signed to a contract with a base pay of S57000 a year plus other economic benefrs that are being negotiated San Diego State and Wyoming are both members of the WAC and Brandenburg’s defection is likely to heat up the schools’ rivalry Brandenburg said he told Wyoming players of his decision in a night meeting Monday David Robmson "I think there was some disbelief and they were shocked to a they’ll take a chance Branden"Big men who are pro prospects certain extent" said WAC cojwh of burg a will still go to the other schools" I don’t Or perhaps they’ll remember the year "Truthfully David Robinson and sign on think I would have made the too Set COACH on 2F Midshipman 1st Class faces major decision hard Practicing all the time working in the Navy putting the two together have been real tough for him He told me he knows the money I'll be offered will be attractive but that I should be careful and live day to day There will always be a need (in the pros) for a big man I’ll still be Docs he become a There arc other factors involved seven feet tall in two years" NBA player while completing his whose Robinson for the When he graduates May 20 r Navy commitment? Or size disqualifies him from sea Robinson will be commissioned does he hang onto his amateur and air duty and reduced his milin the civil engineer corps on a sumin this and standing play itary obligation from fisc years to restricted-lis- t billet which limits mer’s Tan American Games and two One is which NB team his duty because of his sic next year’s Olympics? drafts him Another is the experiWhen he enrolled at Annapolis ence of his friend Ensign NapoHe just kept growing he was For Robinson who won the leon McCallum beyond the limits that planes and Fastman Award on Tuesday his accommodate can ships final days at the US Naval runMeCallum a ”1 went to the Academy because Academy where he set 33 school ning back ot the Nasal Academy he I wanted a great education" records are clouded by the diwas drafted by the National I "Basketball was secondary said be I’ll confident am lemma League’s Los Angeles RaidI fill had more (academsuccessful no nutter which way I ers his to me He has combined ic) potential than I showed in po" he said "But I think one riday high sxhtwij ! fill needed a little way might be better The queswith a pro football career on discipline tion is whuh one?" Middays "W ith the emphasis on academics and the military the Academy Robinson thoroughly cnjoycJ "We talk a lot" Robin von said last summer’s worlJ champion "For Njpolcon it has been real is a tough place to develop your ships and suspects the Pan amateur perfecta would The decision weighs heavily on be just as rewarding an experithe broad shoulders of Midshipence He is almost certain man 1st Gass David Robinson to be a lottery pick in the who continues to sweep college NBA draft and the right Navy asbasketball’s Player of the Year signment would permit him to awards start his pro career immediately By HAL BOCK spot Wfitw game It’s easy to get distracted from basketball If you’re not a great player with great potential you might figure ’Why waste my time? W hen came to the Academy ! was not a great player and it was not a great program Wc had trouble getting 1000 fans to a game As I grew the program grew That was to my advantage" Not to mention the Academy’s Now Robinson thinks Navy is viable option for high school players interested in getting a quality education in a program that is not a total stranger to the Top 20 a "I think a lot of guys want the education" he said "That's real important today with the emphathink sis or academics will go that route especially shooting guards or small forwards If they are realistic about their pro potential anJ remember the small percentage of players who make it to the pros I |