Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday March 8 2002 — A9 ¥ Blazers back among West’s elite PORTLAND Ore (AP) — Even during the bleakest days of the season the Portland Trail Blazers insisted they could be strong again given a little time It was Jan 3 die day after the Blazers had lost their sixth straight game at home to Toronto the first Portland fell to 8 time since 1989 it had been that far below 500 Instead of giving up on first-yecoach Maurice Cheeks or tearing apart the roster with a trade president and general manager Bob Whitsitt asked for patience The team had a rookie coach and several new players and everyone was still getting acquainted Two months later familiarity has bred contentment for a team once known for its contempt The Blazon have won 11 in a row including six straight on the road 13-1- ar 12-- 1 and they're a league-bebreak since die “You’ve got a lot of guys with a lot of pride on this team” said point guard Damon Stoudamire “We’ve just dug down deep" The Blazers phy the Eastern ' Conference-leadin-g New Jersey Nets for die first time on Friday night — a game that would have been a major mismatch for Portland a few months ago Since going 0--7 against the top five teams in die Western Conference the Blazers have won five of six against those teams rising from 10th in die West to sixth “We wanted people to look on the schedule and see the Portland Trail Blazers as a tough cookie” Cheeks said “Early on they probably thought if you play a hard game you might go in there and sneak a game from Portland and that’s not die way it is now’’ What has been die difference? Health for one The Blazers were without Stoudamire Scottie Pip-pe-n Bonzi Wells and Derek ' ' Anderson for king stretches early in the season But they have everybody now Another reason is Pippen’s resurgence He has been going full bore in his 15th season and his seven points in a span Wednesday night helped Portland hold off Minnesota 8 And Dale Davis has been the team’s most reliable player gamely filling the center position left vacant when Arvydas Sabonis retired rather than come back to a team that lost 17 of its final 25 games last season Leading scorer Rasheed Wallace still tops the NBA with 22 technical fouls but has been less confrontational with the officials Discipline and defense have come st All-St- ar nd 85-7- o to characterize this team more than rt antics The biggest change has been ' Cheeks himself though Unlike predecessor Mike Dunleavy who was fired after a playoff sweep by the Lakers Cheeks has die unflinching respect of his players “Even early in the year when ' things weren’t really going as good he stayed positive’’ Davis said “He stayed focused and basically told us if we just keep working the way we were things would turn around for us” Cheeks the Philadelphia 76ers’ point guard for 1 1 seasons remains quiet in his demeanor But he’s nQ pushover “lb be h point guard you don't always have to be screaming out plays or screaming at guys and I on-cou- first-rou- nd APphoto The Trail Blazers' Scottie Pippen right celebrates with Ruben Patterson during a victory on March 4 See ELITE on A10 Grizzlies end slide overcomes loss to Utah St WSU LHS routs Granite t By Wade Dennlston staff writer Las VegaS in Senior Nichole Romrell was at her best for the Logan softbali team Thursday afternoon By Shane Frazier ' staff writer Romrell recorded a whopping 17 strikeouts and went 4for-- 5 at the plate with & double and four RBI as the Grizzlies won their season opener against the Granite Farmers 14-- 6 in Salt Lake City The victory snapped ah 1 which didn't losing streak even win a preseason game a year NORTH LOGAN — The Aggie men's tennis team is keeping local doctors m business In the past few weeks "half the team has had bone scans" admitted coach Chris Wright With all die lineup shuffling going on Wright is hoping for a little cohesion in time for a match-u- p with Sacramento State last year's Big ' Sky winner who had die mis-UTAH STATE fortune of playing Stanford in the first round MEN’S Thursday againstWeber TENNIS State — a team which the Wildcats 5 Aggies defeated 3 three Aggiqs2 weeks ago at the UNLV Invii tational — die Midcats pro vailed 5- -j of Jason Trask and Steve Peterson Only Aggies to take a doubles match for-Loga- n "You could tell it was the first time we d been outside all year They actually 4-- I- - Logan softball ' did a good job though" said first-ye-ar Grizzly coach Stacee Grizzlies 14 Flygare "They ' Fanners 6 kept their heads Offensively they did really well They hit the ball 1 ' ago —T Phifiplvanov 2 6--3 in was content at No 5" Wright said "Btfche's proven that he can play at No 3 We've q)l got to have that attitude — we'vgot to play 6-- - -- lip" Trask's move up the (adder iJto'nly one of the many Wright has been forced to make due to injuries Said Wright: "We're a little banged up but 'we still had our chances to win today" Peterson the No 5 singles player didn't fair as well against Vlad Bahrenev losing to the lefty -6 well" Logan recorded 12 hits bn the afternoon Senior Theresa Barrera had the only other extra-bas- e hit for the Grizzlies as she added a ' triple Logan leadoff batter Rachel Allred didn't record a hit on the afternoon but she walked five times and scored three runs The game was close after the first three innings as Logan led just but the Grizz blew it open with a six? run fourth "We just hit the ball that iniiing" " We made really Flygare said good contact on the ball that inning and got runners on and kept advancing them ' "The kids were being pretty aggressive so it worked out pretty well" ' Granite got as close as 3 after five innings but Logan plated four more runs in the top of the sixth and three in the seventh to open their largest lead of the game 14-- 3 1- -0 Meanwhile No 4 Jordan Butler struggled against Kenny Lindley dropping the set 6 6-2 7 The featured match-u-p of the day was No l's Andreas Madersbacher vs Weber's Dan Salvato Madersbacher beat Salvato in Las Vegas and the two didnt disappoint any in attendance Thursday The courts here (at the Sports Academy) are so fast" Madersbacher said The points are so fast and short that if you're not into the match from the start you could be totally out of it pretty quickly" Madersbacher was obviously "into the match" He dropped Salvato 4 4 and forced the Wildcat netter to change his game plan Said Madersbacher "Most of the time he plays serve and volley but against me he plays from the baseline He was trying a lot of new things" Clayton Thomas the Ags' No 2 faced Don Williams a former Noil who was moved to No 2 while he nurses an arm injury The explosive- 7-- : Eli LuceraHerald Journal 6-- 6-- Cowboys Williams caught Thomas off guard a few times on the way to a 2 6--1 victory "Dan has agood serve" Madersbacher saidof Williams whom he faced in the fall "That's the biggest problem I had with him— I had to move back on the baseline against him just didn't have a rfeallygood day 6-- “Now I enh have everything I want I’m glad Jerry did this' Another player with Pro Bo wl credentials defensive end Willie McGinest resigned with New EnglanAHetooka cut in pay to remain with the Patriots V although terms were hot disclosed McGinest made two huge plays in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ Super Bowl With a bunch of NFL players changing teams Thursday the best of the lot Liny ADeiii stayed puL e o offensive line- - ' The man equally adept at guard or tackle had his contract extended by four yean by die Dallas Cowboys Although be had two years remaining on his deal Allen victory’ With the Patriots leading 17-- 3 was given a $12 million signing bonus His new package is McGinest was called for holding running th$37m for six years through 2007 wheq he will back Marshall Faulk' negating Tbbucky Jones fumble recovery return for be 37 “ft wasratosy decision” Cowboys "j a touchdown Thp Ram scored a touch-- 4 down two (days owner Jerry Jones said “We dank our But with 4:32 left in the game offensive tine is one of the streagths bf ' our team And the strength of our strength McGinest sacked Kurt Warner for a 16--1 j is Lany Allen'" yard loss that forced a punt and 326 pounds made j'-- New England also has agreed Allen k ’ the ho Bowl seven times m eights send troubled wide receiver Terry v sons missing only asa rookie He’s been Glenn to the Packers for a 2002 M 't voted o four times in the last six'"-'-- t fourth-roun- d draft pick plus J pick ' y seasons makingit at tackle andguard next year that will depend on Glenn’s ' where he curvotly playS )s performance But Glam has several V- 'Tfs been hardtaiost of my life not V grievances filed against New England ' and the with- over suspensions-fine- ! having much growing up” Allen paid four-tim- All-Pr- 1 ’ 98-ya- rd ‘ i : to7 s - I 7'': All-Pr- -- j - JfV ' V 1 ' v - v' J X - " ' i’- - today and that happens to us all" The last match of the day was No 6 Sam Har- ris against the Cat's Daniel Abeabueni Harris who wasn't with the Ags last falL and "didn’t get that match experience" according to Wright couldn't get his serve to drop Harris lost to 3 Abeabueni 2 6-- Despite the impressive win Flygare still saw some things her Griz- zlies could work on before their next 6-- See END pn All : Allen on busy day WSU thumps PSU re-si- gn By The Associated Press 7-- Utah State's Jordan Butler returns the ball during his match against Weber State Thursday afiemoon at the Sports Academy In North Logan The Wildcats beat the Aggies 5--2 J V ‘ V ' ' 1' " : "" 'V v r 7 ' f holding of $85 million of his signing bonus Those issues have delayed completion of the trade A hearing on the grievances is scheduled for Friday A deal to said Saints running back oil hold Ricky Williams to Miami also is But both sides met Thursday ' ’There are a few tweaks we made here and there” Dolphins senior vice prfesK dent Rick Spielman said “We cpme to a happy medium on scone things There’s still some work to get done” Sants general manager Randy Muelfer said Cleveland which also had made an offer for Williams has dropped out of die " BOZEMAN Morit (AP) Jermaine Boyette each scored 14 points for the Wildcats " while John Hamihon dropped players in double figures with 16 points Thursday as jn 13 and Chris Woods con- Weber State beat Portland tributed nicely with 1 1 of his own State 2 Thursday in the Seamus Boxley led the opening game of the Big ' Vikings with 17 pointsLack-men- tj Sky Conference Tourna-' - ’ Cyhad 16 and Kevin Briggs Weber State N and BiJly Feeney each scored d ' ' (18-1led by a4 much as 1? baddifigbreak-Stale Which shot 8 on Weber ir Hakim1 ! r Rams wide receiver Sparrow’s ' 67 with 19:16 dunk left the NFC champions tor a $16 mil- percent from the field in away ' I die first half jumped out to v deal with the'lowly Lions lira five-yeremaining r d Portland State ' 27-- 6 lead after a layup by ' He cited the legacy df Barry Sanders as - ' (12-1to go in Boyette viith 13:01 got to within 8 put of his decision ' V the halL on a “The Lionahsvje always been a part of by Anthony Bachmann’s at tlwn Lackey with 8:29 left but iny heart! because I grew qi watdting die buzzer die to not could halftime closer said for all diose Hakim “I gave get any years” Barry Wildcats a whopping 8 v V"' think all of us looked up toBarry and the 'Cats v ' tead: Stephan Bachmann and things he could do ra the field’ -- - Nic Sparrow led five 84-6- ’ : v 'v Third-seede- - 0) 59-2- Az-zah- r 7 - ar Sixth-seede- 70-4- 6) 1 - ’ ! - 54-2- ' '’’i Sparrow leads Cats with 16 points ' ' 7 'i' “ ' m 4 !'' i - |