Show i' v - B12 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Saturday March 9 2002 '£ Meets Continued from B1 Continued from B1 rebounds apd a couple of slash- free ing layups made throws with 1 8 seconds left to give Utah State a 66-6- 5 lead After Johnson missed the second Vague tipped the ball back to Brown whawas fouled Brown made the first free throw but missed'the second Pacific's Jnno Metzger-Jone- s corralled the ball but got tripped up by his teammate and was called for traveling "They made plays down the stretch and we didn't" said Pacific guard Maurice McLemore who led the Tigers with 19 points Said Jackson: "We knew they were a team that wasn't going away They are the defending champions and there was a lot of excitement out there We just couldn't get some shots to go" Utah State lost at Pacific just nine days ago 55-- 5 1 The Tigers used a defease for much of the game to slow down Brown and Penigar ' Pacific started Friday's game but with a Brown hit three midway through the first half and the Tigers largely abandoned the strategy from that point on "We ran some things that they weren't ready for and things that are going to hurt a Brown said had to "They get out of it because we were hitting open shots a lot If you hit open shtifs and penetrate against a junk defense like that or a (tri- - 4) AP photo Utah State's Jeremy Vague celebrates in the closing moments of the Aggies' 69-6- 5 victory over Pacific on Friday in Anaheim Calif ing scorer and Big West Play- er of the Year Jerry Green But the ball was knocked away ' from Green and UCSB's Nick Jones raced downcourt for a layup at the buzzer Jones led all scorers with 21 points while Green added 18 to lead the Anteaters UC Santa Barbara will meet e the tourney's defending champion Utah State Aggies in tonight's championship game which tips off at - e" Honda Continued from B1 Riegger’s best tour finish was 12th in the 1993 St Jude Classic This is his fifth fuff season on tour He attributed his two strong rounds to a new preshot ritual the NCAAs Utah State has won the Big West tourney the last two years and has an eight- game winning streak in it This is the first time that UC Santa Barbara will play in the championship game which is now in its 27th year The Gauchos had not even reached the semifinals since 1999 "It really helped us to set a goal We really wanted to get to the championship game when we knew that had never been done" said UC Santa Barbara point guard Jacoby Atako Utah State swept UC Santa a Barbara this season winning 60-5- 6 at Santa Barbara and 72-6- 4 in Logan The Aggies have won five straight in their series with the Gauchos The last time UC Santa Barbara beat Utah State ironically enough was in the 1999 Big West tourney (75-7Aggies senior guard Tony Brown was asked if he could understand why people would want to see Utah State and UC Irvine meet in die championship game The Aggies and - box-and-o- ' t Finals box-and-o- ne y 'li f Anteaters were this season the Anteaters wori the regular-seaso- n title last ' and the Aggies won it year two years ago Last year UC Irvine was knocked out in the semis by Pacific "I can see people wanting it and at die same time I can see people getting sick and tired of us being here— the other teams in particular" said Brown who had a game-hig-h two-tim- 1Q(MST) The golfer from Las Vegas repeats a few phrases to himself as he pre- pares for every shot Not wanting to disclose the exact language he says they are words of encouragement that help him stay focused He began the routine two weeks ago after working with a sports psychologist and it started to pay off Friday “Unlike a lot of players I have problems early in the tournament” Riegger said “If I get myself in a position to do well I usually do all right It's just early In the tournament I have a hard time focusing That’s pretty much what I'm working on” Knicks Continued from-B- ' l together" Thomas said “It was a great team effort” Karl Malone led Utah with 25 points and 11 rebounds but made only 11 of a season-hig- h 29 shots The Jazz shot just 36 Toumomont notebook' from the field — including from range — and man thefree-throline Dueling bands 5-o-f-9 and fans As the Utah State Aggies made their way out to the st eight-gam- sort of time and it drowned out the sound of their Utah State counterparts During the game Pacific and Utah State fans got into the act as a chant war developed on several occasions 12-of-- 15 all-ti- Quote of the day "He is a great player It's not like we didni know who he was He stepped up tonight" — Pacific head coach Bob Thomason on Utah State senior guard Ibny Brown who killed the 29' Tigers with a career-hig- h on points shooting -ll seem to care though "We're just obviously tickled with where we're at a chance to play in the champi- - parent their second-lowe- st mark of the season “You have to give the Knicks credit because they stroked us right from the beginning of the game” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said “We got down defensively covered for each other and communicated” Chaney said The game ended a five-- ' e Utah State's winning streak is die third- -' longest in the history of die Big West Tournament The Aggies have beaten Padficfour straight times in die tournament including each of the last three seasons Brown's foul shooting is a career high on both accounts Brown moved into eighth place on USD's scoring list (1541 points) passing Reid Newey After shooting 53 percent from die field in the first half the Aggies man- aged to shoot just 25 percent in the second Pacific shot 45 percent for the game It was the first time in eight tournament games that an opponent has shot over 40 percent against Utah State — Gregg Hardy You see Pacific's band was also playing at the same 29 points against Pacific "But ' for the most part I think a lot of people would like to see that He quickly added: "But we don't really care We're there That's all that matter" After beating the Tigers Utah State head coach Stew Morrill looked ahead to the title game not knowing who the opponent was He did not w Aggie tidbits court before Friday's semifi-sinPacific could hear the USU playing Hail the Utah ' int 12-of-- 15 ' onship game” Morrill said "That's where these guys expected to be" UC Santa Barbara head coach Bob Williams who joined his team the same year Morrill joined the Aggies (199S-99- ) seemed to relish die chance to play Utah State for die title ‘ "It'll be every bit as tough as' it was tonight" Williams said "Well give it our best shot There's a lot of belief in these guys right now" game homestand for the Jazz who beat die Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night and are 3 in their last 12 games as they try to hold on to the last playoff spot in the Western Conference “We win a big one ( die Lakers) and then lose one like this and have to go back on the road” Malone said 9-- Unfite mrny First thing tomorrow call The Herald journal to sign up for the Snap Pav Plan It is the most convenient way to pay for our newspaper subscription i i The Snap Pay Plan will take my monthly payment out of credit card account each month approximately 10 days before my expiration date And just for signipg up The Herald Journal is giving me a Platinum Express Card This card is good for hundreds of dollars of savings at MearOTfirants (buy one get Ohe free dinners) ” V' ' ' ' ' ' ' - 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