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Show MONDAY-NOVEMBER 7*2005 Chad CUirk/NciXNcwi UVSC men's basketball team opened the season with a win against Westminster proving what's to come this season. Men's basketball takes care of Westminster Morgan Vance Sports Editor The exhibition season for men's basketball opened Tuesday night as the Wolverines hosted Westminster. Though UVSC recorded the win, they found it difficult putting away one of the top NAIA programs in the country. The pesky Griffins, ranked #17 in a pie-season poll, tied the score at 42, four minutes into the second half. Close throughout, UVSC finally pulled away in the last few minutes to win 81-72, in front of an S31 people audience at the McKay Events Center. '"Westminster is a scrappy team," said UVSC Head Coach Dick Hunsaker. "They're a wonderful team to play for an exhibition game. They really compete and give us the test we needed." Senior Sylvester Allison and junior Ben Davoe led the scoring attack for Utah Valley, both scoring 18 a piece. Allison was lights-out in 25 minutes of play, fin- open up with 25-14 lead, but Utah Valley held the ishing 6-6 from the field, knocking down several Griffins without a field goal over the next ten minutes to get back in the game and hold onto a seven big three point buckets. point advantage at the break. "Anytime you fight back from a double-digit deficit, that's a good sign," said Hunsaker. Westminster was 12-26 from the three point line, "Westminster is a scrappy team. which allowed them to keep it close, but an AlliThey"re a wonderful team to play for an son three from the corner at the 3:29 mark sealed it for UVSC. exhibition game. They really compete "Tonight was a good look at what we're capable and give us the test we needed." of doing," said Davoe, "but there were also a lot of things we didn't do tonight that we need to improve on. David Heck and newcomer Chris Bailey also chipped in double figures for Utah Valley, and as a team they shot 53 percent. The 6' 10 Davoe often took advantage of his size The Wolverines play another tune-up game at in the lane. He contributed nine boards, a steal and home against Mesa State on Nov. 10 before the a blocked shot defensively. regular season starts on Nov. 14. Westminster used a 19-2 run in the first half to Jazz looking to rebound From RANT -B2 Jazz win more than 26 games this year. A healthy Andrei Kirileinko is also desperately crucial. With AK-47, the Jazz would probably have won 15 more games had he not gone down with a season ending injury last November. Not only is the Russian one of the ten best players in the Association, he may be the league's best overall defender. Carlos Boozer came into Salt Lake flooded with controversy. Now it's time to finally put a damaged past behind him and start fresh. Everyone knows what he can do; we saw it in Cleveland (though L a Bro n J a m e s probably had something to do with that). Nonetheless, Boozer can ball, and even though it looks like he'll Graphic CourtO', , start the new seaof the Utah Jazz son on the injured list. Jazz fans need a double-double. Let me repeat that- for 68 million, they a double-double! Mehmet Okur's offensive numbers have increased significantly his first three years in the league. If his 13 points-a-game from last year suddenly jump to 17 like trend would imply, Okur will certainly join a small group of elite centers (other than Shaq who will always be linked on his own). 1 men*/ Bci/kelboll y/. flle/o II 11 /10 @ 7:05 p.m. - - * A * • For Okur, defense is a problem; but then again, for Greg Ostertag (yes, BACK AGAIN) offense is a problem. Once known for its age and mental maturity, the Jazz again deal with the exact opposite. The talent is there, but its getting that youth to sign on to the way Jerry "Sloan philosophizes the game that will be the longest tenured c o a c h in professional sport's biggest challenge. The Jazz still have question marks. Though they picked up shooting guard Devin Brown from San Antonio, Utah failed to meet their needs from the perimeter. Ever since the, *97 departure of Jeff Hornacek, that crucial three point shot needed to tie a game late in the fourth has been near impossible to find. Nothings changed. : However, I have to believe the centerpiece to everything falls back on a rookie out of Illinois. Williams may not start on opening night, but the pace and quickness of his development will determine whether Utah sleepwalks its way into a comfortable playoff spot, or hangs out with New Orleans down in the depths of the Western Conference standings. No pressure Deron. Again, we know you're not Stockton; but we need you to be Stockton. men*/ Bci/ketboll v/ TeHci/ SI. 11 /19 @ 7:05 p.m. Women*/ Bo/kelboll v/. me/a SI. 11 /12 @ 7:00 p.m. Cross Country closes out in Texas UVSC's men's cross country team, led by junior Mark Lott, placed fourth at the Independent Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas. Lott finished the five mile course in ninth place with a time of 25:58.61. "He ran a really smart race," said Wolverine coach Scott Houle. "He ran under control and was passing people after the first mile." South Dakota St won the team race, followed by UC-Davis and North Dakota St. UVSC's Peter Holm was the second Wolverine to cross the finish line, coming in 20th. On the women's side, host Texas A&M- Corpus Christi finished on top in their three mile race. UVSC finished fifth, Jed by junior Bekah MeierPoppinga with a time of 18:09.98. "The placing may not seem good but everyone ran well and improved their times," said Houle. "The competition this year was a lot better." |