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Show WWW.NETXNEWS.NET MONDAY • JANUARY 8 • 2007 ' • & ' - • L holidays H Men win three in a row at home over the break Ben Webster Sports Editor Ben Webster Sports Editor BCS Championship It's time to break out your finest Gator chomp, because Urban Meyer and his Florida Gators are about to upset the favored Troy Smith and his mighty Buckeyes in the BCS National Championship Game. Smith took home the Heisman Trophy last month, but he is soon going to make like Reggie Bush and be left without a national championship ring in the same year. Jim Tressel consistently raises the Buckeyes beyond the rest, but unlike 2002, his Ohio State squad is the big dog going into this fight. And when it comes fighting time, we often see the little dog lift up his spirits just enough to overcome the size factor; especially in college football. Boise State did it against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta bowl a week ago. They had just enough hook-and-ladder and statue-of-liberty plays up their midmajor sleeve to sneak past Bob Stoops See WISDOM* A10 While many people were out traveling for the holidays, UVSC continued to enjoy the comforts of home at the Mckay Event Center with three wins in a row over Southern Utah, Albany and the latest over the Kangaroos from the University of Missouri Kansas City. UVSC battled for the first two wins but handled UMKC easily 74-59. UVSC also beat the Kangaroos earlier this year 91-79 in Kansas City. 6-1 at home with their lone loss coming in a close game against the WAC's Utah State, in the last two seasons UVSC has only lost three games at home while only winning seven on the road. "We play team basketball (at home)," Coach Dick Hunsaker said. Richard Troyer, 6'5 forward from Belize, and Matt Peterson led the Wolverines with 18 points against the Kangaroos. Troyer also led UVSC with nine rebounds. "We got a 10-man team here and every player has a tremendous amount of value and contributes in their own way," Hunsaker said. The dangerous Quinton Day led UMKC with 17 points but was held scoreless during a UVSC 22-7 run that put some distance between the teams and gave UVSC a 38-23 halftime lead. It should be no surprise that UVSC wrapped up the holiday home stand with three wins, because winning happens so often at home for Hunsaker's team. The Wolverines have been steady at home for a number of years including the games over the holidays, but Hunsaker is pleased this year with the way the team has played on the road. UVSC is 34 so far this season; when they travel, that looks good when it is compared to last year's 4-11 road record. "The top 25 in the country will have great road records and we aren't quite there," Hunsaker said. "But I am pleased with our 3-4 record on the road." The ultimate goal for UVSC is to get into a conference and the Mid-Continent is one of the conferences that UVSC could fit into if things worked out right. UVSC has already won four games against MidContinent opponents and couldcompeteinthatconference if they had the chance. UMKC coach Rich Zvosec said, "I tell you right now, they would be one of the top teams in our league." This was the second time UVSC beat the Kangaroos this year and they own a 3-1 overall record against them. UVSC is 6-5 since jumping to D-I against Mid-Continent teams. UMKC fell to 4-11 while UVSC continues to improve on their best record since playing a full D-I schedule. They are now 9-5. Southern Utah beat UVSC in their first meeting in Cedar City late in November 68-60, but the Wolverines pulled out the win at home when they faced the Thunderbirds the second time around. David Heck led UVSC with 20 points and Joe Walker led the team in rebounds with eight. UVSC jumped out to a big 22-9 lead and never trailed. "This was a hard fought game," UVSC Coach Dick Hunsaker said. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Southern Utah. They played with a spin and were See BASKETBALL-All Chris Bailey and the Wolverines lost to Utah State at the end of finals week but they picked up thier game with three straight wins to finsh the break. Women drop off after hot start Ben Webster Sports Editor Mens basketball at Utah State, 7:05 p.m. Netxnews/ Mark Johnston After a record breaking 10-1 start, the women's basketball team went 1-4 over the holidays. Here is a recap of the action that took place while many students were away. a 9-0 lead and continued consistently the rest of the way to the win. UVSC was down 35-26 but gave up the first five points in the second half and UVSC never got closer. "They have post play that we haven't seen before and they killed us in rebounding and I think that transfers over," said Fairbanks. UC Riverside 70 UVSC 69 BYU 71 UVSC 57 Track at BYU ] 7 Invite, All Day Track at BYU Invite, All Day Wrestling against Northern Colo rado, 7 p.m. UVSC was riding a record sevengame win streak but that was brought to an end as BYU used their size to stifle the lady Wolverines hope of becoming the cross-town Cougars. As usual, the Canadian Robyn Fairbanks led the way for UVSC with 19 points, but it wasn't enough as BYU had four players score in double digits. Mallary Gillespie led the way with 14 for BYU. UVSC was out rebounded by 20, out shot by 14 percent, and held to 21 points below their season average. "BYU has to beat us, all the pressures on them," UVSC Coach . Cathy Nixon said, "I thought our girls responded well and battled." BYU sprinted out of the gate with The Wolverines dropped the close game after nine lead changes and 11 ties during the contest. UC Riverside led by one with 10 seconds remaining, but UVSC had the ball. The ball was in the hands of Asumi Nakayama but her off-balanced shot at the buzzer was short and UC Riverside went away with the road win. "I thought we had Robyn isolated on the low block, and that's exactly what we wanted to do. But we weren't able to get her the ball," Nixon said. Riverside spoiled the career high 34 pointsbyFairbanksbutitwasthelasttwo she didn't get that cost the Wolverines. "I take responsibility for that, and See WOMEN'S-All Sports briefs Women's basketball UVSC center Robyn Fairbanks was again named the Division-I Independent Player of the Week after averaging 33.5 points and 7.8 rebounds during a four-game stretch from Dec. 18-31. It's the third time this season that she has won the award and the fifth time in her career. Fairbanks shot 64% (51-for-80) from the field and was 6-for-9 from the three-point line in the four games. Intramurals Stop by the intramural office for a list of events coming up for the semester. Entries are due for 5-on-5 basketball Jan. 10. A treasure hunt and scavenger hunt both begin Jan. 8. For more information on intramurals, visit the intramural office in SCI08 or call (801) 863-6163. Men's golf Tommy Johnson has resigned his position as the Director of Golf and Head Men's Golf Coach at UVSC. He has spent the last two and a half years leading the golf program in Orem. Under Johnson, the Wolverine golf team has seven top-10 finishes and a second place finish at the Bill Ross Intercollegiate Tournament in 2004. UVSC begins its spring season in just over one month at the Thunderbird Invitational at Sunbrook Golf Course in St. George. |