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Show jT-Birds at Home Against Western New Mexico inlConference Game i j After a "disappointing, yet encouraging" holiday perform, a tie.'1, College of Southern Utah will get on with the serious business of conference competition compe-tition Friday. The Thunderbirds host Western Wes-tern New Mexico Friday a 9 p.m. in the first home game of the Rocky Mountain Conference Con-ference schedule. "We simply can't afford to lose at home if we expect to stay in the race for the confer-ence confer-ence championship," Coach i Boyd Adams said. "Western I New Mexico was tough last year, and they have a couple i of their best players back. Overall, Ov-erall, however, they probably won't be as strong early in tlv season as they were last year." Western N.M. will bring one of the area's fine college division div-ision performers into the Friday Fri-day game. Marv Schmitt, a 0-1 forward-guard, does everything every-thing in a grand way. Schmitt, 6-3 Jay Olive and 5-8 Felix Armijo are the only lett.ermen on the squad. Inexperience could hurt the visiting Mus- tangs. Schmitt averaged 21.2 points last year. He was named to the NAIA honorable mention All-America team. He is expected ex-pected to be even better this year. CSU will counter with Dave Pinamonti, also 6-1 and also a fine scorer. The small forward for-ward is clipping the nets for 21.6 points per game. He also averages 10.3 rebounds per outing. I After Pinamonti and Skip' Mead (19.0 per game) the T-Bird T-Bird scoring falls off. Team shooting percentage is beginning begin-ning to he a problem. "We've got to make more of our shots," Coach Adams said. "We are getting the shots, but we aren't hitting them." CSU will take a 4-3 record1 into the game. Western New Mexico has lost four of its games this season. "It will be good to he back home," Adams said. The last five T-Bird games have been on the road. The late starting time (9 p.m.) is to avoid conflict with a high school game, in Cedar City the same night. |