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Show T-bird Hoopsters pick up two wins over Mesa, Western State Southern Utah State College Thunderbirds kept its hopes for RMAC honors and for playoff spot in the NAIA Division 7 playoffs alive Friday and Saturday night with two important im-portant conference victories. Friday . night the T-Birds scored a lack-luster victory over hapless Western State College 79 to 63, but, Saturday night the T-Birds T-Birds put it all together to forge a convincing 96-84 victory over RMAC leader, Mesa. The loss for Mesa dropped from the conference lead after suffering a one-point defeat at the hands of Westminster, in overtime, Friday night at Salt Lake City. Against Western States Steve Hodson led the scoring attack witha 17 point output followed by Kerry Rupp with 16, Robert Lee with 11 and Bernie Leavitt with 10. The T-Birds were in control throughout the game, but never really put it together. Both teams were mishandling the ball as evidenced by 27 turnovers by Western and 19 by the T-Birds. The two clubs battled on even terms through the first 10 minutes of play with Nash of Western giving his squad a brief 23-22 lead with a pair of buckets. Kerry Rupp tanked two and Amas James hit a pair from the field to boost the T-Birds into the lead, a lead thy never , relinquished. SUSC held a slim 38-35 lead at the intermission. Lee opened the second half with three straight, unanswered buckets, and the T-Birds shot out to a quick 10 point margin at 48-38 and stretched that advantage to 15 points at 60-45 midway in the second half. Coach Stan Jack went to the bench early in the game and all but two of the T-Birds got into they scoring column. Down Mesa Saturday night was the crucial battle for the T-Birds and they came through with flying colors. Contrasted with their performance per-formance Friday 'they committed com-mitted only seven turndvers and dominated the board with 34 takedowns to 29 for the visiting Mavericks. Lee was the top rebounder for the evening with 10. Kerry Rupp was the top scorer as he poured in 26 points in the contest to keep the T-Birds out in front throughout. Hodson complimented Rupp with 20 points giving the starting guards 46 points for the night. Also in double figures was Leavitt with 18 and Lee with 14. Rupp also assisted on the boards with seven takedowns and was credited with six assists for the evening. The battle kept the T-Birds in third place in the RMAC, dropped Mesa to second and boosted Westminster into the conference lead as they were handling Western States that evening. |