Oregon daily emerald., March 01, 1978, Section B, Page 5, Image 13

women’s basketball
Clawson intimidating force for Oregon
By MARK STEWART
Of the Emerald
Any basketball fan who enjoys
watching an intimidating forward
should watch Kerry Clawson.
Clawson, a 5’10" forward from
Deer Lodge, Montana by way of
Flathead Community College in
Kalispell, has been intimidating
other teams all season. Probably
her best overall game this year
was the Western Washington
game on Feb. 10, when she
claimed 10 points, 10 rebounds,
six blocked shots and five steals in
36 minutes of play.
Clawson averages about nine
points and more than four blocked
shots per game.
Not bad for someone who has
only played on organized teams
four years. As a high school
sophomore, Clawson learned her
school was going to field a
women’s team.
"When we heard we were going
to have a team, we got all ex
cited,” said Clawson. “Then we
heard rumors that we were going
to get uniforms, which we did. But I
didn’t know what I was doing
then.”
But apparently she and her
teammates knew enough, as the
Deer Lodge team became the
best women’s program in Mon
tana.
Upon graduation, she went to
Flathead and the two years she
was there the team was regional
champion and ended up fifth na
tionally both years. Clawson said
she wanted to go to a junior col
lege before making the step up to
a major college.
"A friend and I decided one day
(to go to Flathead) and I toid my
mom," said Clawson, "and she
said no. But later my parents were
happy about it. I wasn’t ready for a
large school.”
Clawson’s home town only had
about 5,000 residents, and she
said it was an adjustment moving
to Flathead CC with its 2,800 stu
dents. But moving to Oregon was
even more of a shock to her sys
tem.
"It was an adjustment moving to
Kalispell (pop. 10,000), but here
— on 13th there are so many peo
ple, other kids. There’s always
people, and it seems that I can’t
get away.”
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Clawson has always been in
volved in one sport or another as
she has matured. Swimming, golf
and track were other sports she
has been involved in sometime
during her life.
“I was on a swimming team in
junior high,” said Clawson. “But I
"I like golf,” she said, “but I just
didn't feel that it was competitive.
You don’t have to get keyed up.”
So it was onto basketball for
Clawson.
“It was one of the first things
they had for girls in high school,”
Clawson said, “Swimming was
Photo by Steve Schneider
Kerry Clawson has become a major force on the Oregon women's
basketball scene in the only year she has been at Oregon. Clawson
averages more than four blocked shots a game.
wasn’t strong enough and I got
nervous before meets. I was terri
ble until I got into the water. I
would get physically sick. I didn’t
want to go on trips and I wished
somehow I would get scratched.
But after I swam I was happy.’’
Giving up swimming for a sport
that was easier on her nerves,
Clawson took up golf and played
on her high school team.
individual and I couldn’t handle it.
Basketball was competitive, I had
friends who played and my dad
was happy about it.”
Clawson said her dad is a real
sports bug, having played football
and basketball for Montana State,
semi-pro football in Canada and
coached basketball.
“I played basketball as much as
I could during the summer. My dad
built a court in the driveway my
junior year in high school. We dug
and dug and finally got it. I dug
every afternoon.”
Even thou jh her dad is a coach,
Clawson said he doesn’t try to cor
rect her mistakes. And he didn’t
push her into basketball.
"He doesn’t interfere. He said
last summer that he didn’t want to
interfere with my coaching. But he
did say that I was going to school
this year and play ball.”
Clawson says she really
doesn’t know what she wants to
do after she graduates. But she
does know a couple things she
would rather not do.
‘‘I would rather not teach,’’ she
claimed, “my whole family are
teachers. I’ve heard everything
and would rather not teach. I
heard that all people in sports go
into PE, but I’m not sure I’d be
good at it so I thought I’d try some
thing else.”
That something else, as of now,
is in the health care field. Not nurs
ing, she said, but something in the
public service sector.
Clawson enjoys living and play
ing basketball in Oregon, but at
times doesn’t always enjoy play
ing at Mac Court.
“I get mad sometimes at people
who walk across the court when
we are warming up,” she said.
She told of one incident where a
ball bounced off the court and the
fellow who retrieved it dribbled on
to the court and took a shot. 'They
wouldn't have done that at a
men’s game,” she scowled. “That
was really discourteous.”
Clawson, along with the rest of
her teammates, is hoping the
team will qualify for the regional
tournament.
”If we win the rest of our games,
we might have the confidence to
win regionals. We’ll just have to
see.”
Kentucky regains lead
ay me Associated Kress
After a two-week absence, the
University of Kentucky has re
gained the top position in the As
sociated Press college basket
ball poll.
Marquette, the leader last
week, was knocked off by Notre
Dame and fell to number three.
1. Kentucky
2. UCLA
3. Marqu«tta
P
8. DaPaul
7. Nob* Dam*
Nn> Mwrico
10. North Caroflna
11. FlorWa 9Mi
12. Tom
13. HRnote State
14. Syiacuaa
15. Duka
16. DatroH
17. Qaorgatoam
1 riv^CfnOI
16. Utah
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