Sports Jm —— Women hoopsters support new three-pointer Popular distance shot debuts as trend sweeps nation By Cary Henley Emerald Sports Reporter Ask members of the Oregon women’s basketball team what they think of the new three point shot, and you'll get a variety of reactions, ranging from acceptance to overjoyed enthusiasm. Head coach F.lwin Heiny: “I don’t mind it.” Sheila Sattiewhite: ”1 like it." Vonda Anderson: ”1 love it," After making its debut in men’s college hoops last Cultural Forum Presents MEAT PUPPETS with Tupelo Chain Sex ». ■ Tues, Feb. 2n^ Condon School 7:30 pm The BALANCING ACT Sat. fjetT^Oth EMU Dining Room 8:00 pm Be on the CRAZY 8S new album recorded live at the EMU Ballroom Feb. 18 th 7:30 pm season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association decided to give the shot a try in women's basketball for the 1987-88 year. After all. the United States is caught up in “three-point mania.” The three-point line has made its way onto high school basket ball courts (men's and women's), and little kids all over America are drawing three point lines on their playgrounds. The NCAA actually started experimenting with the shot six seasons ago. when various men's conferences around the Happy Hour! 30 Copies! 8Vi x 11 self-service 8-10am and 4-6pm Krazy Kats 884 E 13th With this coupon you can buy a set of GUITAR STRINGS for 1/2 PRICE coupon good through FH>. 1.1. I VMM music city WO t.»l 40m « tua«n», OB >7*05 open evenings 'till 6 l imiit d io stock Locally owned for 31 years IJ-lll SALADS! Campus Location Open Late Every night 10 a.m.-2 a.m. 13th « Mllyard • 484-6955 nation tried using the shot. The shot was officially added to all conferences in women's basket ball this year after experiments with the shot last season. The NCAA Rules Committee surveyed 742 men's coaches before the 1986-87 season, and found that only 35 percent favored the shot. Despite the findings, the rules committee, headed by Spr ingfield (Mass.) College pro fessor and athletic director Ed ward Steitz. voted the shot into effect for all conferences and tournaments for the 1986-87 men's basketball season. Steitz later said, "It’s an in tegral pari of the game. It will open up the game and put more excitement into it. It's what the fans want to see." Sattiewhite. the Ducks' senior guard, said. “I enjoyed seeing it in the men's game and 1 like it since they implemented it into women's basketball. "We had planned on using the shot a lot,” she continued, "Amy (Pettersen) is a good shooter, and we have a couple other good shooters that we thought would be using it. but we haven't taken the shot as much as we thought we would." Through research done by the rules committee, it was estimated that Division One teams would convert 39 percent of their three-point shots. Sixteen games into the season, Sattiewhite has hit three of four attempts from three point range, and the Ducks as a team are a not-so-bad 15-45 (33 percent). Sophomore guard Michelle Eble has connected on five of her 10 attempts, including four against Portland on Dec. 8. Photo by Bobbie Lo Webfoot Vonda Anderson supports the three-point shot wholeheartedly, saying “I love it. ” The 5-foot-7 guard has at tempted a team-high 25 treys this season. percentage was up at the begin ning of the season. I worked on it a lot this summer, and I was doing real good. Now I’m down to about 2H percent (7-25), but I should get better. My con fidence is coming back.” With her 75 percent average. Sattiewhite remains the team's marksman, even though she’s attempted only four of the long bombs. "1 don't get to put it up that often. We have a few players that are encouraged to shoot it, like Vonda and Brooke (Allen), The three-point shot changes the scoring and makes the stats different’ — Elwin Heiny Heiny said. “Eble has a pretty good shot, and Sattiewhite’s done well with it. Vonda started off good, but she's dropped off, and it's affecting her shooting percentage because she's still shooting from out there.” Anderson, the 5-foot-7 freshman guard from Lakewood High School in Long Beach, Calif., agrees. "1 haven't been hitting it late ly," Anderson said. "I've been rushing my shot because I haven't been squaring up. My and the players with high percentages. I usually get to shoot it if we're desperate." A big complaint by fans, players, and coaches last season was that the three-point line was too close, at only 19 feet 9 inches away from the hoop. "The way other teams are making it against us. it's too close," Sattiewhite said. "1 think it should be back another two or three feet.” "1 guess 1 would probably shoot out there anyway,” Anderson said. “I’m strong enough now where I can shoot from out there." The three-point shot also opens things up in the middle, as defenses have to guard against the sharp-shooters from the outside. At least that’s the way it's supposed to work. "It would open things up if we were effective from the line," Meiny said, adding that a better idea would have been to just raise the basket. “Defenses have a tendency to collapse in the middle because of our big player inside. If uou're making the shot, the defenses would worry about you taking it.” “The three-point shot changes the scoring and makes the stats different, and that’s one thing 1 don't like about it,” he continued. University statisticians recently decided to count three point shots as two points in in dividual stats. Washington State's Lynda Clegg currently leads the Pacific-10 Conference in three point shooting, hitting 18 out of 30 shots (46.2 percent). The three-point shot appears to be here to stay, and at the cur rent rate, the second-graders should be getting their chance to "pop some threes" by 1990. Peanut Buster Parfait Sale 99* Offer Good Through January 31st 1 4 A Dairij Queen 13th & Hilyard WEDNESDAY 6:00 AM • The Morning Stretch 6:30 AM - Cartoons -1 Vi Hrs. (Teddy Rutpins. Heath* Irff Berverly Hills Teen) 10:00 AM • Movie "Young Joe, The Forgotten Kennedy" 7:00 PM - Mr. T and T 7:30 PM - D C. Follies 8:00 PM - Movie "Making