sports
By Randy Frank
Of The Print
Trailblazer
enthusiasm
and
quick
comebacks
mean
victory
It was just another typical game
for the world's best basketball
team.
Down by 13 at halftime, the
Portland Trailblazers, the defend-
ing NBA champions, were digging
themselves even farther in-to the
hole as the Boston Celtics have
scored the first two buckets of
the half and now own a 17 point
lead, 65-48.
Then, suddenly the Blazers were
right back in the game as the man
they call the "Enforcer", Maurice
Lucas finally began finding the
bucket for 14 third quarter points.
Coupled with some strong defense,
the team from Portland found
themselves in the lead as they went
on to win in overtime, 107-103.
It is the ability to come from
behind against impossible odds
that has marked the Portland Trail
blazers as the true champions of
the NBA.
This factor really became ap
parent last summer during theNBA
championship series when the Phi
ladelphia 76ers grabbed a seeming
ly insurmountable two game to no
thing advantage.
The fact was that only one
other team had ever come from
two games behind to win the title.
The Trailblazers did it and set
a record as they won it in four
straight games.
This season the Blazers would
not be 33-6 and leading the Paci
fic Division by seven games with
out being able to come from be-
hind.
In the past couple of weeks,
this factor has really become ap
parent, as the Blazers have come
from behind in six-out of their
last eight contests.
Mark Leroy signs
with the Cornhuskers
Wednesday, Dec. 28, the Blaz
ers were playing the Detroit Pistons
on the road and for the first time
in the season, Bill Walton was mis
sing from the lineup.
Trailingbyasmany as 10 points,
the Blazers came from behind as
starters Maurice Lucas and Lionel
Hollins scored seven points each in
the closing minutes to lead Port
land to victory.
But perhaps the most famous
game of the season was played on
Jan. 3 when the Blazers were trail
ing the Chicago Bulls by four
points. With only 13 seconds left,
the Blazers scored six straight
points to win 99-97.
Jan. 7 the Trailblazers were
trailing the Detroit Pistons by eight
points with about three minutes
left in the ball game. The Blazers
rattled off 11 straight points in the
closing moments of the ball game
towin 109-105.
On Friday, Jan. 13, the Washing
ton Bullets proved to be simply too
much for the Blazers as they won,
102-93.
However, the Bullets had at one
time built up a 19-point lead and
saw it slowly melt away as the
charging Blazers closed the gap to
within four points with 1:38 left
to play in the game.
The Blazers could come no clos
er as it was at that point in the
game that the sparkplug in the
Blazers' comeback rally -- Hollins
-- received his sixth foul and had to
leave the game.
With the season nearing the
halfway point, there is a lot of
talk about the possibility of Port
land setting an NBA record for
the best win-loss record or even
more likely, a Portland dynasty.
One has to remember that it
never comes easy and that the
mark of a true champion is that
uncanny ability to win when win
ning is next to impossible.
Hoopsters show improvement
Teamwork and high scoring
made the difference as Clack
amas' mens basketball team reg
istered two wins last week.
Saturday night, Dan Slick sunk
31 points to lead the Cougars to
an 85-62 home win over Judson
Baptist. Jeff Nilsen, a consistent
performer;threw in 16 for the non
league victory while Jim Coffman
had 11.
"I didn't really feel that we
played a strong game," said Coach
Len Tirrill, "We lacked consistency
but we got the job done."
"We played strong in some
areas and in others we were weak.
Part of the time we played well in
the areas and part of the time we
didn't," Tirrill said. "It's always
nice to win but it just wasn't a
sterling defeat."
Preston Martin tallied 21 points
and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead
the win against Chemeketa 97-62
in Salem last Wednesday. Martin
also held the Chiefs' 6'10" Keith
Williams to eight points and nine
rebounds.
Slick, CCC's leading scorer,toss
ed in 19 points and pulled down
10 rebounds. Nilsen put in 24
points to carry the Clackamas
offense.
Photo by Brian Snook
The Cougars literally smashed Judson Baptist here last Saturday, 85-
62. Jeff Nilsen (40) uses another Judson Baptist player as a lounge chair
as Dan Slick attempts to assist in securing the ball for Clackamas. Slick
led the Cougars in the rout with 31 points along with several assists and
rebounds.
Page 6
V
»
g
Mark Leroy started out the
new year right. On Jan. 1 Leroy,
a CCC free safety, signed a letter
of intent to the University of
honors
and was an honjl
mention All-American.
"Mt. Hood coaches original
talked'to Nebraska about Mai
Steve Maynard, a Clackamas teal
mate, said. "Then Paul Fiskl
(the defensive coach for Clal
mas) called and said they want
to see him."
I
The Cornhuskers have a red
tation for impressive national ral
ing along with excellent fam
bl
coaching staff and financial
ing. They sent Leroy a til
11
and he was impressed with
he saw. Together, with his fail
he decided to sign with them.!
"Mark wasn't even await«
Nebraska was interested in hi]
i
Some other schools like the«
ersity of Southern California]
Mark Leroy with Cornhuskers
Nebraska.
Leroy received a full scholar
ship to the Big Eight school and
is presently enrolled there. While
at Clackamas he earned All-League
Washington State had confl
him though," Maynard said. ■
According to Maynard; ffl
felt that Clackamas was a god
stepping stone and that becail
he did well here he was able!
go on to a major university, 1
Wrestlers take meet
The Clackamas Community Col
lege wrestling team picked up
their biggest win of the season as
they defeated
Central Oregon
Community College 33-18 Friday
night keeping their undefeated
string against Oregon community
colleges alive.
The Cougars, who have never
lost to an Oregon community col
lege, knew they faced a tough
defaulted at 134 pounds with!
pulled rib cartilage. Hewasinco]
trol at the time.
This loss turned out to bill
critical as Clackamas battled!
California school even through«
the rest of the meet and los
28-19.
Turning in good efforts wei
Ron Geister, with a 6-1 decisil
over Pete Barrazas at 150 poll«
Rocky Schneider, 167 pounder, breaks down Brian Johnson enrol
to his victory last Friday.
battle against Central Oregon with
former Cougar wrestler Joe Davis.
They were rated as the team to
beat in the race for the state
title.
However, Clackamas was not to
be denied as Bill Bowers won the
first match of the evening and the
Cougars never looked back. The
fired up Cougars turned on the
most impressive team effort of
the season.
Putting the finishing touches on
for the Cougars were 158-pounder
Tim Jones, who pinned Kent Hill
at 1:48 in the first round. Rocky
Schneider also had a fall at the
:50 second mark of the third per
iod over Brian Johnson in the
167 pound weight class.
The most impressive effort was
turned in by Craig Wallace who
battled Joe Davis point for point
before losing on a controversial
decision, 11-9. The controversy
occured when Wallace apparently
had a near fall over Davis but the
referee was not in the position to
see it.
The Cougars also turned in good
efforts on Saturday but in vain,as
Clackamas lost to four-yearschools
Sacramento State and Oregon Col-’
lege of Education.
Against Sacramento State, the
difference in the meet was in the
very first match when Bill Bowers
Tim Jones, with a major decisil
at 158, and Craig Wallace fl
Tim Paulson at 190.
Jeff Burgsma battled last] yeal
Community Colled
California
champion in the heavyifl
class, Ken Harvuck. He losr
64
Harvuck went on and later beat j
wrestler who was a three-tit
U.S. Olympian by the idem
score.
Jel
Another former Cougar, __
Harmon, eliminated Clackama®
his victory over Graig Wallace
gave OCE a 24-18 win.
The meet was close all the way]
as victories by Geister and Jones!
kept the Cougars in contention
until Harmon's victory in the next
to last match.
According to Head CoacH Riehl
Taylor, it was a very good expel
ience for the team because it
showed them just how good they]
could be.
Next competition is against the!
College of Idaho Friday night at |
the gym. On Saturday, CCC hosts |
the largest community college®!
vitationai tournament on the West
Coast. All the community college
teams from Washington and Oregon]
are invited, as are junior varsity
teams from Oregon, Oregon State,
Portland State, Pacific, Oregon Goll
lege of Education and College of]
Idaho.
Clackamas Community College
SI