s
a
Paga 6 Portland Observer Janeury 8.1981
The McGee twins: Tall and talented
By Ullysses Tucker. Jr.
It’ s not often that a brother six-
foot-six receives the opportunity to
meet a sister standing tall at 6 foot
3, but can you imagine meeting two
o f them?
"T h e McGee tw ins,*’ Pam ana
Paula, better known as "amazing,
traveled to Portland recently to par
ticipant in the Giusti Tournament of
Champions with the University of
Southern C a lifo rn ia women s
basketball squad.
U.S.C.’s only loss o f the season
came in their first contest against
Old Dom inion 73-56, but the
Trojanettes bounced back to clob
ber Brigham Young University 102-
79 and Portland State 108-61 to set a
Giusti Tournament scoring record.
U .S .C ., 8-1, also took home a
fourth place trophy and the Sports-
menship Award which should be
"Sportswomenships.”
At Northern High School in 1 lint,
Michigan, "The McGee twins” led
their school to two consecutive state
championships, while establishing a
48-0 record. Both were named to
almost every high school A ll-
How would you rate the Giusti
American team, and both should
Tournament?
receive similar honors during their
" I liked it . ” said Paula. “ Our
tenure at U.S.C.
team picked up some valuable
The loss suffered to Old
Dom inion was the first one ex playing experience against Old
Dominion. They showed us what it
perienced by the "tw ins” in the last
takes to be Number One in the
two years. When questioned about
their biggest adjustment to college country. It's a very prestigous tour
nament.” U.S.C.. has been ranked
life, both were articulate and warm
as high as tenth in some coaches
with their answers.
"Being away from home has been polls.
" I enjoyed it to o ,” said Pam.
one o f my biggest adjustments,
said Paula. " I t took me about three " B u t I d id n ’ t do well. I know it
shouldn’ t happen, but after losing
months to get use to Los Angeles
to Old Dom inion it affected me
which is nothing like F lint. The
m entally.” Paul“ came in to the
people here are a lot different than
tournament averaging 25.0 points a
the ones back home and I had to get
use to it. As far as basketball is con contest and had games o f 13, 22,
and 25 points. She also had a high
cerned, the players are much bigger
and stronger than in high game of 17 rebounds against Port
school."Paula received a black eye land State University.
Pam scored only 8, 13, and 11
in the victory over BYU also.
Most o f Pam's adjustment came points but more than compensated
on the boards w ith a three game
in the area o f academics. " I n
college, there’ s no such thing as average o f nine rebounds despite
slacking o ff once you get ahead in fouling out twice. She sported a 21.0
your classes. You have to study, point scoring clip before the tour
study and study because the nament.
Coach Linda K. Sharp, head
professors are harder on athletes. It
was hard at First, but I seem to be coach fo r U.S.C. summed up the
playing ability o f her two eighteen
doing well in class.”
Sports Talk
By Hon Sykes
Sports Editor
Oregon Duck basketball has suf
fered termendously since Dick Har
ter departed for Penn State two
years ago. Harter is the man
generally given credit for turning the
Duck program around and adding
excitement never before seen at the
“ Pit.”
Under H arter, the Ducks en
joyed six straight winning seasons,
highlighted by a 1974-75 team that
won 21 while losing only nine.
While Harter laid the foundation,
Ronnie Lee and Greg Ballard were
the catalysts. These two all-tim e
Oregon greats, both o f whom later
became All-Americans were the men
who made the Ducks go.
Ronnie was the man around
whom the Ducks built from scratch,
the intense, hustling brand o f ball
now known throughout the country
as the Oregon system. Ballard was
the tower of strength who led the
Ducks to national contention in a
season when injuries were supposed
to have left Oregon at the back of
the pack. Both Ronnie and Greg
were first round draft choices. But
both are now gone. And on the
horizon looms two freshmen; Fred
Cofied and John Cheatham, whom
many think will eventually become a
la Ronnie and Greg.
C ofied, 6-3, from U psilauti,
Michigan had to choose basketball
over fo o tb a ll, where he was
recruited as a quarterback by
M ichigan State. It took a last
minute trip by coach Haney to con
vince the Michigan product to enroll
at Eugene. Fred averaged 21 points,
seven rebounds, and 6.5 assists in
leading his high school to a 21-5
season last year. Big things were ex
pected from Fred and he began his
Duck career in high gear. As the
starting point guard, Fred has
shown that he will eventually be a
force to reckon with in the PAC-10.
John Cheatham, the other prize
recruit, d id n ’ t start as fas, as
Cofied, but now is starting to jell. In
Oregon’ s dismal 104-64 drubbing at
the hands of Southern California,
Cheatham was the lone bright spot.
John played 28 minutes, shot .500
from the field on 5-10 shooting, had
four rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
In his senior year at East High
School in Phoenix, John earned
recognition from one service as the
bes, player in the Southwest and
Mountain State region. Basketball
Meekly ranked him seventh among
the n a tio n ’ s " b i g " high school
guards. So Oregon just may have
tire stars o f the future, and
hopefully they’ ll prove as good as
the pair now doing so well a,
Oregon Stale.
" I f you value a player for being
able to shoot down an opponent, hi,
the boards, pass and lead the break,
John has it all,” according to coach
Haney. "John comes to us as an ex
cellent athlete. He has good
shooting ability, driving skills and is
unselfish offensively. John is
capable at the defensive end o f the
court as well.”
W hile the D uck’ s program is
down this year, look fo r better
things in the fu ture. Oregon is
loaded with talented young people
and need only to mature. The Ducks
are only one year away from being a
very good team. And while Cofield
and Cheatham may never reach the
heights that Lee and Ballard clim
bed, they too, will be a tremendous
boost to Duck basketball.
The Seattle Mariners and the city
o f Tempe, Arizona, have announ
ced a three-year extension o f their
agreement fo r the M ariners to
utilize the Tempe stadium complex
as their spring training base through
1983. The Haushin Tigers o f Japan
w ill once again share the Tempe
facilities this coming spring.
Remember Dean " th e dream”
Meminger, the ex-Marquette, and
New York Knics star? Well, Dean
has just been hired to coach the San
Francisco Pioneers o f the Women's
Basketball League. Meminger, 32,
w ill replace Frank LaPorte, who
was fired after his team lost five of
their first six games. Meminger is
known as a hard nosed coach who
demands respect from his players.
Fred Meyer
S h o p p in g C e n te r s
year old freshmen.
“ Pam is an excellent defensive
player and rebounder while Paula is
an offensive player and rebounder.
They compliment one another,” she
said. The McGee tw ins were
recruited by almost every college in
the United States.
What’ s it like playing and being
together?
" I t ’s fun because we know what
each other can do on the basketball
c o u rt," said Pam. “ O ff the court,
we help each other w ith advice,
feedback, and talk over the fake
situations and phony people we
meet in life. It’ s nice having a real
person around...” Paula agreed.
Paula then explained how their
mother Diana stressed academics
over athletics.
"She made sure we knew that
there was life after basketball. If we
messed up in class, she would make
us sit out a game or tw o,” said the
industrial engineering major.
"N o books, no b a ll," said Pam.
"T hose were her favorite words.
She was the one who made me
realize that I need something up
stairs (pointing to her head) to sur
vive in this w orld.” Pam is majoring
in physical therapy and wants to
work with handicapped children af
ter graduation.
What about playing in the
Women’ s Basketball Association?
"1 don’ t want to p la y ,” said
W h ich is w h ic h ? Pam and Paula M cG ee o f th e USC w o m e n s
Paula. “ They do not make enough basketball team pose w ith Observer reporter Ullysses Tucker, Jr.
money for me. I can make just as
(Photo: Steven N. Brenner)
much money w ith a degree from
Do either o f you discrim inate
they appear in the G iusti T o u r
U.S.C., than playing in the W .B.A.
against
shorter
men?
"Y
e
s
,”
said
nament as ju n io rs. But like the
I f the money situation changes by
Paula
quickly.
"
I
’
m
naturally
at
winemakers who helped to establish
the time I get there, then maybe I’ ll
tracted
to
taller
men.”
Pam
was
less
one
o f the finest women tourna
change my mind. But for right now,
discriminating. " I don’ t,” she said.
ments in America would say, "lik e a
no!”
" I ’ ll deal with them if they are nice
fine wine, the McGee twins w ill get
"M e e ith e r," said Pam. " A l l I
but
I
prefer
to
have
a
tall
man.”
better
with age.”
want to do is get my degree, get
These ladies won’t return to Port
In Vino Veritas!!!”
married and raise a fam ily.”
land until December o f 1982 when
"She
comes
in
handy
sometimes,” said Pam. "W e look
out for each other.” The twins are
Charta« L Kohan
products o f a ta ll fa m ily -- their
(503) 2874029
For Flirterai Insurance
father, the late Jimmy McGee stood
In fo rm ation Call
6*3; mother Diana stands 6’ 2 and
C. Don Vann at
,006 N E Broadway Porttand Oregon 97732
younger sister Alayna is already 6
281-2836
foot at fourteen. They also have a
Classic Studios
little brother five years old who is
destined for height.
S
a
■
S
s
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
a
■
a
■
a
a
a
<
Super Shopping Centers
Help Lower Your
Cost of Living . . .
Your nearby Fred Meyer Super Shopping Center is filled with People-Pleasing services
to make your shopping more pleasant. Wide, spacious aisles, friendly helpful clerks and un
dercover parcel loading are just some of the "People-Pleasing services to you. Plus . .
everyday low prices on thousands of items you use and need everyday help lower your cost
of living.
Because we re open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, including Sunday, you can shop when you
WANT to, not when you HAVE to. Come in anytime and "funshop" in a pleasant, relaxed
atmosphere.
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
B
a
B
a
a
a
a
a
•
a
a
a
a
a
•
a
a
E X O D U S
e/uca/tf'na/ a n r / rftr i / m s n / ^ e rt/e t
1 5 1 8 N E KILLIN G SW O R TH
P O R TLAN D . OREGON 9 7 2 1 1
284 7997
FROM THE FRONT DOOR
a
a
•
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
B
a
B
a
a
a
a
a
B
a
Tom Boothe
From the front door, there are two basic attitudes, positive attitudes, and
negative attitudes, or, winning attitudes and losing attitudes. I am publishing
the following as a guide example for my readers who are winners and wish to
remain so in 1981.
The W inner: Is always a part of the answer.
The Loser: Is always a part of the problem.
The W inner: Always has a program.
The Loser: Always has an excuse.
a
B
a
a
a
a
a
B
a
B
a
a
a
a
The W inner: Says I will do it now.
The Loser: Says I will do it tomorrow.
The W inner: Sees an answer for every problem.
The Loser: Sees a problem in every answer.
The W inner: Sees a green near every sand trap.
The Loser: Sees two or three sand traps near every green.
The W inner: Says it may be difficult but it's possible.
The Loser: Says it may be possible but it's too difficult.
2
a
Have a good and prosperous year during 1981 ... A w inning Year!!!
Walnut Park
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
B
a
a
a
N E. K lllingaw orth at Union
Interstate N Lombard at Intaratata
Peninsula
6860 N. Lombard
a
: ■
a
■
a
Plenty of Free and Easy Parking
Open 9 am to 10 pm daily, including Sunday.
»■«■aaaaaaaaaaaa
a
■ a a a ia ia a ia *
I
<■