Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1995)
M arch 15, 1995 »Tm P ori la n d O bserver P agi B 2 JEFFERSON ADVANCES TO FINALS IN STATE Bx D annx B ell BRIEFS In a final that no one expected, two unlikely teams who survived the Oregon Highschool State Sub-tour nament made it to the State’s final 16 at the Coliseum and vied for the State Championship Saturday night, which Churchill won 54-48. jet'ferson (23-6) rated N o.3 in the P1L and 5th in state had to travel a circuitous route to make it to the Coliseum. Defeating three schools; Canby at home, then travel to La Grande and finally another long trip to South Medford before qualifying for the main tournament. Churchill (24-3) o f Eugene fin ished second in the M idw estern league and had to beat Sprague be fore advancing. Both teams pulled off unexpect ed upsets on the night before to reach the championship game, the most stunning when each beat the states the top contenders. Jefferson beat Wilson, a team BASKETBALL NCAA Probe Stoudamire: Damon Stoudamire candidate for Player o f the year and a team mate were declared ineligible Sat urday for Arizona's last o f the sea son game against Arizona State because o f possible NCAA rules violations. Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood said the university took action after receiving word Tues day from th e N C A A a b o u t Stoudamire and Ben Davis a ju n ior center. The improprieties at question are that Stoudamires father Willie received an airline ticket from a sports agent. And that Davis ac cepted a pair o f shoes from a long time friend. Kebu Stewart when playing a pick up game last year. For his part Willie has denied that he has had any dealing with Steve Feldman the Newport Beach. Calif, sports agent. that twice beat them during the regu lar season, and Churchill beat Benson lauded as No 1 team in the state. The Lancers had the edge of experience, having come to the play offs three times in the last 5 years - and more importantly they had A.D. Smith who scored 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. He was complimented by the added scoring punch o f Mike Wade w ho contributed 14 points, and four rebounds. Jefferson came out the starting blocks first in the first half with, full court traps and effectively applying the two-three zone. The Lancers couldn ’ t get on track as Jefferson expanded their lead to 13 o ff Brandon Hopson jum per with 3:29 left in the second quarter. The first half closed out with Jefferson up by nine 27-18 and hopes were high the prize was within their grasped. However Churchill had other plans as the pivotal third quarter un folded, it proved to be Jefferson’s Gattison Cleared Kenny Gattison. whose bas ketball career was in jeopardy be cause o f serious neck injury, sus tained earlier in the season, has been cleared to return playing by the doctors. Surgery For Hardaway Guard Tim Hardaway o f the Golden State Warriors, is sched uled to have season ending sur gery this week to repair ligament damage on his left wrist. TENNIS Agassi To M eet Sampras Andre Agassi will get a sec ond opportunity to usurp the No. I world ranking from Pete Sampras when they meet in the finals o f the Newsweek Championship Cup. at Indian Wells Calif. Sampras, who hasn't won a tournament this year, came back after slow start to beat Stephan Edberg 4-6, 6-3. 6-4. Agassi defeated Boris Becker 6-4, 7-4 to 6-4 to reach the finals. CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE GIRL'S 16 AND UNDER, AAU STATE TO! RNAMF.NT March 31, A pril I, A pril 2 Cost is S I50 per team - 4 game guarantee. Deadline to sign up is March 20. Girls 18 and under. AAU StateToumament April 7.8.9 Cost is SI 50 per team - 4 game guarantee Deadline to sign up is March 27. For more information, please call 399-5081 Jason Franklin of Benson finds the hoop for a stuff in the semi-finals against the Churchill Lancers of Eugene at the Oregon Boys 4A Basketball Tournament. (Photo by Eric Noon) K'Zell Wesson looks up to the scoreboard on the way to the Jefferson Democrat's exciting win over Wilson and a trip to the finals of the Oregon Boys 4A Basketball Championship. (Photo by Eric Noon) down fall, because they only scored eight points to Churchills 22 and that proved to be the margin o f victory for the Lancers. “Everybody said the PI L is No. 1, but we beat two PIL teams and w e’re the state champs,” said Smith, a 6 foot 8 center. Smith score nine o f his team 's last eleven points. A.D. has played 81 games (in three seasons) and he goes all out ev ery tim e ” sa id Jo h n R oche Churchills head basketball coach. Smith was virtually unstoppa ble inside in the second half, neutral izing the vaunted rebounding ability o f the Demos. the experience o f the Lancers showed through in the second half as they methodically worked the ball, and managed to defeat the full court pressure when Jefferson threw it at them. Things were further compli cated when K 'Zell Wesson Jefferson big man and ago to guy picked up his fourth foul with 1:59 remaining in the third quarter. Wesson who made first team all tournament finish with only 8 points. Bobby H arris coach o f the Jefferson Democrats, observed that Jefferson lack o f getting the ball in side hurt them. “ We let A.D. do too much, and they did a good jo b on the boards. We didn’t move the ball around enough so that we could take advantage o f the back door and we didn't get the ball inside enough and that hurt us." The Lancers took the lead on a Smith basket with 2:06 left in the third quarter. Churchill took a 40-35 lead into the third quarter. Jefferson closed the gap to 46- 43 on a lme Udoka steal with two minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the game from there it was the A.D. Smith show. After teammate Cabe Nicksic hit two freethrows, Smith scored off a rebound and grabbed a defensive rebound other end follow ing a Jefferson miss. He then sank two freethrows w ith 33 seconds left. All this as Jefferson only man aged a three point basket by Brandon Hopson. Udoka scored 19 points for Jefferson. PORTLAND SCHOOLS COME UP JUST SHORT IN TITLE RACE by E ric N oon The Portland Interscholastic League placed three ranked teams in the final four o f the Class 4A boys state tournament and still couldn't com e away w ith the state title. Benson. Wilson and Jefferson made it to the semi-finals ofthe tournament and only to see the Churchill Lancers from Eugene take home the first place trophy in front o f 6,985 Saturday night against the Democrats. The PIL has nothing to be ashamed of, as all three teams made impressive show ing in this year tour nament. Churchill's A.D. Smith just dominated the inside against Benson in the semis and did it all in the final against the Demos with 25 points and nine o f the teams final 11 points as the 24-3 Lancers crushed the hopes o f the Democrats w ith a narrow vic tory 54-48 Jefferson, who won six strait in the tournament to set to the finals. beat the No. 2 Wilson Trojans 61-56 in the semi-finals for the first time in six tries, dating back two seasons. The Trojans, who will return four starters next year, walked away stunned as the Democrats celebrated in center court and gave head Coach Bobby Harris his first finals berth in 16 tourney appearances. "W e knew we were better than number three all along." said Harris on the Demos number three seating and having to win three games just to get into the tournament. "I can't say enough about this bunch, I haven't been here on Saturday night in 18 years and finally we got a group that's here. The Democrats pulled out the big victory Friday night in a emo tional win that saw Je ffe rso n 's Tryrone "T-Bone" Hammick lead the cheers on the court with high spirited play and tough interior de fense on the highly talented Trojan front line. “ We came together as a family, said the junior forward on the way Jefferson really play ed together. "We dug down deep and just came out there and beat them. Ime Udoka chased down a sure slam by Wilson’s Tyrone Manlove to stifle the Wilson comeback and send Jefferson to their first title game in 23 years. K'Zell Wesson, an All-Tourna ment selection, finished with 22 points and 14 boards while Hammick added 14 and nabbed eight caroms. W ilson w asn't the only mighty to fall on Friday night as the eventual State Champions Churchill exposed the T ech m en s weakness in the mid dle as 6 '8 " A.D. Smith led the Lanc ers with 28 points while pulling down 11 boards. Smith did it all for the Lancers, he was bringing the ball up court, blocking shots, getting into passing lanes and directing traffic as the Lancers dashed the hopes o f the No. 1 Techmen 67-59. The Lancers, who like Jefferson had to win in the sub-tourney to get to the tournament, exposed the lack o f experienced height in the post as the Class 4A scoring leader had his way inside. Jason Franklin struggled from the field with only 16 points on sev- en-of 18 from the field. Although the Techmen were crushed by the upset lose the Lancers the Techmen bounced back and de feated the Trojans for the third time this year 66-59 two walk away with the third place trophy for the senior laden team. Benson really stepped up in the third place game with the come from behind victory that pride they have in themselves. Wilson played them tough as Manlove had 23 points and 14 rebounds for the Trojans. The match-up, which most thought would be for the state final, did live up to the bill, even though the teams were just playing for third place. "W hen they called out the cap tains, I could see tears in there eyes." said Manlove o f Benson's captains. Franklin and Earl Clark. "They have big hearts." The victory gave Head Coach Don Emry and the Techmen their third consecutive trophy at the tour nament and reason to hold their heads a little higher as Benson has seven seniors on this years squad. In the past the PIL has had trou ble placing in the tourney, but this year the league was well represented and with Wilson bringing back four starters with experience and Jefferson and Benson returning solid players, the PIL should be the league to con tend with in the 90's. In the end you really had to feel for Jefferson, and to see the tears in those young men s eyes as they ex cepted the runner-up trophy really showed that this is the level o f sport where the players really play for the love ofthe game and poor their hearts out to win My hats off to the Jefferson Democrats and Coach Harris and his staff, there winners in mx book. O R EG O N W O M E N S COLLEGE B A S K E T B A L L S H IN E S Bx D xnnx B li . i In a year that was marked by superlative play from women in just about every category by women basketbal programs. ( Iregon big three division - I schools will again be attending the NCAA women's bas ketball tournament The Pilots on the bubble due to their losing the West Coast confer ence Championship, were selected to play in the tournament Sunday morning I he three team select ion brought more luster to an already brilliant season for womens basketball in the state Portland state advanced to di vision II elite.8 March 22-25, W est ern Oregon will play in M onday's N A IA D ivision II sem i-final at Monmouth, and Oregon City fin ished the year a the nation's No. I team. Ehe announcement o f Portlands berth left the team euphoric and the coaches scrambling for information about unfamiliar teams. Portland will be playing in the West region seeded at 13. thex will face no 16 Purdue in the first round Thursday at San Diego. Oregon State, seeded fifth in the Mideast Region, will face Tennessee State in a first-round game Friday at Bowling Green KY. Sixth seeded Oregon will play Louisville on Fri day in the M idw est Region first round at Athens GA. Unbeaten and top ranked Con necticut. Tennessee, Colorado and Vanderbilt w ere the top seeded teams m the four regions the first round games will be played Thursday and Eridax. with the winners advancing to the second round Saturday and Sunday. Four team regional tourna ments are March 23-25 at Storrs, Conn. (East); Knoxville, Tenn.( M id east); Des Moines, Iowa,(M idwest); and Los Angeles. Cal. (West). The final four will be held on April I and 2 at Minneapolis. ThePA C 10 will besending five teams to the N.C.A.A. tournament, joining Oregon and Oregon State w ill be c o n fe re n c e ch am p io n Stanford seeded second in the west as well as southern Cal which will be seeded ninth in W est. and W ashing ton is seeded third in the mideast. There remains a little puzzlement along with the elation The Beavers were confident of w inning a bid to the tournament how - ever w hen it was announced that they would be playing Tennessee State, they were in a fog as to who Tennes see State was. "I know they have a team at Tennessee State." Junior Annette Mollerstrom sa id " But I haxe no idea what kind o f team 'O regon also assumed that they would make a berth for the NCAA, but things go a little dicey as the announcements rolled on without mentioning Oregon. Fi nally with the announcing o f their seed a waxe o f relief prevailed and the team focus was on the their up coming game. Portland on the other hand didn't know it they would get a bid or not However they got a few hints that they might be in the running. I he National mx national Tour nament told coach Jim Sollars to hold off on his decision to accept their bid until Sunday when N.C.A.A announcements were made "» ,