1986_12 The Daily Collegian December 1986

              •
, Monday, Dec. 8, 198a a
)IP@g-fe
page
Wir~
Roberts' heroics not enough for FSU
By Jon Matsune
Sports Writer
Bolstered by the strong inside play of
sophomore forward Yvette Roberts, the
Fresno State women's basketball team
reached the finals of its own Taco Bell
Classic this weekend and came within
close grasp of the tournament champion¬
ship.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, and
most of the 663 fans who packed the
South Gym Saturday night, the Broncos
from Cal Poly-Pomona, the defending
NCAA Division II champions, turned
back the home team and took the tourney
title with an impressive 80-72 win.
Tbe 'Dogs were not happy with their
runner-up status, nor were they satisfied
with their performance.
"We made key mistakes at key times."
said FSU forward Shannon McGee. "We
threw the ball away and played undisci¬
plined."
Roberts, who scored 39 points in two
tournament games and earned tourney
Most Valuable Player honors, was also
critical of the team's play.
"We wouldn't hustle, we wouldn't
rebound, and we broke down at the end
when we needed it," she said.
The Bulldogs gained their berth in the
finals on Friday night by posting a 7-0
rally in the last 1:09 to edge the U nivcrsity
of San Diego 66-64. The decisive bucket
came on a 17-foot jumper by Wendy
Martell with just five seconds remaining.
The Broncos made it to thc championship
game with an 80-76 triumph over Weber
State in the tournament's other opening
game.
Things actually starualirather well for
the Bulldogs in the title contest. McGee
had been held to 10 points on 3-for-l2
shooting versus San Diego, but then
promptly/hit on her first three shots to
give FSU an early 6-2 lead.
"I wasconcentrating more on my shots,"
said McGee, who would connect on seven
of 12 field-goal attempts in the first half, "I
wasn't rushing, I was more in control."
Lane Turner/The Daily Collegian
Yvette Roberts'aggressive play in the Taco Bell Classic earned her tournament MVP, however the Cal-Poly Pomona Br<
bounced the Bulldogs 80-72.
Cal Poly, though, had a sparkplug of its
own. Michelle McCoy, a 5-foot-6-inch
guard, caught fire from the outside, scoring
14 points in the first ten minutes to pace
the Broncos to a 27-23 advantage.
The 'Dogs, behind the scoring and
rebounding of Roberts, managed to keep
things from getting out of hand Cal Poly
used an 8-0 blitz to pull out to a 41-32
advantage with just over two minutes left
in the half, but FSU closed thc period with
a 5-0 binge that thinned the margin to
41-37.
Cal Poly threatened to turn the game
into a rout five minutes into the second
half when a 9-0 run turned a slight 49-48
lead into a cozy 5*8-48 padding. McGee
and Laurie Heinrichs. however, scored
four points each to bring Fresno State
within four at 60-56.
Martell took charge with nine minutes
remaining, as she buried four consecutive
shots from thc outside, but thc best she
could do was keep thc 'Dogs close. Cal
Poly guard Cathy Goodcn came off the
bench for six quick points and McCoy
added a pair of long-range bombs to keep
the visitors in the driver's seat. When the
Broncos called a timeout at the 3:28 mark,
they still held a 73-70 lead.
Cal Poly then got a crucial bucket from
Debra Larscn scoring off of an'offensive
rebound. Roberts converted a pair of free
throws to again cut thc margin to three,
but Bronco center Niki Bracken swished a
15-footer to make it 77-72.
The game was iced when Bracken,
following a miss by McGee and a pass by
McCoy, scored inside with 42 seconds left.
A free throw by McCoy with one second
remaining accounted for thc final 80-72
tally.
The win by the Broncos improved their
record to 5-1. Fresno State, meanwhile,
fell to 2-1.
Roberts led the Bulldogs with 21 points
and 17 rebounds (nine of them offensive)
and edged out the high-scoring McCoy
for the MVP honor.
"I don't think I deserved u." said
Roberts. "We lost and we should have
beaten them. I guess they thought I played
hard so they gave it to me."
Fresno State also got 20 points, eight
rebounds, and six assists from McGee and
16 points and seven assists from Martell.
McCoy tallied a game-high 24 points for
thc Broncos. Bracken recorded 16 points
and six rebounds. Gooden scored 15
points, and Debra I arsen had nine points
and 12 rebounds.   •
McGee. McCoy, and Larscn were named
to the all-tournament team along with
Jane Gilpin of San Diego, arid Diane
Rock w ood of Weber State (a 66-58 winner
over San Diego in the consolation game).
Hot-shooting Grizzlies pummel 'Dogs 80-65
i
By Mike Butwell halftime lead.
Sports Editor Although the 'Dogs did shoot a lofty 50
X percent (12-24) from the floor in the first
To say all college eoaches like the three- half, the Grizzlies' 65 percent and two-
point shot would bea bold-faced lie. And for-four status from thc 19.9 foot three-
after Coach Ron Adams' Bulldog basket- point line made Fresno State's accuracy
ball team was ravaged 80-65 Saturday look like peanuts.
night in Missoula. Mo. by a University of y Senior guard Scott Zarion. Montana's
Montana team that cashed in on eight of'hbttest pistol, said he loves the three-
eleven of these priceless field goais. it's a pointer, and by connecting on four of five
safe conclusion that Adams wouldn't have tries and registering a team-high 20 points.
minded washing out the three-point line.
Still, the Grizzlies' deadly shooting
wasn't thc only factor that did in Adams'
"Dogs. If curiosity killed the cat. then
inconsistency killed the 'Dogs.
FSU. reported to have been playing
their«best 10 minutes of ball all season in
the beginning of the first half. cstal|lfihcd
an early lead of 2,1-13. before dozing off
and letting thc Grizzlies growl back with
13 straight points to take a 26-21 lead.
Ihe Grizzlies'didn't stop there either,
continuing to claw and scratch, outscoring
the Bulldogs 15-4 in the last five minutes
of the contest's first half to post a 41-25
you can see why Zanon has this "shooting-
lust". Another Grizzly guard, senior Todd
Powell didn't have bad credentials in
three-point territory either. Powell hit thc
bull's-eye on three of five attempts from
the 19.9 line, while teammate Mike Ahlcrs
went one for one from the long-distance**
line.
' For FSU. Keith Billingslca made a little
use ofthe three-pointer, hitting on two of
thrcechances. Mike Mitchell also had one
shot from three-point land, but was
unsuccessful.
Despite' the tact Montana's shcioting
was the hottest ticket to the 5.526 on hand
at Dahlberg Arena, as far as individual
performances. Derrick Barden gunned in
a game-high 25 points for the losing
Bulldogs, who fell to 2-2. The Grizzlies
upgraded their record to an identical 2-2.
Mitchell poured fn 15 and Jervis«Cole
* tallied 10 in a losing effort.
After clipping the lead to 15 with a Cole
and Mitchell basket to initiate the second
half of play, the Grizzlies continued to
exchange hoops with the visitors before
unreeling three straight buckets to lift the
score to 64-45 at the 8:38 mark. Ihe
Grizzlies went on to bulge the lead to its
fullest at 74-50. until FSU. relying on
goals by Barden. Cole and Mitchell, cut
the gap down to'20.
FSU outscorcd the University of Mon-
tant I 1-6 in the final four minutes of the
game, mostly due to the shooting of
Barden. but it was a little too little, and a
little too laic.
While (iri/zly boss Stew Morrill likes to
point to his team's switch from a 2-3
defense to a 1-2-2 setup as the game's
turning point. Coach Adams goes beyond
the Grizzlies*rearranged defensive setup
to find thc difference between victory and
defeat.
"When this team falls behind." Coach
Adams told the_&>*\ "it starts to doubt
itself. Instead of digging in. we haven't
responded."
Adams was also displeased with the
defense, which graciously allowed the
Grizzlies to total 80 points, something
uncharacteristic of Bulldog teams of years
past.
And'besides being outrebounded 29-21
by the Grizzlies, the Bulldogs got an
unproductive performance from their 6-
11 center Rene Elbeltjes. Elbeltjes did not
attempt** a single field goal and only
produced one rebound. 1 he most effective
Bulldog-off the boards was Barden. who
recorded seven rebounds.
The 'Dogs will get a change of weather
from the cold and snow of Montana, and
hopefully a change of performance, w hen
they fly west to Honolulu to participate in
the Early Season Tournament Friday and
Saturday. Fresno State will be paired up
^against Indiana State and the Hawaii
Rainbow Warriors will be going up against
Santa Clara in the tournev's first round.
.