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expresssports
long way.”
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Year highlighted by OSU turnaround in football
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SCORE CARD
Tanner selected to play
in coaches all-state game
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MIDWEST
Akron 68, Marshall 52
Bal St. 99, Cent Michigan 58
Bowling Green 72, Miami, Ohio 50 .
Dayton 110, Prairie View 52
SOUTHWEST
Rice 75, Stetson 55
FAR WEST
Boise St. 73, Hawaii-Hilo 63
CS Northridge 115, CS Dominguez Hits 71
Cal Poly-SLO 79, Mo.-Kansas City 78
Colorado 85, Centenary 62
Idaho St. 75, Tennessee Tech 56
Oregon St. 76. Kent 68
TOURNAMENTS
Bobcat Holiday Stores Classic
First Round
Montana St. 77, Miss. Valley St. 66
San Diego 64, Monmouth, NJ. 63
Cable Car Classic
First Round
Santa Clara 89, Penn 76, 2OT
Stanford 70, Rhode Island 69
Cessna Classic
Championship
Wichita St. 79, Buffalo 69
Third Place
William & Mary 83, Texas Southern 76
Dr Pepper Classic
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Third Place
New Hampshire 56, Cornell 51
Jones Intercable Lobo Invitational
First Round
New Mexico 112, Holy Cross 61
Yale 72, Drake 58
MVP Holiday Classic
First Round
Toledo 67, Coastal Carolina 51
Youngstown St. 75, Troy St. 54
Oneida Bingo & Casino Classic
First Round
Lafayette 71, Tennessee St. 59
Wis.-Green Bay 60, Dartmouth 49
Rainbow Classic
Semifinals
College basketball
Monday
EAST
Georgetown 85, Southern, NO 48
Providence 72, Cleveland St. 44
SOUTH
Florida St. 80, SW Louisiana 71
Iowa St. 70, New Orleans 68
Louisville 91, SE Missouri 69
Memphis 72, Idaho 58
North Carolina 97, Bethune-Cookman 46
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h Hawaii 87, Nebraska 62
Ark.-Little Rock 94, Texas-Pan American 89 Kansas 89, Vanderbilt 82
4
Tuesday,
Dec. 30, 1997
Consolation Bracket
New Mexico St. 73, Ohio St. 46
Virginia 72, Brigham Young 54
EXHIBITION
Court Authority 66, East Carolina 60
NBA
Sunday's Games
Minnesota 93, Detroit 89
Miami 101, Indiana 90
Seattle 106, Phoenix 97
Utah 89, Vancouver 88
Sacramento 92, Philadelphia 90
Boston 108, LA. Lakers 102
Portland 82, San Antonio 79
Monday's Games
New Jersey 99, Washington 91
Charlotte 120, Houston 101
Chicago 111, Dallas 105
Tuesday’s Games
(All times EST)
New Jersey at Indiana, 7 p.m.
Miami at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
New York at Orlando, 8 p.m.
Chicago al Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Dallas at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m.
Utah at Denver, 9 p.m.
Boston at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
Philadelphia at Portland, 10 p.m.
San Antonio at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Sacramento at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
Seattle at Golden Stale, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday's Game
Toronto at Washington, 9 p.m.
holidays.”
The turnaround came as a re-
sult of strong quarterback play
from freshman Tony Lindsay, a
news for a few weeks during the
offseason. It all started when
Steve Robinson left as coach of
Tulsa to take the job at Florida
State.
The Golden Hurricane didn’t
have to look far for Robinson’s
replacement. Within days, the
administration hired Bill Self,
who had been across town at
Humphrey named
rookie of the week
DALLAS (AP) — Nebraska guard Tyronn Lue was named the
Big 12 player of the week on Monday, the third time this season
he has won the conference honor.
A media panel also chose Oklahoma forward Ryan Humphrey
as rookie of the week
Lue, a 6-0 junior, scored a career-high 36 points in the
Cornhuskers’ 80-65 win over Virginia in the Rainbow Classic
tournament in Honolulu. He’s the conference’s see iid-highest
scorer, averaging 21.5 points a game.
Humphrey, a 6-7 freshman, had 13 points and 13 rebounds in
14 minutes for his second double-double of the season in
Oklahoma’s 79-61 win over Alabama on Sunday.
Oral Roberts University. ORU
in turn promoted assistant coach
Barry Hinson to take Selfs
place.
Oklahoma City made a
strong bid to land a National
Hockey League franchise. The
city was one of six finalists for
four teams, but the NHL wound
up going elsewhere.
Cowboys to an 8-3 record and
their first bowl trip since 1988.
Oklahoma State’s season
started in upheaval, with 11
Alamo notes
Fallin jabs at Sooners
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — What better way to get a few
laughs from Oklahoma State football fans than to take a shot at
Oklahoma?
Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, an Oklahoma State alumnus, took the
first jab at the Sooners during an OSU pep rally Monday
afternoon. About 5,000 fans in town for tonight’s Alamo Bowl
turned out for the rally.
Ms. Fallin said she heard OU coach John Blake had gotten
arrested in Stillwater. Blake, she said, got popped for breaking
into a Coke machine. “He was trying to get a quarterback.”
Master of ceremonies Larry Reese asked the crowd what
“Sooner Magic” and Elvis had in common.
“Both are dead and their fans won’t admit it,” he said.
scheme and Oklahoma State's time since Oklahoma State fans
acceptance of it helped lead the had something to do over the
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Oklahoma State offensive
coordinator Les Miles has made several bowl trips as an assistant
at Michigan and Colorado, and feels the games are only good if
you win.
Head coach Bob Simmons isn’t sure that’s the case.
“Naturally, when you win you feel a lot better,” he said
Monday. “It takes you a while to get over the fact that you lost
the ball game. But it’s a good experience because of the
preparation and the practices, and that’s how I look at it.
“Naturally, you want to win the ball game, that’s all-
important. But I don’t take it beyond that.”
AP goes with
Tiger Woods
as male athlete
Tiger Woods, whose success
on the course matched his social
and economic impact off it, to-
day became the first golfer
voted Male Athlete of the Year
by The Associated Press in 26
years.
Woods, whose record-shatter-
ing victory in the Masters last
April also was voted sports
Story of the Year by the AP, is
the first golfer to be honored as
Male Athlete of the Year since
Lee Trevino in 1971, and only
the fifth golfer to receive the
award since it was instituted in
1931.
Woods, who turned 22 today,
finished with 231 points in the
voting to easily outdistance De-
troit Lions running back Barry
Sanders, who had 100 points,
and boxer Evander Holyfield,
third with 98 points.
Swiss tennis star Martina
Hingis was voted the Female
Athlete of the Year, receiving
363 points. Swedish golfer An-
nika Sorenstam was second with
178, and U.S. soccer player Mia
Hamm third with 95.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)
— Oklahoma’s year in sports
was highlighted by the brightest
football season in nearly a
decade at Oklahoma State and
one of the dimmest ever at Ok-
lahoma.
In a year when Oklahoma
City struck out in its bid for a
National Hockey League team,
sweeping coaching changes oc-
curred in Tulsa’s college basket-
ball teams and Jenks rolled to
another state title in football, the
biggest stories involved the OU
and OSU football programs.
At Oklahoma, John Blake’s
second year was as bad as his
first. The Sooners followed their
3-8 season of a year ago with a 4-
8 finish in 1997. Along the way
they continued to struggle with
penalties and mistakes, changed
the offense, used as many as three
quarterbacks in some games, and
eventually ended up with some
new assistant coaches.
Through it all, Blake weath-
ered criticism that stemmed
CnsebsatoZhschd S-L,.
.           . r              . UNU-reenSDoro to, Chattanooga 70
Plummer threw tor one touch- Franklin Life Classic
down and ran for another as Championship
Cincinnati beat Utah State 35- Rider 64, Cent. Connecticut St. 56
19 in the Humanitarian Bowl.      Third Place, _ .
Tk- .kcL Loa (k ve.   Coll, of Charleston 77, Columbia 55
-he duarterback had 64 yards Bear Classic
receiving, 62 yards passing, and
53 yards rushing for the Bearcats California 66, Va. Commonwealth 57
(8-4). Utah Sate finished 6-6.
from the disorganization and as-
sured Oklahoma fans that the
program is on the right track.
“Right now I’m the leader of
the program and I think you
need to judge it off what I think
and feel, and what the players
say and the excitement they dis-
play on that football field and
outside of football,” Blake said
after the season.
“You say the scoreboard does-
n’t show (progress),” he said.
“You’ve got to build somewhere,
and it doesn’t always show on
the scoreboard. In due time it
will show, though.”
After Oklahoma closed the
season on a high note by upset-
ting Texas Tech, Blake fired of-
fensive coordinator Dick
Winder, defensive coordinator
Bill Young and two other assis-
tants. He replaced Winder with
Joe Dickinson, who had been run-
ning backs coach, and hired Rex
Ryan to lead the defense.
Ryan is the twin brother of
Rob Ryan, whose defensive
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Oklahoma State Cornerback
R.W. McQuarters will likely start tonight’s game as a receiver, as
he did several times during the regular season.
But he isn’t likely to play more on offense than usual, even
though McQuarters will have the entire offseason to recover.
“We need him a lot more to be productive on defense in this
kind of ball game than we do on offense,” coach Bob Simmons
said, alluding to Purdue’s potent passing game.
“It has picked up,” Tiller added. “That’s a good sign.”
Not for Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys will try to stop a Purdue team that, armed with        L eCence wants resnect
quarterback Billy Dicken and wide receiver Brian Alford, led the ~OWDOY derense WaHES -rPE--
Big 10 in passing with an average of 281.5 yards and total offense SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Oklahoma States defense played
with an average of 459.6 yards,                                       better this year than any Cowboy unit since 1985. When hes asked
“Purdue can put a lot of points on the board,” said Oklahoma for reasons why his team went 8-3 this year, coach Bob Simmons
State coach Bob Simmons. “It’s going to be a challenge for us to points first to the defense.
really try to slow them down.”                                       So why is defensive coordinator Rob Ryan scowling as the
The two teams, both 8-3, meet for the first time at 7 p.m. tonight   Cowboys prepare to play Purdue in the Alamo Bowl?
in the Alamodome.                                                    “From listening to everybody, we don’t have a chance, he said,
Both squads surpassed expectations this year.                        referring to the oddsmakers who have made Purdue a 3-to 4-point
Under first-year coach Tiller, Purdue finished the regular season   favorite, and to the media who think the Cowboys are in over their
in a three-way tie for second in the Big 10, achieving its first winning head. “They obviously haven’t watched our defense play.
record and bowl appearance since 1984.                                         Cowboys ranked No. 14 nationally in total defense,
Simmons, in his third year with the Cowboys led Oklahoma   allowing 302.7 yards per game. They have been particularly tough
its first bowl game since 1988.                                          against the run, giving up 113 yards per game.
Dicken, a senior, said he’s always had confidence in the The reason for the skepticism is that the Cowboys haven’t faced a
Boilermakers, but said under the new coach Purdue has made big   team that throws the ball as well as Purdue. The Boilermakers’
strides. He expects a positive attitude to help again Tuesday night.     average of 281 passing yards per game led the Big 10 and placed
“I’m probably going to get knocked down a lot,” Dicken said. them 13th in the country.
players — many of them starters sound running game and a better
— being declared academically defense. A unit that was among
ineligible or suspended by coach one of the worst in the country a
Bob Simmons.                  year earlier became one of the
The Cowboys, picked to fin- best in the Big 12 this year.
ish near the bottom of the Big 12 Defense was a problem for the
South division, won their opener Tulsa football team, which went
on the road against Iowa State. 2-9 in its second season in the
That triggered a 6-0 start that Western Athletic Conference,
saw them beat I exas and Col- I he poor season led to whispers
orado and reach No. 12 in the that Dave Rader would be re-
Associated Press rankings.         placed as coach, although admin-
The Cowboys stumbled after istrators said that wouldn’t be
that, losing three of their final the right move.
five games, but one of the victo- “Coach Rader was instrumen-
ries was their second in three tai in campaigning for our ad-
years over Oklahoma. The eight mission into the WAC. We want
victories were the most since him to have the opportunity to
1988, which was OSU s last succeed in something he helped
winning season.                    make reality for this institu-
“There is a lot of excitement tion," athletic director Judy
for us to be in this situation,” MacLeod said.
Simmons said. “It’s been a long Tulsa basketball was in the
West offense: quarterbacks Brandon Jones,
Frederick, Brian Madden, Lawton Ike; running
backs Milen Darby, MWC, Jay Hunt, Carl Albert,
Jason Kilmer, Washington, Michael Meyer,
Waynoka, Josh Scobey, Del City; wide receivers
Rockwell Armstrong, Carl Albert, Dominic Di-
Mayo, Marietta, Gabe Luttrell, MWC; tight ends
Tanner Reynolds, Chickasha, Trent Smith,
Clinton; centers Boone Johnson, Sulphur; Josh
Smith, Westmoore; linemen Judson Davis, Nor-
man, Josh Foster, Lawton Mac; Brison Loesch, Pio-
neer, Chris Owens, Sulphur, Jason Russell, Putnam
West defense: line Clint Allison, Washington,
Lute Croy, Duncan, Shane Kennon, PC North, An-
thony Piccirillo, Watonga, Frank Romero, Moore;
ends Chris Billips, Lawton Ike, Dustin Files,
Newcastle, Stephen Helzer, Thomas, Darnell Hes-
ter, Clinton; linebackers Michael Dulaney, Turpin,
Charlie Merida, Weatherford, Kent Simodynes,
Edmond Memorial, James Washington, Hobart;
backs Jake Bollig, Moore, Chirs Cole, Ardmore,
Henry Hall, Del City, Jeremy Hess, Newcastle,
and Scott Seybold, Weatherford.
Colorado State nips
Missouri in Holiday
SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego product
Darran Hall raced untouched for a touchdown on a
Holiday Bowl-record 85-yard punt return in the
third quarter as No. 18 Colorado State beat No.
19 Missouri 35-24.
Moses Moreno, from neighboring Chula Vista
and playing his last college game, threw
touchdown passes of 18 yards to Corey McCoy
and 47 yards to Dallas Davis for the WAC
champion Rams (11-2). Missouri finished 7-5.
OSU vs. Purdue in Alamo
Both teams exceeded expectations
By KELLEY SHANNON                                           “Hopefully, Brian (Alford) and the rest of the gang will get open for
AP Sports Writer                                                 me.”
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Though his team possesses the Big Jamaal Fobbs and Nathan Simmons pose a rushing threat for
10’s best passing offense, Purdue coach Joe Tiller certainly wasn’t Oklahoma State, having run for 864 and 711 yards respectively this
exuding overconfidence on the eve of the Alamo Bowl.               season. Freshman quarterback Tony Lindsay rushed for 564 yards,
“Our practices have been not quite what we had hoped,” Tiller the most by an Oklahoma State quarterback in 24 years.
said Monday as his No. 17 Boilermakers prepared to take on No. “Lindsay is a huge concern," Tiller said. I think hes an
24 Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Tuesday.                              extremely talented guy who can do a lot of things with the ball.
“I’m a little concerned,” he said.                                      Lindsay said he doesn’t believe the time off since the Cowboys’
Tiller, worried that time off in the post-season may affect the last game, a 24-14 victory over Baylor Nov. 22, will hurt the team,
precision of Purdue’s passing game, noted the Boilermakers’ “We formed a bond through the team that gives us a lot of
practices have improved as the Alamo Bowl has approached.           confidence and intensity,” Lindsay said. “That’s going to take us a
Chickasha High’s Tanner Reynolds, earlier
named to the Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World
all-state football teams, has made the McDonald’s
All-State team as selected by the Oklahoma
Coaches Association.
The McDonald’s team is considered somewhat
more prestigious than the other two because a sin-
gle sportswriter basically makes the selections for
a newspaper all-star team, and coaches who have
seen more of the players in action do the selecting
for the team just announced. Also, the coaches
squad is not dominated by Class 6A and 5A. For
instance, two of this year’s West offensive players
are from eight-man schools.
Reynolds is one of two tight ends selected to
play for the West team in the McDonald’s All-
State game this summer. The other tight end is
Clinton’s Trent Smith.
Reynolds was selected as a first-team
linebacker on the Daily Oklahoman’s all-state
squad. Also, he was district player of the year as
selected by coaches of District 5A-2 making a
clean sweep for the Chickasha Reynolds. Coach
Tim Reynolds was named the district’s coach of
the year.
The all-state football game, East vs. West, will
be held at Union High School, July 31, at 8 p.m.
Other state contests will be held in wrestling, bas-
ketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf, and
cheerleading.
Chickasha’s Geoff Holt coached the West large
school basketball team last summer. Reynolds is
ineligible to coach at a state coaches all-star game
in that he’s already coached the limit, once, at the
football contest as well as at the Oil Bowl.
This year marks the sixth time that the McDon-
ald’s Corporation and the Oklahoma Coaches As-
sociation (OCA) have teamed up to bring hun-
dreds of top athletes to the all-state games.