The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 35, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 10, 1999 Page: 4 of 8
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Sports
JL. February 10 1999 Wdndy
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Page 4
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Men's team tackles TSU to face WTAM next
f i
"' Robert Bcntlcy
Sports Editor
Sweet revenge could belong to the menfc
basketball team once again.
The men continued their four-game
winning streak Saturday with a 69-62
win against Tarlcton State University the
school that handed ACU the most embar-
rassing of its four conference losses of the
season Jan. 21
The Wildcats plan on continuing their
recent streak however.
ACU lost in Lone Star Conference play
to TSU Angclo State University Midwest-
ern State University and West Texas A&M
University.
The Wildcats last three conference wins
have come. against TSU MSU and ASU.
Thursday the Wildcats have a chance of
sweeping that group at home when they
face WTAM the LSCs latest first-place
' team at 8 p.m at Moody Coliseum
As if the team needs further motivation
' the game against WTAM potentially carries
postseason implications as well WTAM
and ACU arc ranked closely together in the
South Central region. The winner of
Thursdays contest could reap the benefits
In March.
"We should be plenty motivated" said
ACU coach Shanon Hays. "We just need to
get off to a good start against West Texas.
Last time wc shot so poorly that it hurt our
confidence early."
The Wildcats have a slight size advan-
tage over the Duffs but both teams arc
known fof their ability (o run the floor
well One weapon In WTAMs arsenal tltat
could do serious damage to the Wildcats is
forward Tcrrance Jollcy the LSCs reigning
Player of the Week. Jolley averaged 22
points and shot a staggering 62.3 percent
from the field in three wins last week.
"Wc match up well with them but they
match up well with us too" Hays said. "If
we play good and rebound we're going to
be successful. But if we're not on top of our
game they can make it a long night for
us.
Women's team wins
pair over weekend
Jared Schroedcr
Sports Writer
Showdown: A final test disclosure of
intentions or conditions.
The Oxford American Dictionary could
place the West Texas A&M and ACU logos
beside the definition as an example.
When the teams meet at 6 p.m.Thurs-
day in Moody Coliseum the Wildcats will
be tested by a Buffaloes team that has won
its last seven games and climbed from the
bottom of the Lone Star Conference South
Division.
"It is never a problem for ACU and WT
to get focused" when they play each other
ACU coach Wayne Williams said.
ACU 18-5 10-2 in the LSC South Divi-
sion leads the WTAM womens basketball
team by 1 12 games in the standings and
Thursdays game will be one of the Wild-
cats' final regular season examinations.
The Wildcats made a practice test out of
defeating Texas Woman's University 82-
66 Friday and Tarlcton State University
87-65 Saturday moving ACUs winnings
to nine of its last 10 games.
"We improved throughout this three-
game weekend" Williams said "especially
in our defensive play."
Every player on the team received play-
ing time which resulted in some quality
performances from young players. Fresh-
man Shea Purkiss hit four three-point
shots in her career-high 18-point game
Saturday.
"A lot of .our players got some quality
time" Williams said. "Some needed to
work on 'things tltat took game time to
work on."
However WTAMfc leading scorer has
returned since the Wildcats defeated the
Buffaloes 88-75 In Canyon Jan. 9.
Latraica Spencer returned to help
WTAM defeat Texas A&M-Kingsville Uni-
versity 71-62 last Thursday. Spencer
missed eight games because of a' knee
Injury. .She Is the Buffaloes leading scorer
averaging 13.3 points per game.
Spencer is one of the Buffaloes inside
weapons .Williams said.
"They have big post players" Williams
said "and the size to defend the post very
well."
Valeree Valdcz led the Buffaloes in
Spencers absence. She is averaging 13.2
points per game und is WTAMb most con-
sistent three-point shooter.
ACU post Jackie Bucher leads the Wild-
cats in scoring and rebounding. She Is
third averaging 17.6 points per game in
the LSC. The junior is fifth in the LSC in
rebounds per game averaging 84 per
game.
Amber Tate and Emily Berry are respec-
tively second and third on the team in
scoring. Tate is averaging 13.2 points per
game and Is among the top three-point
shooters in the conference. Berry is adding
11 points per game and is third in the LSC
in steals per game averaging 2.35.
The Wildcats failed their final test of the
regular season against WTAM lost season
losing 84-67 In Canyon.
- WOMEN S BASKETBALL
LSC South Division
Team LSC Overall
ACU .'.. 10-2 ' '18-3
West Texas A&M 8-3 14-9
Texas A&M-Kingsville 7-4 14-7
Eastern New Mexico 6-5 13-8
Midwestern State 6-6 12-10
Texas AfiiM-Commerce 5-6 7-M
Texas Woman's 4-8 7-15
Angela Slate 3-9 7-13
Tarlcton State 3-9 7-13
LSC North Division
East Central 7-3 14-6
SouthwestenOkla. State 7-3 13-7
Harding 6-3 16-3
Southeastern Old. State . 6-4 14-8
Central Oklahoma . 3-3 12-10
Ouachita Baptist 3-6 10-11
Northeastern State 3-7 3-17
Cameron Okta. 2-8 4-20
Track teams enjoy continued success in Nebraska
Chris Smith
Sports Writer
The goal of track coach Wes Kittleyls ACU mens and
women's track teams is to qualify for national or provi-
sionally every week.
This week was no different at the Frank Sevelgn Invita-
tional in Nebraska where the emphasis was on Individual
performances not team performance.
Three out of four of the runners In the 5000 meters
qualified either automatically or provisionally for the
national meet in Indianapolis which is less than a month
away.
Kittley thinks that all three qualifying runners have
good enough times to qualify for the national meet.
"It was a pretty productive meet Kittley said. "I was
real pleased."
Alfred Regema was the only automatic qualifier for the
Wildcats with a time of 14 minutes 19.95 seconds In the
5000-meters. Teammate Gilbert Tuhabonyc finished at 14
minutes 40.51 seconds to qualify provisionally.
Barnabas Menjo also ran in the 5000 for the mens
team as well. The lone runner for the womens team was
Freda Valdez whose time of 17 minutes 51.32 seconds
was good enough to qualify provisionally.
The Frank Sevelgn Invitational was one of the rare
Both tennis
teams beat
WTAM
Chris Smith L
Sports Writer
"Real tennis" is what tennis coach Hutton
Jones used to describe the level of pky he is
preparing the womens team to pky this sea-
son after two conference-opening wins
against Eastern New Mexico and West Texas
A&M last weekend on Uie road.
Real tennis Jones said is a mental
game when every point is a struggle and it
is not easy to win points much like pro-
fessional tennis where thete Is no such
thing as an easy point
"Every point Is a knock down drag out
effort" Jones said "it is good to win easy
but don't end up thinking lhats the way it
is supposed to be."
The women defeated ENM which Is
ranked 21st in the nation 7-2 last Friday
despite losing the number one matches in
doubles and singles play. The Wildcats
won the two through six singles matches
handily however as well as the two and
three doubles matches.
"Its what I expected" Jones said. "Julie
lost a tough three-set match She compet-
ed wdl bit bv!c was . .little U off..
iBut shci still olinest pulled it off.lt They
knew we were better so they were up for
us. We really dominated all the other
matches except the ones we lost"
The women had an easier time on Sat-
urday in Canyon defeating a weaker
WTAM team 9-0 giving Jones a chance to
play some lower-seeded players. All nine
matcltes were won in straight sets. Jones
moved some of the players around in the
rotation giving them experience that he
said could help later on down the road.
The womens record improved to 3-1 and
11th in the nation.
"They just weren't very strong" Joqes
said of WTAM. "But wc moved the lineup
around and letsome people play some dif-
ferent positions."
The ninth-ranked men finished the
weekend with a split losing to Texas Tech
University 9-0 in Lubbock on Friday and
rebounding to dominate 24th-ranked
WTAM 7-2 Saturday.
"According to Texas Techs head coach
that is the best team they've had there
since they were in the top 30" Jones said.
"He thinks they will end up in the top 30"
. The doubles .team of Andrew Cole and
Kkklandjlost a 9-8 tk-breaker.id Patrick)
l rtiwlnlf.rl rnr ilii. s nnn.mM- Htnnrn . tint irsnmi. 'ncmanaez ana join rereuson. ncmwiacz
thing Is set for next week which Is In rcnsontlhcy.wM "alsoIdfeaJfa:C.0H52' T W
send some participants to qualify. - ' v ! WM?t?' impressed Joes mi It
the mens and womens teams wllUrun next in the W Pre decUlvc-wm again flunked
Oklahoma Indoor Invitational meet Saturday. icamLa"d Wc C0BtrolIed u from ".
finish."
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Hands across America: Audra Ruston tries to rebound the ball during the
game against Tarleton State Saturday In Moody Coliseum.
opportunities for the long-distance unners to run the
5000 in the indoor season. This made the meet and their
performances even more critical.
The more participants the Wildcats can have for
nationals the more opportunities the men's and
womens teams will have to gain points for the indoor
championship.
Kittley said the Wildcats have no more meets tentative
r- Sports Brief
West Texas A&M takes
lead in LSC South
West Texas A&M won three LSC
games last week to move into sole pos-
session of first place In the LSC South
with two weeks left In the regular tea-
son. WTAM defeated Eastern New Mex.
lco Texas A&M Klngsvllle and Texas
A&M-Commerce to move to 81 In the
division. The wins combined with
ACUs win against Midwestern State
allowed the Duffs to move Into the top
spot ACU will face WTAM Thursday.
compiled from praf rrl$
Baseball team takes three from Northeastern Oklahoma
Robert Bentley
m
Scores:
Friday win vs. San Anglo 7-4
Saturday win V. Odessa 8-2
rwVnl yWttwwa
Thursday vs. New Mexico 7 pm.
Saturday vs. Lake Charles 7 p.m.
Sunday vs. San Angelo 2 p.m.
Tuesday vs. Amarillo 7 p.m.
Sports Editor
The baseball team avoided throwing a sur-
prise party for Northeastern Oklahoma State
University Friday and Saturday.
Last year the Redmen shocked the Wildcats
by taking the Grst two games of their four-
game series. This year however there was no
such luck. ACU took three of the four games
narrowly missing a clean sweep in a fourth
game because of a mlscommunicotlon on the
basepaths.
First baseman Brandon McNab misread a
signal from coach Dritt Bonneau after a double
that narrowed the NEOSU lead to 6-5 in the
second game when Bonneau waved outfielder
Ryan Williams in and was thrown out at third
ending an ACU rally in the game the Wildcats
ultimately lost
"They play everybody tough" Bonneau said
of NEOSU "They kept themselves In a position
where they could have won three out of four
also."
The Redmen kept it close losing by scores of
4-3 1-0 and 10-8.
The Wildcat pitching staff earlier the subject
of some worry for Bonneau shone in the wins.
Casey Towcry picked up a win bringing him to
within four wins or the ACU career record
while Kristian Allen followed up his six-inning
99-pitch no-declslon with a win In relief of
Duane Welch who left the fourth game with a
cut on his hand.
Sean Sandifcr also saw significant time on
the mound in relief of Kevin Smith allowing
two hits and striking out two in three innings
"Of course I'm pleased with three wins"
Bonneau said. "We got to play some close
games in some pressure situations."
McNab led the way for ACU at the plate hit-
ting .667 with two doubles a triple a home run
and six runs batted In. Other notable Wildcat
performances came from Williams outfielder
Marc Thompson and second baseman Matt
Davidson who hit .500 .364 and 333 respec-
tively and combined to knock in 10 runs
The tight games provided the Wildcats a
chance to play in tough situations Bonneau
said and the team flourished.
"Playing a team like that is going to get us
ready for the season" Bonneau said. "Its good
to play a team that's mentally tough like tltat
and come out on top."
The Wildcats' next opponent will also be a
formidable foe. They will face Incarnate Word
which is ranked jh In NAIA Friday and Sat-
urday in a four-game series.
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siiiLBiHBsfln?iBPiVi''i&fc4ft. j- l 89BNfllnMDWrriHiHKri9HBHHflKfK H c4
Home stretch: First baseman Brandon McNab drops trve ball during the sev-
enth inning of the last game that ACU payfd.lrst Northeastern Oklahoma.
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 35, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 10, 1999, newspaper, February 10, 1999; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99832/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.