The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 25

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2003 SALINA JOURNAL Sports BASKETBALL D4 BASEBALL D5 MONEY D6 PRO BASKETBALL: USBL POSTSEASON FESTIVAL Westchester denies Cagerz Poor third quarter costs Kansas as its season ends in first-round loss By BOB DAVIDSON Sallna Journal DODGE CITY Old habits die hard, especially bad ones. For the Kansas Cagerz, it was the nasty habit of playing well for three quarters but inexplicably stumbling, fumbling and bumbling through one, which typically led to their demise. They appeared to have shaken the trend in recent games, but the mon- FIRST ROUND Kansas 94 LOCAL NEWS ster returned one last time Friday After a solid first half, the Cagerz unraveled during an ugly third quarter against Westchester, briefly recovered in the fourth before fading again down the stretch in a 97-94 loss to the Wildfire in the quarterfinals of the United States Basketball League's Postseason Festival at the Civic Center. The loss ends a disappointing season for the Cagerz, who finish with a 15-16 record their first record since coming to Salina five years ago. Westchester (20-11) advances to today's semifinals and a Westchester 97 game against Pennsylvania (24-7) at 5 p.m.

In the words of baseball Yogi Berra, the Cagerz' season finale was little more than deja vu all over again. Kansas led 51-48 at halftime and appeared on track to upset the third-seeded Wildfire. Then came the third quarter. The Cagerz scored just 14 points in the period, hitting just 5 of 19 shots and committing eight turnovers. Westchester took advantage and surged to a 71-65 lead entering the fourth quarter.

"We just started shooting jumpers," Kansas forward Johnny Jackson said, sounding a familiar refrain. "We quit taking it to them. Their big men were slow. If our guards had kept penetrating like we did the first quarter, I think we would have done a lot better." "We quit attacking," Cagerz coach Francis Flax said. "In the first quarter every shot we took was in the lane, or when they shut us off, we had a dish-off.

We didn't attack the way we did in the first half" The Cagerz opened the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run and led 79-73 with 7:14 left. But another lull led to eight unanswered Westchester points and an 81-79 lead. A Lee Benson layup with 1:52 left tied the game 88-88, but Westchester scored six in a row to lead 94-88 with 36.7 seconds left. Down 95-90, Jeff Boschee hit two See CAGERZ, Page 04 ROORICK REIDSMA Salina Journal Salina Mariners coach Jim Lange instructs his team before their Friday morning game of the USSSA 14-under Class AA state baseball tournament at East Crawford Recreation Area. Having a BALL Boys of summer: 52 teams are in Salina battling for USSSA 14-under and 10-under state titles By AMY UNK Salina Journal LOCAL NEWS They're 14.

It's their summer vacation and they're gettijsig up at 5 a.m. on weekends. "I got up at 5 today," Marcus Hoesli said. "You got up at 5 what did you do your hair or Aaron Lamer asked. Marcus Hoesli, son of Tim and Michelle Hoesli, 2014 Glenndale, and Aaron Lamer, of Darrell and Linda Lamar, 2600 E.

Shipton, both play for the Salina Mariners baseball team. The Mariners had an 8 a.m. game Friday at the United States Specialty Sports Association Youth State Baseball Tournament at the East Crawford Recreational Area. Unlike Hoesli, Lamer, 13, was able to sleep until 6:45 a.m. Hoesli, 14, said their team has Take me out to the ballgeme WHAT: The United States Specialty Sports Association Youth State Baseball Tournament WHEN: Today's games start at 11 a.m.

and 1 and 3 Sunday's games start at 9 a.m., with the championship game at noon WHERE: 14 and under: East Crawford Recreational Area; 10 and under: Bill Burke Park ADMISSION: Free SCORES: Scoreboard, D2. been playing together since they were 9 years old, and became a traveling team the next year. The Mariners have traveled to McPherson, Manhattan, Hays, Russell and Topeka to play Lamer and Hoesli enjoy traveling to baseball tournaments, but they could do without those early morning games. See BALL, Page D3 BASEBALL The Associated Press Kansas City's Ken Harvey hustles into second base with a second-inning double during Friday's game against the St Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium. Royals double up Cards Defense the difference as KC makes key pfays while St.

Louis struggles in eighth By STEVE BRISENDINE Vie Associated Press iniTERLEAGUE Cardinals Royals 6 KANSAS CITY, Mo. Darrell May didn't bring his best stuff. Fortunately for him, the guys playing behind him brought theirs. Solid, and sometimes spectacular, fielding by the Kansas City Royals and an eighth-inning defensive collapse by the St. Louis Cardinals helped May earn his first win since September in his 14th start of the season.

The Royals, despite being outhit 7-4, took advantage of three errors by the Cardinals and extended their winning streak to five games with a 6-3 victory Friday night "Sometimes you have to try to create runs," Royals manager Tony Pena said. "That's what we did tonight." May (1-4) had gone 16 starts and 19 appearances without a win since beating the Chicago Sox 9-6 SQpt. 11. The last time he faced the Cardinals, on June 21, they him 8-1. "I feel like I really didn't have gobi stuff against them again tonight," said.

"I just decided I wasn't going to let them know that. I was going to come out there and attack the strike zone, not let them get me in a hole." May went seven innings Friday night, giving up two runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 25 chances. The Royals broke a 2-all tie with three runs, all unearned, in the seventh inning off starter Garrett Stephenson (4-7). Mike DeFelice's bases-loaded, one- out groundball scored Raul Ibanez with the go-ahead run, and two more runs scored when rookie second baseman Bo Hart misplayed Desi Relaford's pinch-hit grounder.

That was the second error of the inning for St. Louis. With nobody out and one on, Eduardo Perez ran down See ROYALS, Page DS TENNIS Venus, Roddick advance The Associated Press Andy Roddick dives to make a return during his third-round Wimbledon match with Tommy Robredo on Friday. I' nJ (lulljlU Roddick in fourth round for first time; Williams rolls again By HOWARD FENDRICH The Associated Press WIMBLEDON, England Venus Williams is back in a Grand Slam groove. She's pounding serves, dictating points, not letting opponents into the match.

And now the two-time Wimbledon champion gets a chance to inflict her good form on the player responsible for Williams' surprising exit at the last major. Williams picked up a third consecutive lopsided victory, outclassing French Open semifinalist Nadia Petrova Friday to reach the round of 16 at the All England Club for the sixth year in a row. Williams next faces another Russian, Vera Zvonareva, who beat her in the fourth round at Roland Garros Williams' earliest loss at a Slam in two years. The American couldn't prepare properly for that event because of an abdominal injury "There's no excuses for me, I have to perform. If I have a bad day, it's a bad day," the fourth-seeded Williams said, "but I come back stronger." Andy Roddick is looking rather dominant himself, also not dropping a set yet.

He reached Wimbledon's fourth round for the first time by beating No. 25 Tommy Robredo 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4. Roddick didn't lose his See VENUS, Page D3 WIMBLEDON, England (AP) brief look at what happened Friday: Seeded winnsrs Men: No. 4 Roger Federer; No. 5 Andy Roddick; No.

8 SJeng Schalkeni'No. 9 Ralner SchuetUer; No. 12 Paradotn Srichaphan. SeiBded wlnnore -T WomertiNaS Kim Clljsters; No, 4 Venus Williams; No. 5 Lindsay Davenport; No.

13 Ai Suglyama; No. 16 Vera Seeded Men: None, 9oeded losers Women: No. 7 Chanda Rubin by Silvia Farina Ella. Statof theDay Karlovic and Max MIrnyi both made no unforced errors In the first set dltheir third round match. COLLEGE BASKETBALL Self selects Dooley, completes KU staff Jayhawks' assistant served same role at Wyoming last year From Staff and Wire Reports LAWRENCE Dooley, a former assistant coach at Wyoming and New Mexico, is joining Bill Self's staff at Kansas as an assistant coach.

Last season, Dooley served as an assistant coach at Wyoming, which went 2111 and played in the postseason NIT. Dooley coached at NewMexico from 1999-2002, working primarily as a recruiter. Before joining the New Mexico priJgram, Dooley spent eight seasons at East Carolina, including four as head coach where he led the Pirates to a 57-52 record. Dooley is a graduate of George Washington. "Joe has been'a Division I head coach and assistant coach, and he's recruited both coasts and in the junior college ranks," Self added.

"His contacts will really enhance our recruiting efforts." Self also announced on Friday that Ben Miller will continue to recruit throughout the summer, then will assume the role of Director of Basketball Operations. SUGGESTIONS? GALL BOB DAVIDSON, SPORTS EDITOR, AT 823-6363 OR 1-800-827-6363 OR E-MAIL AT 1.