The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 23

SATUpbAY, JUNE 25, 2004 SALINIA COLLEGE BASKETBALL D5 YOUTH BASEBALL D5 PRO BASKETBALL 'Cats blitzed; Kings next Kansas holds amazing 80-40 edge on boards; Jackson pulls down 21 By BOB DAVIDSON Sallna Journal The Kansas Cagerz won't have long to celebrate their record-setting effort. The Brooklyn Kings will see to that. The Cagerz' 124-94 victory over an outmanned Adirondack team Friday night in a quarterfinal game of the United States Basketball League's Postseason Festival at the Bicen- LOCAL NEWS tennial Center was good for a few warm fuzzies for a couple of hours afterward. But any celebrations were tempered by the fact they face a talented Brooklyn team at 8 tonight in the semifinals. The Kings rallied in the second half to defeat Oklahoma 104-93 Friday, setting up the third meeting between the two teams who have identical 2110 records.

"It's a whole different ballgame tomorrow night," said Cagerz forward Johnny Jackson, who added to his legendary list of rebounding accomplishments by snagging a franchise-record 21 rebounds. They were part of the Cagerz' record-tying 80 total rebounds as Kansas manhandled Adirondack 80-40 on the boards. "(Brooklyn) is a tougher team, a stronger team," Jackson said of the Kings. "We have to go out and be aggressive, try to own the glass and use our height to our advantage. "Tomorrow's a new day and a new game and you have to play it game by game." The third-seeded Cagerz and second-seeded Kings split their two games during the regular season Brooklyn winning 113-106 in Brooklyn on May 25, and Kansas winning 121-114 at the Bicentennial Center on June 2.

Cagerz coach Francis Flax, while pleased with the quarterfinal victory, was also was looking ahead to the Eastern Division co- champions shortly after his team's easy conquest. "They're athletic, just like we are," he said. "We're going to have to keep (point guard) Chudney Gray under control and we've got to neutralize (BJ) McFarlan and (Mike) Campbell. "They don't have a true post player as such. They rely on athleticism.

We're going to try and go RYAN SODERUN Salina Journal The Cagerz' Cleotis Brown tries to stay ahead of Adirondack's Brandon Hawltins as Hawltins drives to the basliet during the first quarter Friday at the Bicentenniai Center. at them in the post area." The Cagerz didn't give Adirondack much of a chance. They led 29-20 after one quarter, 57-39 at halftime and 93-65 after three quarters. Six players scored in double figures, led by Cleotis Brown's 23. Lee Benson had 21 to go along with 14 rebounds while Jeff Boschee had 17 points, Maurice Jeffers 14, Nate Johnson 13 and Ethan Cole 10.

Jackson and Jamie Kendrick had nine each. See CAGERZ, Page D3 No love between Legend, ValleyDawgs Seinifinal will be a rematch of 2001, 2003 USBL championship By LARRY MORITZ Salina Journal Darryl Dawkins chooses words such as "spirited" and "lively" to describe past meetings between his own Pennsylvania Dawgs and the Dodge City Legend. One of the top rivalries in the United States Basketball League is described differently by others. "People seem to think there's bad blood between us and Dodge City," Dawkins said. "I think our games are always intense because we both want to win." Both teams will want to win in the worst way when they meet at 5 p.m.

today in the semifinals of the USBL Postseason Festival at LOCAL NEWS the Bicentennial Center. It will be a rematch of the 2003 and 2001 USBL championship games this time on a neutral court with the winner earning the right to play in Sunday's title contest. Dodge City won the 2003 title at home with a 97-96 overtimie victory over Pennsylvania. The ValleyDawgs were playing on their home court when they downed the Legend 100-91 in the 2001 final. "It'll be on neutral ground with three referees," said Pennsylvania guard John Thomas, "so anything goes." Dodge City, the USBL's defending champion and the top-seeded team in this year's event, advanced with a 99-89 victory over the Westchester Wildfire in Friday's first-round action.

Pennsylvania moved into the semifinals U8BL Postseason ftstlval At Bicentennial Center Friday Dodge City 99, Westchester 89 Pennsylvania 113, Cedar Rapids -104' 104, Oklahoma 93 Kansas 124, Adirondack 94 Today Semifinals Game 5 Dodge City (23-8) vs. Pennsylvania (21-10), 5 p.m. 'Game 6 Brooklyn (21-10) vs. Kansas (21-10), 8 p.m. Sunday Championship Game 7 Game 5 winner vs.

Game 6 winner, 4 p.m. with a 113-104 victory over the Cedar Rapids Raiders. The semifipalists split their two regular-season meetings this season, with each winning on its home court. "We have a lot of respect for (Pennsylvania) and they are well coached," said first-year Dodge City coach Dale Osbourne. "Any team coached by Darryl Dawkins is going to be there at the end of the year and we know we're going to be in for a tough basketball game." "Our games this year have definitely been lively," Dawkins said.

"They beat us by two points at their place and the crowd was so enthusiastic. Some of them said it was the best game they had seen there in awhile." Both Dodge City and Pennsylvania had to pull away late in their respective openers Friday Westchester (14-17) came into the See LOVE, Page D3 Benson, Boschee get Cagerz off and running sizzles from field in first half; guard takes over from deep By HUEY COUNTS Jr. Salina Journal Lee Benson didn't waste any time sticking the dagger in the Adirondack Wildcats. He buried shots early and he buried them often. Then, in the second half, teammate Jeff Boschee twisted the blade a bit deeper to take out any gasp of hope the Wildcats might still have had of ending the Kansas Cagerz' winning streak at the Bicentennial Center.

"Any shooter sees the ball go in the basket it builds his confidence up," said Benson, who hit his first four shots from the field. "The LOCAL NEWS guy gave me enough room to get my shot In the first quarter on my fjrst shot, and 1 felt I could make every shot after that." He nearly did make them all in the first half. Benson knocked down seven of his eight attempts in the first half for-15 points. Kansas led by 57-39 at the break in its opening-round game Friday in the 19th annual United States Basketball League Postseason Festival. The start of the second half belonged to Boschee.

He burled a 3- pointer to start the scoring, then canned another and another, the final one putting Kansas on top 72-48 and well on their way to a 124-94 pasting of its vastly overmatched opponent. "Coach always tells us if we have a guy down, keep going at them," said Benson, who finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds for his second double-double in two career postseason games. "We want to make them play catch-up Boschee ended up with 17 points. Newly crowned sixth nian of the year Cleotis Brown finished with a game-high 23 points, including a vicious pair of slam dunks near the end that were nearly matched by consecutive flushes by Jamie Kendrick. "This is a very athletic team," Benson said.

Carlos Strong, grabbing some extra minutes because of the absence of Jeff Graves who is no longer with the team, had eight of the Cagerz' 80 rebounds. Johnny Jackson added a franchise-record 21 boards. See BENSON, Page D3 PRO BASEBALL The Associated Press Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen drives down the third-base line for a three-run double In the third Inning against the Royals on Friday in Kansas City. St. Louis won, 5-2.

Cardinals, Rolen roll past KC Major League RBI leader adds to total with home run, three-run double in 5-2 win By DOUG TUCKER The Associated Press Cardinals Royals KANSAS CITY, Mo. Facing Scott Rolen with the bases loaded in the third inning, Zack Greinke was determined not to let a grand slam go sailing over the wall. And he didn't. Instead, the rookie hander gave up a three-run double that sent the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-2 victory Friday night over the Kansas City Royals.

"I didn't want to throw a pitch he could hit hard," Greinke said. "But I left one over the plate and he hit it." Rolen also hit a solo home run to raise his major league-leading RBI total to 75 and give him his fifth four-RBI game of the season. He went 3-for-4 with a single and raised his average to .341. "In that situation, the pitcher's at kind of a disadvantage," Rolen said. "There's no place he can put you.

He's going to have to throw a strike sooner or later. Be patient and get a good pitch to hit." Matt Morris (8-6) pitched eight strong innings for the win. But he's allowed the most homers in the NL, and he gave up a two-run shot to Mike Sweeney in the eighth. "He put a good swing on a bad pitch," said Morris, who has given up 24 homers. "I was really hoping to get through a game without one." In their first game since trading star center fielder Carlos Beltran to Houston, the Royals started rookies at catcher, pitcher and center field.

See ROLEN, Page D4 PRO TENNIS Never Borin' Goran all done Flamboyant Ivanisevic hangs up racket after third-round loss to Hewitt at Wimbledon By HOWARD FENDRICH The Associated Press WIMBLEDON, England In the final set of his wild and crazy career, 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic was preparing to serve when a spectator cried out: "We love you, Goran!" He paused, smiled, then smacked a service winner and pointed toward the admirer. Right before his next serve, a shout came from another section of the stands; "We love you, too, Goran!" He hit a volley winner, then pointed in that supporter's direction. One of tennis' great showmen and few remaining serve-and-volleyers bid farewell at his favorite spot in the world, Centre Court at the All England Club, with a -4 third-round loss Friday to Lleyton Hewitt, his successor as Wimbledon champion. "Everything was right: the weather, the crowd, the court," the 32-year-old Croat said. "I'm hapiiy and sad.

I'm sad that I have to leave, but I'm happy that it's no more practicing. Was really great years. I really enjoyed every moment of my career." See GORAN, D5 BOB DAVIDSON, SPORTS EpiTOR, AT OR.