The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 49

I he l.Otll If Jou Hcl. tH. las. Hutn.hel l'J7" racing results sports beat outdoors moras For major sports results, call 582-4371 1-1 Iff 111 I fit A 1 lit-! J1 i Staff Photos by Keith Williams A time to cheer and to rage Louisville coach Vince Gibson is about to hug Kevin Miller after his 60-yard punt-return for a touchdown in yesterday's Independence Bowl game at Shreveport, La. Gary Nord (left) and Danny Simpson also are there to congratulate Miller, whose run gave of a 7-0 lead.

a couple of Louisiana Tech touchdowns and several mistakes by of changed Gibson's mood and caused him to charge onto the field in anger. Louisville fell behind 24-7 at halftime and lost the second annual bowl game 24-14. The defeat gave of a final record of 7-4-1. of start 2444 ESSi ti jsl lec ns Mazing II By MIKE SULLIVAN Courier-Journal A Tlms Staff Writer SHREVEPORT, La. The 1977 Independence Bowl was a masquerade party in which people couldn't even change costumes without falling down and breaking their heads.

In the first half, Louisville's football team showed up as the Petrified Pelicans. I Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech quarterback Keith Thibodeaux came dressed as a combination of Bob Griese, Terry Brad-shaw and Ken Stabler. of which was fortunate to escape humiliation in the game played before 18,500 fans at State Fair Stadium, finished the year 7-4-1. "I was a little surprised that we could pass on them the way we did early," said the 5-foot-10 Thibodeaux, named the bowl's Most Valuable Player on offense. "But they showed me after halftime that they were a good, physical team.

They took our momentum away and got athell of a pass rush cranked up." The plain fact is, State Fair's press box reverberated with laughter early in the second quarter. Based on the 21-7 score after the opening period which took 49 minutes to play writers projected an 84-28 final, and they were serious about the 84. Only Louisville's 28 seemed a bit shaky. "I was really embarrassed by the way we played in the first half, and I was really proud of the second half," said of coach Vince Gibson. But Gibson's pride was tempered by the realization that after of made the game respectable, it actually blew chance after chance to pull out a victory.

"Not scoring from their one-yard line was the end of the road for us," Gibson said. Indeed. With 11:58 left in the game, of linebacker Otis Wilson, named the game's Most Valuable Player on defense, laid an awesome tackle on Tech punt returner Larry Anderson. Mark Besanceney recovered the ensuing fumble on the host team's one-yard line with of trailing by the final score. On first down, Runt Moon was stacked up for a three-yard loss by Tech defensive end Johnny Robinson.

On second down, the Cardinals' senior tailback, Calvin Prince, crowned a miserable performance by letting a perfect pit-chout bounce off his hands for a fumble that Tech's Robinson recovered at the eight-yard line. Prince who lost one other fumble, dropped a pass and lost his footing a few times en route to gaining a net of 12 yards in 13 carries had a strange explanation for his ineffectiveness. "This bowl meant a lot to the team, but See LOUISIANA TECH Page 4, Col. 1 Billy Reed column, Page A 1. In the second half, Louisville shed its pelican garb and reverted to a basic Fighting Cardinals number.

Thibodeaux became, if not Thumbs Hendelman, more of a ditch-digger than a surgeon. But the sophomore's blazing start and the painful ineptitude of Louisville's offense were enough to preserve a 24-14 victory for Louisiana Tech, ending the Bulldogs' year with a 9-1-2 record. UK gels out of HalVs doghouse by shredding St. John's 102-72 dia covering the tournament. He had 20 points, several of his baskets coming late in the first half when UK began to break open the game.

Another of the suspended players, Truman Claytor, scored 16 points and also made the all-UKIT team. A third UK player. Jack Givens, also was voted all-tournament along with two visiting players, Portland State's Freeman Williams and St. John's George Johnson. UK's Rick Robey was going for a fourth all-tournament berth, which would have been a record, but he didn't make By TEV LAUDEMAN Courier-Journal ft Times Staff Writer LEXINGTON, Ky.

Kentucky not winning its invitational basketball tournament is like Frank Sinatra forgetting the words to "I Did It My Way." Those things aren't supposed to happen. A year ago, though, with three players suspended for curfew violations, UK lost Its gusto and dropped the UKIT title game to Utah. But everything returned to normal last night. UK whipped St. John's by a surprising margin, 102-72, for the 1977 championship.

It was UK's 18th UKIT crown in the 25 years of the tournament. When UK coach Joe Hall went to the center of Rupp Arena with his players to accept the four-foot trophy, the first thing he said was, "My team is out of the doghouse." Hall had complained after Friday night's victory over Portland State that UK, though unbeaten, wasn't playing well. "That's the way we should have been playing," Hall said of UK's romp over St. John's. "I think that justified my observations that we hadn't played with spirit and emotion.

"This was one of our better games in a long time." St. John's hung on for awhile, but simply couldn't stay with a UK team which did it all. Mike Phillips, one of last year's suspended players, was voted the Most Valuable Player of the tournament by the me See UK Page 3, col. 2 Ailing O'Koren sparks N. Carolina past Cincy inside Bob Griese't two TD passes help Miami keep alive playoff hopes with 31-14 rout of Buffalo Page 2.

The Redskins hold off the Rams 17-14 to stay in the running, and the Vikings beat the Lions 30-21 to clinch playoff berth Page 2. Los Angeles Verbum Dei's basketball team is excited about its visit to Louisville Page 7. Earl Cox column Page 8. Indy drivei Sam Sessions, 42, dies in snowmobile rac accident Page 10 1- Aisoctated GREENSBORO, N.C. Sophomore guard Mike O'Koren and freshman forward Hal Wood each scored 12 points last night to lead fifth-ranked North Carolina to a 67-59 basketball victory over sixth-ranked Cincinnati.

O'Koren, listed as questionable before the game because of a sprained ankle, came off the bench near the end of the first half. Senior guard Phil Ford directed North Carolina's four-corner stall offense to perfection in the last seven minutes, and (he winners outscored Cincinnati 12-2 in the final five minutes. Cincinnati received a technical foul for failure to force play with five minutes left and the score tied 57-57. The losers managed only two points thereafter. North Carolina led 35-34 at halftime afler nine lead changes and four ties Cincinnati led by as many as five points in the first half, but North Carolina look a 53-51 lead with 10:36 remaining in the second half and held on.

Cincinnati was led by center Bob Miller with 17 points and center-forward Pat Cummings with 10. The loss dropped Cincy 's record to 5-1. North Carolina is 6-1. "We're happy to win over a strong-rebounding Cincinnati team," North Carolina coach Dean Smith said. "There were too many fouls.

I think both teams were so anxious to play well. It was a typical early-season matchup between Top 10 teams." O'Koren's performance was a pleasant surprise, Smith said. "I'm surprised O'Koren played for so long and so good. The trainer said before the game that he didn't know for sure whether he could play," Smith noted. Both coaches had comments about the technical team foul against Cincinnati See NORTH CAROLINA Page 6, Col.

1 r-' Gallivantoi scoies by 3Vi in spill-marred Display Handieap Page 17 SUM Photo by Keith Williamt Louisville's Jim Embry (44) and Otis Wilson sand- L's 24-14 loss yesterday in the Independence Bowl, wich Louisiana Tech's Larry McCartney during of Wilson was named MVP on defense..