Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 9

ports Today's TV tip Who will win the Heisman Trophy? Bo Jackson? Chuck Long? Find out the same time the contenders do as the Downtown Athletic Club bestows football's most famous honor. Channel 4-12, 2 p.m. Saturday DECEMBER 7, 1985 RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Section 2B FOOTBALL 3B BASKETBALL 4B DIGEST 5B AT A GLANCE 6-8B BUSINESS Latest scores Martina tops Lloyd for Australian title OJvt mm.mmmnv tured from the baseline. "Martina must be considered No. 1 now," conceded Lloyd.

"That was tough on the nerves," said Navratilova. "It seems Chris and I always play great matches." Navratilova's previous Australian titles came in 1981 and 1983. The opening set lasted just 28 minutes as Navratilova came quickly to the net at every opportunity and punished some loose snots from her opponent with crisp volleys. At one stage she reeled off 12 straight points as Lloyd struggled to find her rhythm. Navratilova broke Lloyd's serve in the fourth, sixth and eighth games and dropped her own in the seventh.

Lloyd began to get into the game in the second set, using her ground strokes to good effect in some long ral- lies. Wilander in men's final; Lendl semi rained out MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -Martina Navratilova powered past defending champion Chris Evert Lloyd, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, today to win the women's singles title at the $1.5 million Australian Open tennis championship. Navratilova took 1 hour, 44 minutes to win the 13th Grand Slam singles title of her career. In men's singles, defending champion Mats Wilander of Sweden moved into his third consecutive championship final. Wilander, 21, aiming to become only the third man to win the open three years in succession, completed a 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 semifinal victory over Slobodan Zivojinovic of Yugoslavia.

The match had been suspended because of rain Friday. Press Associated FLYING: Martina Navratilova lunges for a shot en route to win over Chris Evert Lloyd. OMR sh COLOR More rain fell during the other men's semifinal between Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia and Stefan Edberg of Sweden. The match was suspended 10 minutes after it started, with Edberg leading, 2-1. Navratilova collected $100,000 for her victory.

She also confirmed her No. 1 ranking ahead of Lloyd, with whom she has dueled for supremacy for more than a decade. Lloyd, 30, from Fort Lauderdale, had been bidding for her third Australian Open title. Navratilova won it for the third time. She also has won six Wimbledons, two French Opens and two U.S.

opens. The second seed beat Lloyd for the 17th time in their last 19 meetings and for the seventh time in eight matches on grass. Navratilova was simply too strong and quick for Lloyd, who rarely ven Associated Press of McCrory just put it to him," said the 5-10 Curry, who weight 146, the same as the 6-1 McCrory. "But he was hitting me with some shots that made me realize he was out there." But McCrory never really was in the fight. He simply could not escape his stalking opponent.

At about 1:25 of the second round, Curry caught McCrory in the face with a left hook that dumped the World Boxing Council champion on his back near a neutral corner. He struggled to his feet as referee Mills Lane counted to eight. Curry approached his badly dazed opponent from the other neutral corner and caught him with a right to the jaw See CURRY, page 4B State .1 -I "iJi i in milium in in ill I I 11! II MlfT II I linfllTTIITIII. .1 Pro basketball Portland 121, Boston 103 Denver 123, Philadelphia 121 Washington 115, Seattle 109 Atlanta 94, Milwaukee 93 Indiana 107, New York 83 Chicago 131, San Antonio 123 Phoenix 111, Utah 92 LA. Lakers 120, Houston 112 Pro hockey Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 1 Quebec 7, N.Y.

Islanders 3 New Jersey 4, Vancouver 1 Calgary 5, Chicago 2 College basketball Auburn 80, Kentucky Wesleyan 71 Georgetown 77, Grambling St. 30 Cincinnati 75, N. Kentucky 56 SMU 68, Cent. Michigan 45 Boise St. 91, Mesa 71 UAB 71, Lehigh 61 Stanford 129, Yale 108 Syracuse 97, La Salle 72 Navy 73, Ohio U.

62 Montana 84, San Diego 67 S. Alabama 73, McNeese St. 58 Arkansas St. 66, Iowa 62 Illinois 79, E. Kentucky 56 TCU 63, Brigham Young 50 Arizona St.

63, Fordham 60 Temple 69, Tennessee Tech 63 UTEP 88, Texas Southern 54 Idaho promotes offensive coordinator MOSCOW, Idaho The University of Idaho signed its 27th head coach in its football history, elevating Keith Gilbertson, the unpaid offensive coordinator for the Vandals. Gilbertson, 37, replaces Dennis Erickson, who accepted the head coaching job at the University of Wyoming on Monday. "I'm delighted to have 'Gilby' as Idaho's new head football coach," said Athletic Director Bill Belknap. "His knowledge, familiarity with our program and his personality combine to give him an excellent chance to improve the overall quality of our football program." Idaho went 32-15 in four seasons under Erickson, winning the 1985 Big Sky Conference championship, the first outright title for Idaho in 14 years, and appearing twice in the Division I-AA playoffs. Gilbertson's football philosophies resemble his own, Erickson said.

"He'll run exactly the same things as we have." Gilbertson has never been a head coach. He was an assistant during Erickson's first season, 1982, then jumped to the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League. He also has assisted at Washington, Western Washington, Idaho State and Utah State. Padres to keep Williams SAN DIEGO A front-office Hienntp pnrlpH with a show of unanimity Friday, with the San Diego Padres announcing that manager Dick Williams would be back for his fifth season in 1986. There had been reports that Williams, upset over what he perceived as an attempt to oust him, would quit the team and accept a buyout of the final year of his contract.

But after a meeting with Padres owner Joan Kroc, club President Ballard Smith and General Manager Jack McKeon, it was announced that Williams would be back and Padres officials blamed the week-long upheaval on a series of what Smith described as "unfortunate miscommunications." 9-ball field sliced to 6 Only six players remain in the $20,000 Added Open 9 Ball tournament held at the Sands Regent Hotel and Casino in Reno. Two winners' bracket players and four losers' bracket players were still in contention Friday night for the $40,700 purse in the double-elimination billiards tourney. In the winner's bracket, Wade Crane, the leading money winner in 1985 from Helenwood, defeated Danny Medina from Brighton, 9-8, and Jay Swanson from San Diego defeated Howard Vickey, 9-5, to advarce in the tournament. Vickey and Medina move to the losers' bracket The losers' bracket, consisting of players who have already lost one game, has four players left. Rich Giler from Seattle defeated Danny DeLiberto, 9-2, to advance in the bracket but lost to Effren Reyes, 9-7, to place seventh.

Indiana suspends Alford INDIANAPOLIS Indiana University basketball standout Steve Alford has been suspended for one game for allowing his photograph to be used in a sorority calendar that was sold to raise money for charity, athletic director Ralph Floyd said Friday. The suspension by the NCAA Eligibility Committee means Alford will miss the Hoosiers' game against No. 9 Kentucky Saturday night, Floyd said. "Alford's picture appeared with 11 other students in a sorority project that was being sold to raise money for a girl's camp in Vancouver, Canada," a school news release said. Wia service and staff reports round.

Donald Curry, watching in the background, became the undisputed welterweight champion. DOWN AND OUT: Milton McCrory lies on the canvas as referee Mills Lane counts him out at 1:53 of the second 4m Curry makes short work Other coaches say victor today could win it all i By Paul BaumanGazette-Journal I Officially, it's a quarterfinal playoff game. But today's NCAA Division I-AA football showdown between second-ranked University of Nevada-Reno (10-1) and sixth-ranked Arkansas State (9-3) may be more like a championship game. A crowd of is expected at Mackay Stadium. Game time is noon, not the usual 1 p.m.

I-AA coaches around the country are saying UNR and Arkansas State may be the elite of the 12-team, single-elimination playoffs. "I've never seen Nevada play, but I do believe this ballgame will decide who is the national champion," said Northast Louisiana head coach Pat Collins, whose team plays in the same conference as Arkansas State. "I study the scores and to keep up with the teams around the "I think this game will go a long way toward determining the national champion," said Montana State head coach Dave Arnold, whose team beat Arkansas State in the quarterfinals last year and went on to win the I-AA championship. However, the winner of the. UNR-Arkansas State game faces a difficult test next Saturday at second-ranked Furman (10-1) or seventh-ranked Rhode Island (10-2), which meet today at Greenville, S.C.

The I-AA championship game is scheduled for Dec. 21 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash. UNR finished second in the Big Sky Conference and received an at-large berth in the playoffs. The Wolf Pack earned a first-round bye with its high ranking and has not played in three weeks. UNR's only loss was at Idaho, 25-21, in the Wolf Pack's fourth game of the season.

Fullback Charvez Foger missed the game with a bruised toe. The freshman sensation has rushed for at least 100 yards in seven straight games since then. The Wolf Pack has won its games by an average of 26.5 points, the greatest margin of any team in the playoffs. Only at Idaho has UNR been held to fewer than 30 points. Arkansas State won the Southland Conference to earn an automatic berth in the playoffs.

The Indians defeated Gram-See PLAYOFF, page 2B TV games Army-Navy, channels 2-9, 1 1 :30 a.m. Oklahoma-SMU, channels 8-10, noon Hawaii-BYU, ESPN, 4 p.m. Bowl to play top-ranked Penn State with a victory two weeks ago over Nebraska. In order to stay in contention for a national title, however, the Sooners needed to beat Oklahoma State and SMU. Oklahoma defeated in-state rival Oklahoma State, 13-0, last week, leaving only SMU on the Sooners' schedule.

"They can put it all together at any time," said Oklahoma defensive back Tony Rayburn. "We just have to go in and not let anyone spoil the goals we've set for ourselves." "This is their bowl game," said Sonny Brown, one of Rayburn's teammates in the defensive backfield. "If they could come in here and beat us, it would make their season." SMU coach Bobby Collins said the Mustangs normally finish their season each year against Arkansas. But they played the Razorbacks two weeks ago and have had an open date to prepare for Oklahoma. "This is a little different type situation," he said.

"Really, it's the llth game on our season, but certainly playing an outstanding football team on national television adds to it." "One thing in our favor, if there is one See SOONERS, page 2B crowd of almost 6,000 at the Hilton Center of the Las Vegas Hilton. In the days leading to the fight, the McCrory camp had suggested Curry was a front-runner who would wilt when the action got too hot. "I'll definitely take your heart and knock you out in the seventh or eighth round," Curry snapped at McCrory in a pre-fight press conference. It took the 24-year-old Curry less than five minutes to knock McCrory cold. Curry, who entered the ring as the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation welterweight champion, landed some good left jabs and solid body shots and hurt McCrory badlv with two left hooks in the first round.

"I thought I was a lotstroner, so I The lineups UC Davis (3-2) Angelo Rivers, 6-0 7.2 ppg. Dave Wolber, 64 7.2 Brad Tatom, 6-7 7.6 Chris Ferenz, 6-7 12.2 Pete Buckwold, 6-8 14.6 UNR (0-5) Darnell Glenn, 60 6.8 Rob Harden, 5-10 6.6 F-James Moore, 6-6 8.2 Dwyane Randall, 6-6 23.6 David Wood, 66 7.8 7:30 p.m., Lawlor Events Center. 7:15 p.m., KOH Radio (630 AM). Sooners' national title hopes hinge on victory over SMU By Ed Schuyler Jr.AP LAS VEGAS Donald Curry wants to be mentioned "in the same breath with my man Sugar Ray Leonard," but it was Curry whom boxing fans were talking about Friday night after his sensational second-round knockout of Milton McCrory. The victory made Curry the undisputed welterweight champion of the world; it probably made Leonard, who was at ringside at as a television commentator, happy he is retired.

"He is the best welterweight in the world," said McCrory. "He caught me with a good punch. I didn't see it." Curry, known as the Lone Star Cobra, struck with a vicious suddenness that surprised most in a Wolf Pack tries to end drought against Aggies By John SchumacherGazette-Journal There wasn't one in Las Vegas, San Diego or Malibu. Reno hasn't provided one, either. A victory.

The University of Nevada-Reno basketball team hasn't had one since March 9, when the Wolf Pack beat Idaho State, 79-63, to capture the Big Sky Conference championship. UNR, 0-5 after a 70-66 loss to Washington Thursday night, hopes to break into the win column when it meets University of California-Davis tonight at 7:30 at Law-lor Events Center. After a difficult early schedule that included dates with three of the West Coast's best teams Nevada-Las Vegas, Pepperdine and Washington the Wolf Pack might get a breather against the Division II Aggies. Maybe. Although UC Davis has lost to Cal State-Sacramento (76-59) and California (74-51), one of its three victories was a 68-66 decision over Santa Clara.

That was enough to catch UNR head coach Sonny Allen's attention. "They beat Santa Clara and Santa Clara's in Division I. And they were in a two-point game at halftime at Berkeley," Allen said. "They've won three games. We haven't won any.

"We can't afford to be overconfident against anybody. When you're 0-5, you can't take anybody for granted." NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer says his Sooner football team, ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press poll, faces what may be the most dangerous obstacle on its schedule today in a non-conference game with Southern Methodist. "Their offensive line is huge, their I-backs are great and their receivers are great," Switzer said.

He called the Mustangs' offense a sleeping giant, and the numbers appear to support Switzer. Tailback Reggie Dupard has gained 1,161 yards with an average of 6.2 yards per carry, and backup tailback Jeff Atkins has another 773 yards. Quarterback Don King, who has had some problems late in the season, has completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,310 yards. Flanker Ron Morris, a world-class sprinter, has 23 receptions for 383 yards and tight end Albert Reese has 22 catches for 294 yards. Five Mustang receivers average more than 13 yards per catch.

But the Mustangs have not been able to score touchdowns lately. In the past two games, SMU has driven inside the 20-yard line four times and has not been able to score a touchdown. Saturday's game pits the Orange Bowl-bound Big Eight Conference champions against a Southwest Conference team that had been highly regarded in preseason but fell to a 6-4 record. The last time the Mustangs lost five games in a season was 1979. Oklahoma earned thetrip to the Orange The Pack's loss to Washington left a lasting impression on Aggie assistant coach Dave Niehl.

"I've seen them play before and I thought this group of kids played defense harder than any other Reno team I've ever seen," Niehl said. "They're very aggressive defensively." The Aggies' biggest problem will be containing 6-6 forward Dwyane Randall, who is averaging 23.6 points a game. "He might be the best forward we'll play against all year. He's just a really good player," Niehl said. "He can step outside and shoot or he can go inside.

"That's going to be a key matchup. If we can control him a little bit, we'll be OK." Davis will also have to contend with 6-8 center David Wood, who scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Washington's 7-foot Chris Welp. See PfifK, page 3B.