Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 14

It-Reno Evening Gazette HmrsdayDec.30, 1976 Friars surprise No. 1 Wolverines Misevicious, who had forced the second overtime by sinking another short jump shot. That knotted the score at 74-74 with 13 seconds to go in the first extra period before a howling crowd of 12,150 at the Civic Center. Misevicious came through again after Michigan's John Robinson was fouled and missed his first free throw in a one-and-one situation. There were 20 seconds to go and the Wolverines were ahead, 81-80.

"Campbell made the play," said Missvicious, a 6-foot-9 center who became eligible for this tournament after sitting out the school's first semester for scholastic reasons. "He penetrated and took three Michigan players with him. I was free, and went in for the shot." The shot heard 'round the college basketball world. Ten other ranked teams also played Wednesday night. No.

3 San Francisco downed Arizona State 114-96 to reach the Rainbow Classic final; fifth-ranked Cincinnati topped South Carolina 79-62 to enter the final of the Sugar Bowl Classic; No. 7 Wake Forest blasted Dartmouth 84-61 in the Old Dominion Gassic consolation game; No. 8 UCLA beat Utah State 88-68, and ninth-ranked North Carolina crushed Oregon 86-60 in the Far West Classic semifinal. Meanwhile, No. 11 Nevada-Las Vegas subdued St.

Mary's 104-81 to win the Las Vegas Classic; No. 14 Louisville held off Creighton 69-66 to take the Louisville Classic; No. 16 Maryland bested No. 18 Syracuse 96-85 for the championship of the Maryland Invitational, and No. 20 Auburn trimmed Rutgers 78-75 for third place in the Louisville Classic.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The pressure is off; the winning streak ended. Michigan has lost and Coach Johnny Orr is relieved. "You hate to lose, and like being No. 1," said Orr, "but there's an awful lot of pressure. I have never been through seven games like I've gone through this year.

The seventh one proved the toughest of all. Unranked Providence, the hardworking crew with a center whose name reads like an eye chart, beat the Wolverines in the final moment of the second overtime Wednesday night. "It was my favorite shot and I knew I would make it," said junior pivot Bob Misevicious, whose short jump shot with one second left gave the Friars an 82-81 triumph and, as a dividend, the championship of the first Friar Classic. "This is unquestionably the greatest moment of my college career," said Joe Hassett, who shares the Providence captaincy with fellow senior Bob Cooper. "It's especially sweet for Cooper and I because we've been here for four years.

We had been in the finals of five tournaments and hadn't won once. We wanted this one badly." So they went out and got it. Bruce Campbell scored 25-points, Hassett 21 and Misevicious 16 in helping the Friars hand the Wolverines their first loss after six victories this season. "This is the first time I've ever been involved, either as a player or a coach, against a No. 1 team, so you have to say it's one of my greatest thrills," said Providence Coach Dave Gavitt, whose Friars are 7-2.

"Every victory is great, but muybe this has to a little sweeter. It was won largely on the heroics of Rebels bushwhack Gaels Reggie Theus led UNLV with 22 points, while Eddie Owens had 21 and Lewis Brown 20. Nick Pappageorge led the Gaels with 17 points and Norm Bumgarner had 12 points and 14 rebounds. "St. Mary's played excellent ball.

You have to give them credit," said Tarkanian. St. Mary's committed 34 turnovers. UNLV jumped off to 100 and 20-6 leads in the first half, but the Gaels came back to trail 4645 at the intermission. With the score tied at 63-63 with 12:40 to go, the Rebels scored 11 straight points to put the game and title away.

ST. MARY'S (81) Arabago 0 3 3 2, Wood 0 0-0 0, Bernard 5 35 13, Campbell 1 O0 2, Larkin 4 3 3 11, Ward 1 00 2, Crockett 2 2 4 6, Murrey 3 0-13, Pap-pageorgeS 11 22 10, Bumgarner 5 25 12. Totals 33 15 24 81. UNLV (104) R. Smith 5 4-4 14, Owens 10 12 21, T.

Smith 5 0-0 10, Theus 8 6-6 22, Brown 8 4 5 20, Gon-drezick2 4-5 1-3 9. Totals 42 20-25 104. Halftime score UNLV 46 St. Mary's 45. Total fouls St.

Mary's 20, UNLV 22. Technicals Tony Smith. A All-tournament team Nick Pappageorge, St. Mary's; Reggie Theus, UNLV; Ken Harmon, Eastern Michigan; Louis Brown, UNLV; Robert Smith, UNLV. Most valuable R.

Smith. LAS VEGAS The University of Nevada-Las Vegas reeled off 11 straight Eoints midway through the second half to reak open a close game and defeat St. Mary's of Moraga 104-81 Wednesday night for the Holiday Classic championship. UNLV, 10-1 and ranked No. 9 by United Press International, claimed its fifth straight classic title and eighth in 16 tries.

Ken Harmon tallied 20 points to lead Eastern Michigan to a 60-48 victory over Southern Florida to take third place. Bob Riddle contributed 16 points and 19 rebounds for the winners. Rebel guard Robert Smith didn't lead the team in scoring but got the offense going in the second half. He was selected the tournament's most valuable player. Smith had 14 points, 10 assists and four steals in the title game.

"Robert Smith gave us the leadership I throughout the whole tournament," said I Rebels' coach Jerry Tarkanian. i "When we had to play we did." The old pickpocket move Providence College's Joe Hassett fouls University of Michigan guard Rickey Green in first period action of the Friar Classic Basketball tournament at the Providence Civic Center Wed nesday. Providence took the game away from No. 1 ranked Michigan in the second overtime 82-81. (APWirephoto) Both Raiders, Vikings guarantee Super Bowl win to start for South TAMPA, Fla.

Glenn Carano will start at quarterback for the South team in the ninth annual Ail-American Bowl Sunday at 10 a.m. PST. Carano, who quar-terbacked the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels to a 9-3 season and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs, is the only starter from a Division II school on either team. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior was the Rebels' most valuable player in 1976. He is a Wooster High School graduate.

OAKLAND (AP) Coach John Madden of the Oakland Raiders, aware that Fran Tarkenton has "guaranteed" a Minnesota Vikings' victory in the Super Bowl, had a simple response to the quarterback's boast. "I guess if both sides guarantee a victory, they've got to play the game," Madden said Wednesday as the Raiders began preparing for the Jan. 9 National Football League showdown, Super Bowl XI. After the Vikings beat Los Angeles for the National Conference title Sunday and advanced to the Super Bowl for a record fourth time, Tarkenton said, "I want the whole world to know that this time we're going to win it." Several Raiders, however, predicted a Colts' Jones most valuable NEW YORK (AP) Bert Jones, named earlier as National Football League Offensive Player of the Year, completed a double award triumph today when he was chosen overwhelmingly as Most Valuable Player by The AssociateaPress. The Baltimore quarterback received 41 of the 84 ballots cast by sports writers and broadcasters representing each of the NFL's 28 franchises.

Pittsburgh linebacker Jack Lambert, the Defensive Player of the Year, finished second in the MVP race with 19 votes, just ahead of Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler, who had 16. Other players receiving strong support in the voting included Buffalo running back O.J. Simpson, and three quarterbacks, Fran Tarkenton of Minnesota, Steve Grogan of New England and Ken Anderson of Cincinnati. Jones beat Stabler and Simpson in the Offensive Player balloting with 36 votes to 18 for the Oakland quarterback and 12 for the Buffalo running back, who won the NFL rushing title. Foreman, Grogan, Tarkenton, running backs Walter Payton of Chicago and Lydell Mitchell of Baltimore, quarterback Jim Hart of St.

Louis and Oakland wide receiver Cliff Branch were included among the other top finishers. Jones finished second only to Stabler in passing statistics this season, completing better than 60 per cent of his attempts for 3,104 yards and 24 touchdowns. He said the Colt coaches had much to do with his success. "My ability hasn't changed much in the last five or six years," he said. asked Wednesday.

He was reminded that it was Joe Namath, who followed up his pledge by leading the New York Jets to an upset victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. "I've got a 10-year guarantee and it has almost run out," said Upshaw, one of four current Raiders remaining from the 1967 Super Bowl team. Thousands of Raiders' season ticket holders, all of them expecting their team to win its first Super Bowl title, quickly bought up the 15,000 Super Bowl tickets which were made available to the team. The tickets, at $20 apiece, were gone in six hours Wednesday and some people who got them were being offered up to $100 per ticket by others, eyewitnesses at ticket lines reported. Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler, who suffered bruised ribs in the AFC title game, has had treatment including long whirpool baths the last three days and indicated Wednesday he'd participate in the light workout scheduled for today.

There was no organized workout Wednesday but the Raiders held a team meeting and studied Vikings' game films. The Raiders, who will train next week at Irvine, south of Los Angeles, are scheduled to leave here Monday. Super Bowl victory themselves after beating Pittsburgh's defending Super Bowl champs 24-7 for the AFC crown. Oakland made its only Super Bowl appearance following the 1967 season, losing to Green Bay, and had been eliminated seven times in the playoffs before earning the return trip. "We won this time and we'll win at Pasadena," said safety Jack Tatum after the victory over Pittsburgh.

"Who started all this 'guarantee' stuff, anyway?" Raiders guard Gene Upshaw Kansas job LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Former Tennessee football coach Bill Battle is being considered for an assistant coaching position at Kansas, the Lawrence Journal-World reported Wednesday. Battle, who left the Tennessee job following this season, would replace Kansas assistant coach Lance Van Zandt. COLTS' BERT JONES valuable player Nevada's top performances earn 1976 'Goldy Awards' Shoaf 's performance had to be the most exciting of the year because it helped the less than 90 fans in the Prepping Jay Goldberg For the first time, and most likely last, you will see the presentation of the Goldy Awards for 1976 high school sports in Nevada and other related subjects. At the end of each year, someone gives an award of some type to athletes, officials, administrators and teams.

It's Dec. 30 and time for the Goidys BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE One game turned in by Clark basketball player Joe Dixon had no challengers. The 6-foot-4 center literally carried the Chargers into the state AAA high school championship game against Las Vegas last March when ne scored 49 points and had 15 rebounds in a 77-69 semifinal win over Western. Dixon had 21 points in the fourth quarter. He had scored 33 points and pulled in 20 rebounds the previous night as Clark eliminated then-defending state champion Carson, $0-61, in a first-roundgame.

NO. 1 ATHLETE Lassen's Steve Montgomery was the top high school shot putter in the United States and he's No. 1 here. Montgomery had a California record of 68 feet set at the state meet in Berkeley last June. He followed that with a 68-5' 2 at the Junior International Meet of Champions in Chicago.

Montgomery finished second in an international junior meet against the Soviet Union and won another meet against the West Germans. MOST EXCITING GAME Carson lefthander Mike Shoaf pitched his second seven-inning no-hit baseball game within four days April 6, only to lose to Reed 3-1. He had whitewashed Reno 10-0 on April 3. AROUND THE FIELD When talking to Reno basketball coach Wint King about how many sophomores had made his varsity squad over 17 seasons, one man was forgotten Robert Best, a 6-foot-2 member of this season's team Warner-Robins of Georgia and Moeller High of Cincinnati were rated national co-champions in high school football ratings announced by Art Johlfs of the National Sports News Service. Warner-Robins had a 13-0 record and Moeller 12-0.

St. Lawrence of Chicago, 13-0, was the runnerup. Johlfs kept records of 12,000 teams in preparing the ratings Don't expect to learn that basketball, football or track is the fastest growing boys sport over the last two years, according to a study conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Softball is tops with 949 schools entering the field of competition. Soccer is second with 839.

Participant-wise, football is No. 1 with 46,724 more boys out compared to tennis with 19,762. The fastest growing girls sport is basketball which is up 3,277 schools, while 96,056 more girls are competing in track and field Last week in this space the question of which basketball team was the best in Nevada was asked. This week I'm askine who was or is the best player, regardless of class, of all-time. Send your response to that and the team question to me, 401 W.

2nd, Reno 89504. stands forget about ine freezing April weatner. MOST EXCITING TEAM Reno's AAA League, Division I football champions. No matter where the Huskies had the ball you had the feeling they could score from anywhere with such threats as quarterback Steve Duddy, wide receiver Jim Warner and running back Allen Gray. BEST TEEAM Boulder City's state AA champion basketball team.

With a frontline of 6-6 Russ Hafen, 6-8 Ed Forrester and 7-foot Tim Estes along with 6-2 Sard Kirk Hafen the Eagles not only had a team ler than the Golden State warriors, but a squad that could whip any team in Nevada and Australia. The Eagles went 24-2 in regular season activity and only losfone game on a one-month tour of Australia. BEST COACHING JOB Owyhee's Fred Weeks for leading a .500 ballclub to the state basketball championship. YES FANS, EVEN A BEST OFFICIAL AWARD -There are a few good officials in Nevada, no matter what I may write, and the best is Mike Fesenmaier of Smith. TOP SECRET AWARD Shhhh.

This honor goes to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association which keeps its meetings and rulings under wraps at ctll C0st5 MOST EXCITING AND BEST GIRLS PERFORMANCE Incline winning the sUle AA basketball title 31-30 on a last minute free throw by Robin Kindred. It was Roliie Hess' 100th career high school win as a boys and girls coach. MOST FORGOTTEN WOMAN Leslie Gray, the older sister of Jim, Allen David and Doug Gray. MOST IMPRESSIVE BOYS' WIN STREAK -Yerington wrestling teams' 79-dual match and six consecutive state AA titles. MOST IMPRESSIVE GIRLS' WIN STREAK -Wooster golf teams' six straight state AAA championships, six straight Northern AAA zone titles and 5freonsecutive dual match victories.

MOST IMPRESSIVE LOSING STREAK FINALLY ENDED AND HOPEFULLY FORGOTTEN -Stewart beating Incline 26-20 in an AA League football game to end its 49-game losing streak. Best Wishes for a Happy New Year..