Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 49

NFL CAPSULES 2D nn TV RADIO 2D 111 TOP 20 4D AT A GLANCE 7D SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1996 RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL RAt HAGAR. SPORTS EDITOR PHONE, 788-6345; FAX, 788-6458 tfTP Aggies raise bad football to art form Pack runner wins Big West title: Nevada's Denise Danielson won the individual title in the Big West Conference cross country championships Saturday in Boise, Idaho. Danielson covered the course in 1 7 minutes, 36.8 seconds to in the title by 22 seconds over the next finisher.Nevada was eighth in the team competition, which was won by UC Santa Barbara. Nevada volleyball team falls: The Wolf Pack volleyball team lost in four sets to Utah State Saturday night in Loean, Utah, 13-15, 12-15, The Pack dropped to 1 4-11 overall, 6-6 in the Big West. BDoston College investigates gambling Boston College has launched an investigation into rumors of gambling surrounding its football team, although none have been substantiated, athletic director Chet Gladchuk said Saturday night.

He said the university had contacted the district attorney's office for guidance. The college is in Newton, which is under the jurisdiction of the Middlesex district attorney's office. The school's announcement came two days after the football team as upset 20-13 by Pittsburgh, an 1 1 -point underdog. Sweeny wins 200th: Jim Sweeney became the 16th major-college coach to achieve 200 victories when Fresno State beat Boise State 41-7 on Saturday night in Fresno. Michael Pittman rushed for 2 1 2 yards and a touchdow as Fresno State (4-4) got the milestone victory for Sweeney, ho has announced his retirement after 1 9 seasons at Fresno State and 32 overall in coaching.

NBA Cleveland 98, Washington 96 Charlotte 109, Toronto 98 Detroit 90, Atlanta 78 Miami 97, Indiana 95 Chicago 1 1 5, Philadelphia 86 Milwaukee 124. Boston 102 Sacramento 107, Dallas 94 Houston 110, Phoenix 95 Seattle 104. Portland 93 Utah 95, L.A. Clippers 90 College football Nevada 63, New Mexico St. 1 4 Utah St.

21, North Texas 13 TCU 42, UNLV 34 California 56, Arizona 55, 40T Fresno St. 41, Boise St. 7 Idaho 37, E. Washington 27 Stanford 21, UCLA 20 There were libraries in northern Nevada thai were more lively than Mackay Stadium Saturday afternoon. The highlight of the afternoon was counting how many times the "Jim Gibbons for Congress" plane Hew over the stadium.

The last count was 22,8 1 5, one trip for every poor Pack fan that had Ljikll i 1 rfv-5A to sit LOSING HIS COOL: UNLV coach Jeff Horton argues with official Ken Lucido during UNLV's 42-34 loss at TCU in Fort Worth Saturday. The loss pushes UNLV's losing streak to 1 2 games. UNLV is 0-1 0 in 1 996. 3D. through Sat- frSTT Momf- f.

i 1 i V( Longest game: Cal wins in 4 OTs game Sat i day at Mackay and a poetry reading broke out. SANTORO Bears 56, Arizona 55: California wins it in 4 overtimes. have been the heroes. You're the hero of the game or it's a bad call." This is the first year that overtime has been used in regular season games in Division I-A. Earlier this season, California needed three overtimes to beat Oregon State 48-42 in what had been the longest game.

Overtime statistics count toward NCAA and school records. Cal fans, many shivering in the late-afternoon chill, stormed the field to surround the Bears as the scoreboard flashed: "The 8th Quarter is Ours!" game, blame it on the head coach. I've never been a genius, and nobody's ever accused me of being stupid. I was just try ing to find a way to win the damn game." Pat Barnes threw for eight touchdowns and 503 yards, both school records, for Cal (6-2, 3-2 Pac-1 0). He had scoring passes in the first, third and fourth overtimes.

Keith Smith threw for five touch-downs and ran for two more for Arizona (4-4, 2-3). Jeremy McDaniel, who entered the game with 1 19yardsinreceptionsthissea-son, set school records with 14 catches for 283 yards including two touchdowns. "It Arizona's last-play gambit. "If they would have made it, they would BERKEL EY, Calif. (AP) Arizona coach Dick Tomey just figured four overtimes were enough, and decided to end the longest football game in major college history with a final touch of drama.

Arizona, faking an extra point, failed to make a two-point conversion in the fourth overtime and lost 56-55 Saturday to California. "I just felt it was time to win the game," Tomey said. "Whatever second guessing there is to do about this I Major college games: Penn State ends Northwestern's 13-game Big Ten winning streak, 4D. Associated Press THAT'S DEFENSE: Arizona cornerback Kelly Malveaux breaks up a pass intended for Cal's Bobby Shaw Saturday in Berkeley. Nevada's romp sets nip showdown Wolf Pack 63, N.M.

State Aggies 14: Nevada's attention quickly shifts to Utah State. Utah State wins: Big West title game set for Saturday. By Mark Anderson RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Now it's just Nevada and Utah State. For the Wolf Pack to have a realistic chance to go to the Las Vegas Bowl, each team needed Mnwoz-Jo wc to win Saturday. Nevada VS.

Ar New Mexico St. first, Utah State did its nart bv de- feating North Texas z' .11.. I IIWll vada, given a muc simpler task, loo careofitsend with 63-14 victory ovc Wire and staff reports LOGAN, Utah Utah State overcame a mistake-ridden first half to capture a 21-13 win over North Texas on Saturday and remain undefeated in conference play and set up next weekend's key matchup against Nevada. The winner of that game advances to the Las Vegas Bowl. Utah State is6-4 overall and 4-0 in the Big West Conference.

Nevada heads into that game 6-3 and 3-1 The Aggies may have been looking ahead to that matchup. "We came out dead," Utah State quarterback Patrick Mullins said. "It was tough after the big win over Idaho last week." That big win not only benefited Utah State, but put Nevada back into the bowl picture. The Wolf Pack lost at Idaho 24-15 two weeks ago, but wins a tiebreaker with those three teams should Nevada beat Utah State. From the way Utah State played Saturday, it was apparent the Aggies' minds weren't necessarily into North Texas.

"When we took the field today I believe we werej ust trying to get it over with," Aggies coach John L. Smith said. "You can't do that. That was the greatest exhibition of terrible football that I have ever seen. We tried every possible way to give the game away." heEagles(3-6.

l-2)gotanearly 7-0 lead at 5:03 in the first quarter when Cedric Cromer recovered a blocked punt in the Utah State end zone. An Al Gore speech would have livened things up dramatically. If you had any doubt in your mind why Big West Conference football is as respected as 1 2-year-old Yankee fans in Baltimore, then Saturday cleared all that up for you. New Mexico State, simply, epitomizes everything that is ugly about Big West Conference football. How bad are the Aggies'? Well, their 14 points on Saturday represents their third biggest offensive explosion of the year in nine games.

Think those 63 points they gave up was a season high? Think again. The Aggies have already given up 63 this year, to LSU in September. So there. The fact is. this football program has put people to sleep in stadiums all over the country.

All year. For decades, in fact. The Aggies have just one winning season in the past 1 8 seasons. Only once in the school's 99 football seasons have they won more than eight games. The Wolf Pack's Chris Ault used to throw nine-w in seasons back into the water.

So don't go thinking that New Mexico State just got bad lately. They've made bad football an art form in Las Cruces. They are so bad that they are 1 2 games under .500 in their Homecoming games over the years. They are so bad that just one of their last 1 2 coaches since 1 946 has had a winning record at the school. Oh.

and one other thing. The Aggies are so bad they take down the rest of the conference with them. "That does happen," Wolf Pack defensive tackle James Cannida said. "People badmoulh the Big West because of teams like that. But that's OK.

As long as we keep winning, we'll get our own respect." That's the theory, at least. The reality of the matter, though, is that the Wolf Pack could go unbeaten in the Big West and win the Las Vegas Bowl every year and nobody north of Circus Circus and south of the Peppermill would care. To be fair, it must be pointed out that the Aggies are not alone in their football ineptitude in this conference. North Texas football is such a joke, Texas high schools watch Eagles game films and snicker. But New Mexico State, the oldest active football member of the conference, is the biggest joke of the Big Jest Conference.

The longterm success of this conference as a football entity rests with getting rid of programs like New Mexico State. Persuading the Aggies to give up the sport (how about a debate team instead?) should be the goal of every athletic director in the Big West, Until then, though. Wolf Pack fans will be stuck with watching a snooze-fest like the one at Mackay Saturday every other year. How can a 63-1 4 victory in front of the home crowd be boring? Well, it happened Saturday. By the fourth quarter, so many fans had left the stadium, it looked like a women's basketball game at Lawlor.

"Yeah, they got a little sleepy there in the fourth quarter," Cannida said. "Everybody just packed up and went home." It is nearly impossible to look good beating the Aggies. The Wolf Pack won by 49 points and looked sluggish. And it's not their fault. Playing the Aggies is like arm wrestling Mister Rogers.

"I fear these games the most." Pack coach Jeff Tisdel said. "Psychologically these games are the toughest." They 're not so easy on the eyes, either, coach. Joe Santoro columns appear regularly in the Gazette-Journal. 'ou can call Joe at the Gazette-Journal at 788-6349. New Mexico State before a homecoming crowd of 22,8 15 at Mackay Stadium.

Both teams meet next Saturday at Logan, Utah. A Nevada victory puts it back in the bowl for the second consecutive year no matter what Idaho docs because of the conference tiebreaker system. The Wolf Pack's season was in serious jeopardy following a 24-15 loss to Idaho two weeks Big Coach Jeff Tisdel burns up Matt Lasker's redshirt year to play against theAggies, 3D. Quarterback Pack yanks starter John Dutton. later puts him back in, 3D.

Top passer: Dutton is 1 7 of 30 for 222 yards. Pack's top rusher: Chris Lemon has 1 9 carries 144 yards. Leading receiver: Geoff Noisy has nine for 1 16 fit 1 CG! Hx Football Big ma mw standing ago. "It's almost a movie-type script going into next week," Nevada defensive tackle James Cannida said. "It comes down to the last conference game of the year.

Everything's on the line. The winner of this is going to be playing in December. That's what we've been working for all year." Nevada (6-3 overall) heads into that game 3-1 in the Big West. Utah State moved to 4-0 in league play ith Saturday's victory. While Utah State had to rally to beat North Texas, getting by New Mexico State (0-3, 1-8) was just a formality for the Wolf Pack.

Nevada scored the first 21 points, took lime off to get caught up on the other college scores, allowed outside linebacker DeShonc Mvles to chat with buddies at the 30-yard line away from the team and then scored two late touchdowns for a 35-7 halftime lead. Sec NEVADA, page 3D OVERALL LEAOUt rf 6 Utah State Jf Nevada Idaho North Texas Boise State New Mexico St. Joe Gosen Associated Press MAKING SOME NOISE: Nevada's Geoff Noisy carries NMSU linebacker Matt Botone after making one of his team-leading nine receptions in the Big West Conference game. Warriors ship Seikaly to Magic for Spencer I I mind, that was the result Saturday when they completed the long-rumored trade with Orlando for BDye.bye nozier: Golden St. unloads unwanted center.

Felton Spencer. In addition to the 7-foot Spencer the Warriors received 6-8 iorwar r. LJ? A i II I. Hk. II Donald Roval and veteran cente Renegades fall to Fresno, 4-3 FRfcSNO The Reno Renegades hockey team extended its winiess streak to five game when it dropped a 4-3 decision at Fresno Saturday.

Reno, 0-4-1 in the Western Hockey League, scored on goals by Scott Lukami. Jeremy Thompson and Jason Keith. Carl Boudreau assisted on all three. The Rengades scored their first power play goal of the season. Reno travels to San Diego Friday.

Saturday, Reno plays host to San Diego at the Reno-Sparka Convention Center at 7:05 p.m. (Mil 1M. healthy players for Sunday night's game at Vancouver. One of them is not Joe Smith, who stayed home with a bruised right ankle he aggravated during Friday night's 97-85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Smith had a CAT scan performed Saturday and the results were negative.

His status for Tuesday night's home game against the Portland Trail Blazers is uncertain. The Warriors' roster was decimated Saturday when Andrew De-CTercq and Lou Roe went on the injured list. DeClercq has a sprained left ankle and Roe a strained right hamstring. They'll both miss at least five games. Seikaly Spencer Jon Koncak.

The latter, on the last ear of his contract, is out for the season with a knee injury. He was included only to make the deal fit under salary cap rules. Besides getting rid of the headache Seikaly and his holdout had become, the Warriors managed to foist unwanted forward-center Clifford Rozier on Orlando. They also had to give up a future second-round pick. San Francisco Examiner VANCOUVER.

B.C. The Golden State Warriors were so fed up with Rony Seikaly, they finally shipped him out as far as they could Japan. Now they hope the center they got in return is a keeper. While banishing Seikaly to the other side of the Pacific may not hav been foremost on the Warriors' Warriors general manager Dave Twardzik did not return calls to comment on the trade, which may have an immediate downside. Unless Spencer and Royal can join the Warriors in the next few hours, the team will have only eight.