Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 17

COURIER-POST LOCAL SPORTS 3 LOCAL SCORES 4 NATIONAL 4 PRO FOOTBALL 5 MONEY 6 MUTUAL FUNDS 6 NEW YORK STOCKS 7 AMERICAN STOCKS 8 Money TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1982 Three 'freshmen star as Explorers stum Irish By PHIL ANASTASIA Of the Courier-Post PHILADELPHIA The signal flare was a chaotic, mistake-filled basketball game. La Salle beat Notre Dame, 66-61, and two programs passed each other in the Palestra last night. On the way up were the fledgling La Salle Explorers, playing their first home game in 27 days after spending the holidays in a dizzying cross-country trek. The Explorers played tournaments in Utah, California and Connecticut, but needed to return home to find a real landmark a potentially season-turning victory over a big-name opponent. On the way down was Notre Dame, which lost jts seventh game against two victories.

With a remaining schedule that includes Virginia (tomorrow), San Francisco (twice), UCLA (again), De Paul, North Carolina State, Michigan and Villanova, the Irish will be hard-pressed to continue their string of six consecutive 20-win seasons. "NOTRE DAME is the finest name in college sports," La Salle Coach Lefty Ervin said. "But we stressed to our kids that they should not let that be a psychological advantage for them. We said they were just another good basketball team that could be beaten if we did the right things." "We've been on a high for nine years," Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps said. "We're in a situation now where we just have to go after it again.

We're living with sophomores and juniors and these are the things you go through. Sooner or later, we're going to crack this thing." La Salle evened its record at 6-6 behind three freshmen, all of whom spent last season at Fredrick Military Academy in Virginia. Forward Albert "Truck" Butts collected 11 points and 12 rebounds, while the backcourt of Steve Black and Dallas Philson combined for 31 points (9-of-10 free throws), six assists and five steals. Black seized control after Notre Dame pulled within 53-51 with 5:13 to play, drilling a pair of off-the-move jumpers over Notre Dame's highly regarded junior, John Paxson. The 6-3 former Overbrook (Pa.) High School star made a pair of free throws at 0:53, lifting the Explorers to a 64-59 lead.

Black scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half. "THEY WERE playing a box-and-one on me in the first half," Black said. "After half-time I was moving more to get the ball. At the end, I wanted the ball. "Everybody's glad to beat Notre Dame.

This is a maturing year for us, and a win like this means a lot. It's something we can build on." Please see LA SALLE, Page 2C Owls' loss leaves Casey upset Roadblock Associated Press Notre Dame's Tom Sluby looks at the baskets as he tries to drive against La Salle's Phil Burton (arm raised) and Albert Butts in last night's game at the Palestra. The Explorers handed the Irish a 66-61 loss. Ken Anderson named Most Valuable Player Top coach San Francisco 49ers' Bill Walsh named NFL's Coach of the Year: Page 5C "HE CAME BACK like a champion," said tight end Dan Ross, who led Bengals' receivers with 71 regular-season catches. "It has been a storybook season for him." Gregg, who thought about benching Anderson for the Bengals' second game against the New York Jets but decided to stick with the veteran, concurred with the MVP choice.

"He had a lot to overcome," Gregg said yesterday. "He was sort of the second choice of the fans (who preferred younger back-up Jack Thompson). It's tough to be playing in your home stadium, you're introduced as the starting quarterback and you hear the hometown fans booing. That has to affect any player, particularly a quarterback. "Kenny really developed a mental toughness that enabled him to handle that kind of situation.

I think that has earned him the respect of his teammates. It's turned everyone's mind around in Cincinnati. You Please see ANDERSON, Page 5C CINCINNATI (AP) Quarterback Ken Anderson, one of pro football's most accurate passers, accepted a coveted honor in the same low-key manner he guided the Cincinnati Bengals to their finest season. "It means a lot because your team is winning," said Anderson, who was chosen by a panel of Associated Press sports writers and broadcasters as the National Football League's Most Valuable Player for 1981. "Leading the league in passing and having good statistics is nice.

But the ultimate is winning. That's what makes the award special." DISPLAYING THE accuracy that made him one of the most feared quarterbacks in the mid-1970s, Anderson shattered several personal passing records in leading Bengals to a 12-4 regular season mark and the American Conference Central title in 1981. The 11-year veteran from Augus-tana College in Illinois threw for 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns, completed 62.6 percent of his passes (his second-best career mark), was intercepted only 10 times in the regular season. He was the top-ranked passer in the NFL. His precise passing earned him a spot on the All-Pro team for the fourth time in his career and put the Bengals in their first AFC title game.

After suffering through two injury-plagued seasons, the 32-year-old Anderson was benched for his poor performance in the first quarter of the 1981 season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. But Coach Forrest Gregg started Anderson the next week, launching the quarterback's record-breaking season. You expect 18- and 19-year-olds to be able make free throws, and we didn't do it. "I CANT UNDERSTAND out laissez-faire approach. It's discouraging.

The last four minutes, you have to credit Pitt, but to me it's a disgrace. Not in losing to a fine basketball team, but in the way we lost." Temple led, 47-33, with 10:25 to play. The Owls maintained control despite shooting 9-for-19 from the floor in the second half, taking a 58-52 advantage when Granger Hall made one of two free throws at the 1:07 mark. At this point the Owls unraveled. Terence Stansbury fouled Dwayne Wallace, who was attempting an off-balance, 1 8-foot jump shot, and the Pitt guard made two free throws with "NOBODY IN basketball can score with the ease he does it with," said Albeck.

"Anytime he touches the ball, there's a chance for two points, and I mean anytime he touches it, anywhere on the court." The latest NBA stats place Gervin in his usual spot at the top of the scoring list. Despite an early-season injury, he is throwing in 33.0 points a game and the Spurs are winning with regularity. Gervin, who averaged 42 points a game last week in leading the Spurs to three victories, was named the Pepsi-NBA Player of the Week yesterday. The first two-time winner of the award this season, Gervin also picked up his professional point during the week. The Spurs' 20-9 mark is fifth best in the league and places them atop the Midwest Division, six games ahead of the Denver Nuggets.

MUCH OF THE credit for the Spurs' success has to go to Gervin, though the purists are quick to criticize his free-wheeling game. In a troubled league, few players have been called on to carry the NBA game to the fans. Vf" ii'ii miii ifrmirmi 1'' By PHIL ANASTASIA Of the Courier-Post PHILADELPHIA With a 14-point lead midway in the second half, victory seemed a lock. It wasn't so much Pitt stealing the victory that steamed Temple University basketball Coach Don Casey. The coach's anger stemmed from his players' apparent willingness to give away the key.

"That was the worst second half I've ever seen," Casey said after Clyde Vaughan's two free throws at 0:02 sealed Pitt's 60-59 win over Temple last night in the Palestra. "We were lackadaisical, we didn't make the big plays, we didn't make our free throws. Shooting 19-for-30 from the foul line is a disgrace. Doctor play. Sometimes, I catch myself on the court just standing there watching him to see what he's going to do next." Gervin laughs at the suggestion that he and Erving spent the season fighting each other for the ball.

"It was no problem," he said. "In those days, all we did was get Doc the ball. He could do things with it that nobody could believe. He was and for that matter still is unstoppable." ERVING AVERAGED almost 32 points a game in the season he and Gervin played together. And Gervin, fresh off his two-year collegiate career at Eastern Michigan and a stint in the Continental Association where he averaged 38 points a game, settled for a meager 14 a game in 30 outings.

He hasn't averaged less than 21 a game since and has led the NBA in scoring three times in the last four years. "George is so smooth," said former teammate Ron Brewer, "that you almost get the impression he's not playing that he's taking the night off. Then you look at the stats and he's got 35 points." Says Spurs Coach Stan Albeck in describing Gervin: "Ice is Ice. 0:54 left. Stansbury missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation at 0:39, and Panthers' center Steve Beatty grabbed an offensive rebound and pulled the visitors within two points with a short jumper with 0:29 to play.

Kevin Broadnax was fouled five seconds later, and the senior guard made one free throw, giving Temple a 59-56 lead. Vaughan, a burly 6-8 sophomore, scored off an offensive rebound at 0:13 and the Panthers called time out a second later. STANSBURY WAS fouled on the inbounds plays, sending the 6-5 sophomore to the line with 0:12 left. The Owls' third leading scorer, Please see OWLS', Page 2C Top player Cincinnati quarterback Ken Anderson, the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, listens to a reporter's question with six-year-old son, Matt, after the Bengals' 28-21 American Football Conference victory Sunday over the Buffalo Bills. Associated Press Erving is one of them.

So is Larry Bird. So is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. And so is Gervin. "The coaches are the stars in college basketball," said one scout recently. "But players of Gervin's magnitude are the ones who separate the pro game from any other level of basketball.

These players do things on the court players on the college level can only dream about. It doesn't appeal to everybody. But if you want to see spectacular basketball, you come to see these guys." PLAYERS LIKE Gervin aren't allowed an off night because the spotlight is always on them. In Gervin's case, a 20-point night is a disaster. "People come to see me score," he said.

"And if I can score with some sort of flash vr flair, that makes it even better." Yet, that kind of scrutiny should put pressure on a player. But not players like Gervin. "The Iceman get nervous?" he said with a laugh. "No, why should I be nervous on the basketball court? That's where I'm comfortable. With other things, I can get rattled.

But basketball is my life." -r Iff Spurs' Gervin completed internship under Dr. The basketball court was George Ger-vin's school, the ball his pencil, the hoop his notebook. Gervin's teacher? "Julius Erving," he said. "He has always been a teacher to me. You see him now and he's great on the court.

"BUT YOU should have seen him back in the old days. The man was dynamite. He's been my mentor. He's my main man." Gervin, the celebrated Iceman from the San Antonio Spurs who annually leads the National Basketball Association in scoring, knows the old Julius Erving as well as anyone. Ice was a wide-eyed rookie in the American Basketball Association in the same year Dr.

first began to draw national attention. They each began their careers with the Virginia Squires and some people wonder how that team got through the 1972-73 season without using two balls at one time. THOSE WERE THE days when Erving dazzled crowds with moves and shots that had never bsfore been seen on this planet. DONBENEVENTO Of the Courier-Post "I saw him on television once," a fan once said, "and he started his jump from near the top of the key and came down and dunked the ball. It was unbelievable.

I've never seen anything like it before or since." "It's possible," said Gervin. "I don't remember that play, but there was so many. I can believe he did it." Erving, himself, admits he has toned his game down. "YOU DIDN'T KNOW me before," he told reporters recently after making a difficult 18-foot shot to give the Sixers a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. "I used to shoot three-pointers all the time, and hit them with consistency." But Gervin is still impressed.

"To this day, I always love to play against the Sixers. I just love to watch the.