The Delta Democrat-Times from Greenville, Mississippi • Page 13

Over Notre Dame VPI in dramatic NIT win NEW YORK (UPI)-For once, Bobby Stevens didn't wind up second best and Virginia Tech is all the happier for it. Stevens, the smallest Tech starter at 5-foot-10, connected on a 20-foot jump shot as the buzzer sounded Sunday to give the Gobblers a dramatic 92-91 overtime victory over favored Notre Dame and the National Invitation Tournament title. "I've finished second all my life," said Stevens. "Twice in high school, last year at Ferrum Junior College in the national tournament and for a while today it looked like it was going to happen again." Notre Dame, with sophomore John a i a underneath, built a 12-point lead in the second half. But then Tech, which won its four tournament games by a total of five points, made its move.

"We applied full court pressure," said Gobbler Coach Don DeVoe. "We were down and we had to make our move. As it turned out, their offense didn't set up as well as it had and they couldn't gel the ball into Shumate as easily as they had been. They didn't make many mistakes but just enough to get us going." Losing 76ers end like they started By United Press International The Philadelphia 76ers finished the season exactly the way they started it, losing. But at least they kept their sense of humor.

"Break out the champagne," shouted Tom Van Arsdale after the 76ers ended the worst season in National Basketball Association history and one of the worst ever in professional sports with a 115-96 loss to Detroit Sunday night at Pittsburgh. Auburn denies report AUBURN, Ala. I A University officials Sunday denied published reports that Bob Davis- of Georgetown (Ky.) College had been named Tiger basketball coach replacing the fired Bill Lynn. The Atlanta Constitution said in a story the university athletic commission had selected Davis, but an Auburn spokesman said no decision had been made. The spokesman said the athletic i met last week and empowered Athletic Director Lee Hayley to select a coach.

The defeat ended Philadelphia's season with a record of nine victories and 73 defeats. The 73 losses are the most in NBA history and the .109 percentage is the lowest ever. Philadelphia, which began the season by losing its first 15 games, lost its last 13 in a row. The streak began following a pair of upset victories which promoted owner Irv Kosloff to observe that Kevin Loughery was "doing the best coaching job in the league." In other NBA games, three of the favorites in the playoffs which began at the end of this week, won. Jerry West made seven third period scored 20 points and had nine assists to lead the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers to a 109-93 victory over Seattle, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 36 points paced Milwaukee over Phoenix, 114-112, and Dave Cowens made three rebound baskets in 72 seconds late in the game to lift Boston over Houston, 125-121.

Lenny Wilkens' 26 points and 21 by Rick Roberson enabled Cleveland to score its first-ever victory over Chicago, 112-105, and Baltimore beat Atlanta by the same score. Portland beat Buffalo, 113-107, in overtime behind 39 points by Geoff Petrie. Cougars win 1st division title By United Press International What a difference a year has made for the Carolina Cougars. Last season, the Cougars staggered to a fifth place finish in the American a a A i a i Eastern Division, 33 games out of first place. Today they are the division champions.

The Cougars clinched their title Sunday night with a 124-113 victory over the San Diego Conquistadors. Joe Caldwell and Mack Calvin scored 11 points each in a torrid third quarter to help the Cougars gain their first championship. Caldwell and Calvin combined for 43 of the Cougars' points and broke open a close game while building a 91-69 Carolina lead with two minutes left in the third period. Stew Johnson led a San Diego comeback by tossing in 37 points, 30 of them in the second half. Johnson hit four of four three-point goals in a dazzling shooting display that brought the Q's to within seven points with six minutes left but Carolina spurted again to win.

Despite the loss, San Diego also clinched a final playoff berth in the Western Division by virtue of Dallas' 114-106 loss to Denver earlier in the day. Carolina now meets New York, while San Diego tackles Utah in the first round of the ABA playoffs beginning next week. In other ABA action Sunday, the New York Nets edged the Indiana Pacers, 118-115 in overtime, the Kentucky Colonels ripped the Virginia Squires, 111-95, and the Memphis Tarns upset the Utah Stars, 133-117. Ralph Simpson's 28 points carried Denver over Dallas and rookie Jim Chones had 24 points and John Baum added 22 as the Nets topped Indiana to snap a six-game losing streak. Memphis, with George Thompson and Johnny Neumann leading the way, snapped a 15-game losing steak by beating Utah.

Thompson had 28 points and Neumann added a club record 17 assists. Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel combined for 43 points in Kentuck's victory over Virginia. Pro cage standings By United Press International Baltimore 112 Atlanta 105 1 VjD.nl Boston 125 Houston 121 Eastern Conference Portland 113 Buffalo 107 (ol) Atlantic Division (only names scheduled) w. 1. Monday's Games X-BOS 66 N.Y.

25 .695 10 Hulfalo 21 59 .263 Phila 9 73 .110 57' Central Division w. 1. n.b. 11, ill 52 20 .650 Atlanta '16 35 .568 Clcve 32 .111 MOO 20 Mansion 31 .19 ,31111 21 Western Conference Midwosl Division 1. pr.l.

X-MII 5ii Chlcnna 50 ,11 .617 Wi Detroit .12 20 KC Omaha 116 .16 ..139 23 IMrlllc Division V. 1 1. I), b. Los Anil 59 21 riidn si .17 33 12 Thoenlx 36 .1.1 23 Seattle 'Ik 55 .1121 Portland 20 61 .2.17 clinched division title Sunday's RotMlls Milwaukee 11.1 I'linenlx 112 1 Anueles 109 Seattle 9.1 Cleveland II? Chlcmin 105 Di'lrnlt 115 Philadelphia 96 Milwaukee at Portland Phoenix at Golden State ABA East w. g.b.

Carolina 57 25 .695 Kentucky 55 211 .663 2' Virciinia .11 .12 ..19.1 16' New York 30 53 .361 27 1 Memphis 23 60 .277 3.1' West. U. Ulah 5.1 211 .659 Indiana 50 32 .610 3 Denver .17 36 .566 6' i San Dleiio 30 53 .361 23' I Dallas 27 55 .329 26 Sunday's Results Kentucky 111 Vlnilnln 95 New York 1111 Indiana 115 (ol) Denver 11. 1 Dallas 106 Memphis 133 Utah 117 Carolina 120 San Dleun 11.1 (only iiames scheduled) Monday's Gmnes Carolina at Dallas (only (lame scheduled) Virginia Tech did get going but still needed some dramatics just to get the game into overtime. Notre Dame apparently took a three-point lead as Gary Brokaw converted two free throws late in regulation time.

But the Irish's Peter Crolty was called for a lane violation and the second free throw was negated, leaving Notre Dame with a 79-77 lead. Craig Lieder, who led Tech with 2fi points, then lofted in a 30-footer as the buzzer ending regulation time sounded to tie the game and set up a five-minute overtime. Stevens, pulled from the game earlier College tourney scores By United Press International Sunday's Results National Invitation Tournamen (finals) Va. Tech 92 Noire Dame 91 (ot) (consolation) N.C.aSAIa.tl Saturday's Results National Invitation Tournament (semifinals) Va. Tech 74 Ala.

73 Notre Dame 78 N.C. 71 NCAA Univ. Div. Tournament (semifinals) Memphis St. 98 Providence 85 UCLA 70 Indiana 59 by DeVoe for his inability to cope with Notre Dame's pressure tactics, then went to work.

He collected seven of his 17 points in the overtime and set up his winning basket with a hcads-up play. Dwight Clay hit two fouls shots to give Notre Dame a 91-87 lead but Stevens roared right back to hit a three-point play and pull Tech to within a point at 91-90. Brokaw then missed a free throw and the Gobblers put the ball in play Stevens, unable to get the ball inside against Notre Dame's collapsing defense, fired a jump shot that bounced off the rim to the right. He followed, grabbed the rebound, took two dribbles and cut loose with the shot that sent Tech rooters into a frenzy. "The play was designed to go to Craig Lieder," Stevens said.

"But Notre Dame collapsed and I couldn't get the ball in. I decided to go solo, to do it alone since I couldn't get rid of the ball. I had one good shot and missed but I was able to grab the rebound and shoot again. "I took the shot and prayed and thank God, it went in." "I thought Virginia Tech did a tremendous job' coming back, said Digger Pheips, the Notre Dame coach. "But we have nothing to be ashamed of.

Not too many people picked us to go into the finals. They made two great shots and won the game. Every game has a winner and a loser and Tech won and we lost." Shumate, who scored 28 points and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, said "we beat ourselves." In the consolation game, George Karl scored 23 points as North Carolina rolled to an 88-69 victory over Alabama. Virginia Tech's Allan Bristow (left), Charlie Thomas (24), Ed Frazier (20) and Craig Leider (25); and Notre Dame's Willie Townsned (53) and Pete Crotty (40) all eye winning ball of Virginia Tech's Bobby Stevens as it snaps basket at sounding of buzzer. To beat No.

1 UCLA Tigers need secret ingredient ST. LOUIS (UPI)--It takes something extra to beat UCLA, and the Memphis State team may have the secret ingredient tonight as it meets the defending champion Bruins for the NCAA basketball title. The little extra the Tigers have is commonly called anger. Memphis State is hoppin' mad, not at UCLA, but at the local writers here who have been belittling the Tigers' victory over i in a a semi-finals. Some of the stories have called the Tigers "lucky" to have reached the finals.

They have strongly inferred that if Providence's star center, Marvin Barnes, hadn't been injured, the Friars would have won easily. Such stories are not sitting very well with the players or Coach Gene Bartow. "The players are upset about it. They've all been talking about it," said Memphis State sports information director Bill Grogan. "You wait and see, it's going to fire them up against UCLA." "It burns me up what I read in the papers," said Larry Finch, the Tigers' leading scorer.

"They're makin' it out like we didn't beat 'em (the Friars) fair and square." Perhaps these pent-up emotions will surface tonight against UCLA and bring out the ferocity of the Tigers. If they do, then tonight's contest could be much closer than most people are predicting. "This is our first opportunity to play Dibbs wins state tennis A i (UPI)--Twenty-three-year-old Eddie Dibbs captured the $12,500 Mississippi I a i a I i Championship Sunday with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 triumph over Veteran Frew McMillan of South Africa. Dibbs lost the first set, but rallied to take first place prize money of $3,000 in four-day tourney. The 30-year-old McMillan got $1,500 as runnerup.

McMillan teamed with Zan Guerry of Lookout Mountain, to win first place money of $900 in the doubles competition with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tito Vasquez of Argentina and Jaime Pinto-Bravo of Chile. last nine. In their semifinal victory over Indiana the Bruins were very ragged in spots. "In almost all of the games I have seen, as far as my own teams are concerned, I don't think I've ever had a team play at a peak in tournament play," says UCLA Coach John Wooden. "One possible exception might be the 1968 semi-final game with Houston but there were extenuating circumstances behind that game.

We've been sporadic against UCLA, and it's a great feeling," says Finch. "This is big time basketball. Our biggest problem against Providence was that it took us an entire half to unwind and play our game. We can't afford to take that long against UCLA." Probably not, but then again UCLA hasn't been 100 per cent perfect in tournament games in spite of the fact the Bruins have won the championship the last six years and eight years of the in our play this though our defense has been very steady." Tonight's game will be televised nationally by NBC, beginning at 9:10 p.m. EST, with an estimated 42 million viewers expected to watch.

This marks the first time the finals have been held on Monday night. In previous years they were held on Saturday afternoon. Providence will meet Indiana in a consolation game for third place prior to the championship contest. Deltans to be in OCA A CLEVELAND, (Special)--Fourteen Delta State college athletes have been chosen to appear in the 1973 edition of a i Athletes of America. Delta State athletes selected include Terry Beckham of Carthage, George Morris of Forest Hill, Mike Payne of Leland, Bobby Covington of Meridian, Frank Haines of Flushing, N.Y., Lou Martenson of Picayune, Don Harper of Meridian, Jim Summerhill of Durant, Roger Owen of Drew, Marty Pearson of Houston, David Orr of Bastrop, Jerry Smith of Bastrop, Jerry Holt of Water Valley, and Tevora Griffin of Cleveland.

"We are a a 14 of our a chosen to represent Delta State this year," said DSC athletic director Horace McCool.x "All of these young men have been a big asset to our institution." Announcement of their selection was made by the Board of Advisors of a i A of America, an annual award volume published to honor America's finest college athletes. Athletic directors and coaches from individual colleges and universities across a i i a winning athletes on the basis of their abilities not only in athletics, but in i i a a activities. i i a for those selected as a i A of America include leadership, service, scholarship and--of course, outstanding athletic accomplishment. This year, all participating athletes will be eligible for the Outstanding College Athletes of America Hall of Fame Awards Program. Those selected by the Board of Advisors will be honored at an awards banquet.

The i a prominent sports figures from across the nation. The Hall of Fame will be permanently established in Los Angeles under the auspices of the California Museum of Science and Industry, and will serve to honor each year's winning athletes. DSC to letter 10 Cagers CLEVELAND, State College basketball coach Bob Vanatta has recommended 10 member from his 1972-73 Statesmen cage squad be awarded letters. Players included seniors Roger Owen of Drew, Tevora Griffin of Cleveland, Walter Scrubbs of Greenville, Derek Hunter of Highland FAlls, N.Y., and Tommy Goodwin of Drew, juniors Hank Drew of St. Louis, Danny Henderson of Mantee, Randy Shelton of Jackson, and Charles Scarbrough of Mathiston, and freshman Dean Hancock of Baldwyn.

Delta State posted an 11-14 record during the recent campaign, winning their final four games, including three on the road. In congratulating the Outstanding College Athletes, sportswriter and commentator Howard Cosell said, "(these athletes) have created within' themselves those qualities that enable a a i a contribution--not merely on the playing fields--but to society in the full sweep of their respective lives." i a i a a i 1973 Outstanding College Athletes will be presented in the a a a i A of America. FAST SERVICE LAUNDRY U.S. Hwy. 82 at Fairview AND SUPERIOR CLEANERS WASHKHKTTE COVER SHOPPING CENTER, 364 E.

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