The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 21

Scoreboard: 2C Captains preview: 4-5C Classified: 7C JPOK CONTACT: KENT HEITHOLT, 459-3297, E-mail to: sportsthetimes.com THE TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 8. 1995 For more sports score and news; dial 211, category 4. 50 for 5 minutes. MBA toads to mmmm made me say that," Williamson said. "I didn't end my college career the way I wanted to.

I wanted to go out on top with a victory. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way." Coach Nolan Richardson said junior forward Scotty Thurman also was considering leaving but hadn't reached a decision. "I've visited with Scotty. There is nothing concrete," Richardson said. Williamson's father said the consistent pounding Williamson took inside played a role in his son's Arkansas' Scotty Thurman still hasn't made his decision to turn pro.

The Associated Press FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. A bruised and tired Corliss Williamson, who led Arkansas to the last two NCAA title games and the 1994 national championship, said Friday he would leave the Ra-zorbacks to play in the NBA With his parents' blessing, Scoreline For updated professional, college and high school sports scores, call 222-6397 and push mailbox number 984 when asked. NBA Boston 91, Phila. 81 Charlotte 98, Wash. 93 Atlanta 102, Indiana 80 Detroit 104, Orlando 94 Chicago 97, Cleveland 88 Milwaukee 107, New Jersey 92 Dallas 111, Minnesota 94 Houston at Portland (n) Utah at Lakers (n) NHL Islanders 4, Rangers 3 Detroit 4, Toronto 2 Winnipeg 7.

Vancouver 4 A. at Calgary (n) Edmonton at San Jose (n) Dallas at Anaheim (n) BRIEFS From Wire Reports i wii.wih Linn i nuiiumxtlmmmm In the 77 consecutive games Williamson started, Arkansas won 65 84 percenL The Razorbacks' fortunes often hinged on how well Williamson performed; five of his worst games came in Arkansas' seven losses this year. In the NCAA tournament final Monday night against UCLA, he made just 3 of 16 shots from the floor his worst performance of the year and finished with 12 points. Arkansas lost 89-78. Williamson is a communications major from Russellville.

Richardson said he, too, backed the decision. From Staff Reports TULSA, Okla. Shreveport Captains manager Ron Wotus said he expected his 1995 team to be a bet- ter hitting team than in years pasL Two games into the season, Wotus may be righL The Captains pounded out 16 hits and scored nine times in a 9-1 victory over Tulsa Friday night before 14.437 at Drillers Stadium. The crowd was the second largest in Drillers history. In two games, both victories, the Captains have CfP f'ns scored 15 runs and schedule, have 29 hits.

ookat. Shreveport did all team, 4-5C of its damage in three innings. Shreveport scored two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Jay Canizaro drove in both runs with a single. Shreveport took advantage of three Tulsa errors in the second inning to score four runs.

Bill Mueller had an RBI double and Chris Morrow added an RBI single in the inning. The Captains finished their-scoring with three runs in the Rich Aurilia drove in one run. Catcher Roger Miller, who had three-hit game, hit a two-run homer, into the screen in left field to highlight the inning. The homer was the first of the season for the Captains. Shreveport had four doubles Friday night after having five in the opener.

Every player in the Captains' lineup had at least one hiL Only three players did not have multiple hits Keith Williams, Kenny Woods and Jacob Cruz. All nine runs came against Jackie Davidson (0-1). Davidson, a former No. 1 pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1983, made his first start since 1989 Friday nighL Edwin Corps (1-0) pitched the first seven innings. He allowed only one run.

The run was unearned. Leader board Jay Haas John Huston Scott Hoch Ben Crenshaw David Frost Phil Mickelson B. Henninger Davis Love III Lee Janzen Corey Pavin Steve Elkington C. Montgomerie 71-64135 70-66136 69- 67136 70- 67137 66-71137 66- 71137 70- 68138 69-69138 69-69138 67- 71138 73-67140 71- 69140 Captains pound Drillers "He got beat up so bad this year down low and never got the call," Jerry Williamson said. "I remember Shaquille O'Neal, who played at LSU.

Everyone said because he's big those fouls don't hurt We got to see the battle scars and the bruises around head and neck. He's hurting. "If you are going to get hit like that, get paid to get hit," Jerry Williamson said. Often double- or triple-teamed, Williamson hit 55 percent of his shots from the floor and made 67 percent of his free throws. The TimesJIM HUDELSON that kept him out of an NCAA mmm3 rie run the 200 meters at a meet on the island.

"I was 10 years old and he just amazed me. From then, I thought that maybe this is what I want to do," he recalled. After winning the Pan American Junior championship in the 800 in 1991, he got a scholarship to run at Barton. When he started looking for a four-year school, he said Tech filled all his needs. "No.

1, it's a good school," he said. "They have my degree program (restaurant management), good weather and a good coaching staff," he said. Stanley feels he pulled off a recruiting coup. "Lamont is probably the guy I've coached who has the biggest chance to make a living (out of track)," said Stanley, who is in his 13th season at Tech. toasters Masters in five years and just one stroke off the tournament course record.

But he was not the only one having his way with Augusta National. Thirty-seven players were below par after 36 holes and the cut was set at 1-over-par 145, tied for the lowest cut number ever. Thirty-six players broke par Friday. "The greens are not usually as soft as they are now," Haas said. "Early in the week, I would have said 2- or 3-under would be leading after 36 holes." Tech's Lamont Leach loosens up before a practice In Ruston.

Leach is nursing a strained hamstring Leach is La. Tech's cool Williamson said he would pursue his academic degree later and play erofessional basket-all next season. The 6-foot-7 junior, who averaged 19.7 points per game last season, had said after Monday's championship game loss to UCLA that he planned to stay at Williamson Arkansas. He changed his mind Thursday. My emotions tooK over and before the NCAA Indoor, the 5-foot-10 "2, 165-pounder strained his left hamstring.

"I said, This couldn't be happening," said Leach, a native of Kingston, Jamaica. "It was more of a nightmare than anything else." Still, he tried to run in the Indoor prelims at Indianapolis, but hadtopuDout "I knew I could have won that race," he said, shaking his head. The race was the 800 meters. The transfer from Barton (Kan.) Junior College had run the best 800-meter time in Sun Belt Conference history in the Iowa State Cindoor) Classic Feb. 10.

His winning 1:48.45 was the fastest ever by a Bulldog runner, indoor or outdoor. "He won easily," Tech track coach Gary Stanley recalled. "He took off in the last 150 and just More on the Masters, 6C "It's about as crowded as I've seen it in a long time," Crenshaw said. And he had a simple explanation. "The conditions have everything to do with the scores," Crenshaw said.

There are spots where you can take liberties on the course. You couldn't do that last year." The sun blazed brilliantly at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday. The course slowed by Thursday's steady rain quickened during the standings. If Northwestern and NLU both qualify for the tourney, that should provide a definite attendance boost Nicholls, which was well represented at the league's basketball tourney here last month, and McNeese would also help. None of those teams is the caliber of No.

5-ranked LSU, but SLC officials were still heartened by the 4,331 turnout for the Tigers' March 22 win over Centenary here. The SLC will have the market to itself for tourney week since the Texas League Shreveport Captains will be on the road. Nicholls is at Northeast for three games in the SLC's biggest series this weekend. Northwestern State hosts last-place Stephen F. Austin The postseason tourney has a 4 1 Strained hamstring costs Lamont Leach chance at a win in the NCAA Indoor Meet.

ByJIMMcLAIN The Times RUSTON If Lamont Leach had been wearing suspenders this winter, he would have popped them. He. was that pumped up. Louisiana Tech's junior middle distance runner was on a tear on the indoor track circuit. He had blown away school records in two events and raised hopes of a possible challenge for a national title in the NCAA Indoor MeeL Then it happened.

During a workout the Monday as captures tea trounced the guy who had won the Drake Relays the year before. His getting hurt was probably the biggest disappointment I've had in coaching. I think he had a chance to win (at Indianapolis) The week before the Indoor, he broke the Tech 400-meter record when he ran 48.21 in the LSU Last Chance MeeL Now Leach is having to be patient while the hamstring heals. "I'm almost over it now. I've got to continue treatment and stretching," said Leach, who is hoping to be back at full speed for the prestigious ML Sac Relays in California April 15.

"My goal now is to go to the NCAA Outdoor (in June) and hopefully win in the 800," he said. Leach, 23, said running has been in his blood ever since he saw Jamaican star Donald Quar- second round but was not yet at Au gusta notorious warp speed. As a resulL par was once again an easy barrier. And no one had an easier time with it than Haas, who rained iron shots on the flags almost at will and finished Haas with four consecutive birdies while shooting an 8-un-der-par 64, the lowest score in the double elimination formaL May 12 will be a practice day. Starting on the 13th, there will be two games played each day until a champion is determined.

May 17 is a rain day. NO RESPECT II Louisiana Tech's Lady Techsters are the Rodney Dangerfields of women's college basketball A Gannett USA Weekend article three weeks ago about Charlotte Smith's buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave North Carolina the 1994 NCAA championship never mentioned the other team in the game Louisiana Tech. An article in USA Today this week looked at contenders for the "96 women's Final Four. You guessed iL Louisiana Tech was not mentioned. This is a team that has been to the Final Eight, the national title at to AP UCLA's Ed O'Bannon won the John Wooden Award.

Ed O'Bannon wins Wooden Award LOS ANGELES Just before his career at UCLA was supposed to start, Ed O'Bannon tore up his left knee. Just after it ended, he won the John Wooden Award as college basketball's player of the year. O'Bannon, whose final game was a 30-point, 17-re-bound masterpiece that led UCLA to its first NCAA championship in 20 years. 3 Herron, Rowland lead Nike Classic GULFPORT, Miss. Tun Herron and Roger Rowland were tied for the lead at 9-un-der par 135 at the midway pint of the $200,000 Nike Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic Herron shot a (kinder 66 in the second round Friday to climb into the lead after an opening round 69 at par 72.

3 Holmes battles Chavez tonight LAS VEGAS It could be four and out for 45-year-old Larry Holmes. It will be four to go for 32-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez. They will fight on a card of five world championships Saturday night at Caesars Palace. One of the spectators is expected to be Mike Tyson, the former undisputed heavyweight champion. 3 Area angler lands best catch yet Toledo Bend resident Tommy Martin of Hemphill, Texas, grabbed the lead in the $195,000 BASSMASTER Oklahoma Central Invitational tournament Friday, but another area angler got the catch of the day.

Bert Thompson of Marshall, Texas, who works at the local GM plant, had the big catch Friday. His wife Lana delivered their first child a 7-pound, 15-ounce boy about the time her husband was boating his last keeper bass. By RON SIRAK The Associated Press AUGUSTA, Ga. There was something special about the leader-board after the second round of the Masters. And if you were Jay Haas, something scary.

"It's pretty crowded, isn't it?" said Ben Crenshaw, looking at Haas' 9-under-par 135 sitting a stroke ahead of John Huston and Scott Hoch and two shots better than Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson and David FrosL Field for SLC baseball tourney may include Demons, Indians been invited to play in the Preseason Women's NIT next season. Their first opponent will be Arkansas at Fayetteville on Nov. 1 Other teams in the bracket are Memphis and Drake. NSU will also play Colorado in the opening round of the Louisville TournamenL Rutgers is the other team in the field. G-MEN TO RETURN Grambling will return to the Northwestern State men's basketball schedule next season.

The teams will play a home-and-home series. The G-Men own a 11-4 series edge over the Demons. They have not played since the 1989-90 season. There's good news for the Southland Conference and the City of Shreveport, which will serve as host for the SLC's May 13-17 postseason baseball tournament at Fair Grounds Field, -r. Four Jim McLain Louisiana schools are among the top five at mid-season in the battle for the four tournament berths.

Northeast Louisiana, 23-11 overall, and Texas San Anto nio (20-14) are tied for first place in the SLC at 9-3. Northwestern State (2f8, 6-3), McNeese (23-12, 7-5) and Nicholls State (17-12, 54) are next in the game and the Sweet 16 in the last three years. The Techsters return four starters, including Kodak AU-American Vickie Johnson, from a 28-5 team. They will have five seniors in the playing rotation next season plus some highly regarded freshmen and junior college transfers. If hard to figure.

TIDE COMES IN Northwest-em State's Lady Demons, second in the Women's National Invitational Tournament last month in Amarillo, will play a home game against Alabama on Jan. 16 next season. The Crimson Tide made the NCAA Tournament field this season, but will be without its big star, Kodak All-American Niesa Johnson, who was a senior. Alabama will have top center Yolanda Watkins back, however. The Lady Demons have also Jim McLain is a Times sports writer.

He can be reached at 459-3300 or by fax at 459-3301..