The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 15

Loren Roberts wins Byron Nelson Classic in playoff. Page 4C She Qlimes Classified Section k.Jfe 7C POINTS 'A CONTACT DEAN ROCK 459-3295 or sportsthetimes.com MONDAY, MAY 17, 1999 7 nicks upset Meat; azz edge Kings Gundy. "He gave us one good possession of guarding his man, moving his feet." "Whatever pain you have you try and suck it up and go out there and do your best to go out there and help your team win," said Ewing, who was to be rayed Sunday night i A4i it i. away in overtime for a 99-92 victory. The Jazz won the intense first-round playoff series 3-2, with the last four contests going down to the final minute of play.

For the fifth time this season, four quarters weren't enough for Utah and Sacramento. But after giving away the lead in the fourth quarter, the Jazz had a 9-2 run to begin the extra period that put the game away. Karl Malone had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead Utah, which avoided its earliest playoff exit since 1995 and advanced to the second round for the fourth straight year. Utah will meet Portland in the conference semifinals. 0 Hawks eliminate Pistons, Dumars.

From Wire Reports MIAMI The sequence was rim, glass, ecstasy. In a matter of seconds and two bounces, Allan Houston sent a jolt of electricity into the Knicks' season and Jeff Van Gundy's career. "It sent chills up my spine," said Charlie Ward. "We got the good roll today." The eulogy for the 1999 Knicks and their head coach will not be delivered this morning, as the Knicks are headed to the second round and Pat Riley is out of the playoffs. Houston, the son of a coach, hit a pullup jumper in traffic with eight-tenths of a second remaining as the broken down and wounded Knicks shocked Miami, 78-77, in Game 5 on Sunday for the second straight year.

The Knicks will play the winner of Sunday night's Atlanta-Detroit game starting Tuesday on the road. "Outstanding, just outstanding," said Latrell Sprewell. "It was just amazing. What more can you say." The Knicks won another Game 5 at Miami Arena with Patrick Ewing wincing every time he took a step. The much-maligned franchise center, playing with a sore left Achilles, suffered what appeared to be ei- Houston's heroics lift Knicks to victory, 6C Kings almost pull off upset against Jazz, 6C ther a muscle pull or broken ribs with seven minutes left in the third quarter.

Ewing still finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, including two free throws with :39.7 left that got the Knicks to within 77-76. He outscored Alonzo Mourning 6-5 in the fourth quarter and forced Miami into a shot clock violation with 1:20 left by refusing to allow Mourning to drive on him. "Mr. Body Break Down man came through," said Van in rvutiiiui, uic udwfis eliminated Detroit 87-75, sending Natchitoches' Joe Dumars into retirement In Salt Lake City, with luck and a little veteran guile, the Utah Jazz snatched one last game from the Sacramento Kings. Vlade Divac missed a short hook shot that could have won it for Sacramento at the end of regulation, and the Jazz pulled i AP The Miami Heat's Alonzo Mourning walks off the court for the last time this season after his team's 78-77 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

Big 6th sparks Captains From Staff Reports i if- si U.l'i.... A It Shreveport rallied for five runs in the sixth inning Sunday, defeating Wichita 9-5 and snapping a two-game losing streak in the process. The big inning started with a base hit from Yorvit Torreal-ba, bringing in Giussepe Chiaramonte. Torrealba stepped on home plate later when Josh Tyler belted a hit through the middle. Wichita starting pitcher Matt Sier was relieved by Steve Pirhoda, but on Pirhoda's first pitch, Michael Byas smacked a hit scoring Tyler.

The offensive barrage continued when Carlos Mendoza scored on a single from Travis Young. Byas scored on Damon Minor's blast off the outfield wall. By the time the inning was" over, Shreveport owned an 8-1 lead. The Captains (23-14) opened the game with a run in the first. Chris Magruder sin gled to drive in Byas.

In the third, Shreveport added a pair of runs, with Young and Minor scoring to extend the lead to 3-1. Wichita (22-15) answered with a run on Goefrey Tomlin-: son's home run off Captain starter Jeff Urban. After the treacherous sixth, Wichita scored again off another long ball, this one a two-run blast from Sean McNally, making it 8-3. Jose Amado scored in the eighth when Anthony Medra-no rapped a double into the gap. Captain reliever Jasori Verdugo came in and allowed Jason Layne to bring in Medrano with a slap Wichita closed the gap to 9-51- The teams continue the se ries in Wichita at 7:15 tonighfj Signing period brings state schools mixed results.

By Scott Ferrell The Times The phone calls have -Jwceased at recruit's homes. The letters no longer arrive in a prospect's mailbox. The national letter of intent signing period in the spring ended Saturday. Players can still sign with schools, but they are no longer bound to the school through the national letter of intent. With the end of college basketball's long recruiting year one that includes a fall signing period and a spring signing period comes the analysis of each recruiting class.

Louisiana Tech and LSU did the best job of signing top in-state talent Centenary took advantage of the Shreve-port-to-Chicago flights to find quality recruits. Meanwhile, Northeast Louisiana put together a virtual unknown class and coaching changes at Grambling State and Northwestern State slowed tfieir signing classes. At Louisiana Tech, coach 'iTKeith Richard hoped to find help on the front line and at point guard. He got quality post players with three instate signees, but was unable I Where the state's top players are headed, 3C to sign a point guard to replace Lonnie Cooper. Tech signed two of the state's top prospects in Farmerville's Antonio Meek-ing and Woodlawn's Zach Johnson.

Meeking considered Arkansas before deciding on Tech and Johnson was considered by some analysts to be the best prospect in Louisiana. The Bulldogs also signed Ruston forward Marcus Pastor. "Can you envision our basketball team, in particular in the next two years, with Antonio Meeking and Zach Johnson in the post? Richard said. "That's a big-time frontcourt. "If you look at this program, its best years have been when they've had players like that.

I'm not trying to put those kids in Karl (Malone) or P.J. (Brown) or Randy White's category, but there are some similarities there. Some potential similarities there. I'm excited. Really excited." While the Bulldogs weren't able to land 6-foot-3 guard Derrick Zimmerman of Monroe, there is some comfort for Tech knowing they had a couple of players sitting out See RECRUITING 3C 7 fit Jim HudelsonThe Times Green Oaks' Shawnson Johnson (left) and Woodlawn's Johnson is headed to Lee Junior College in Texas, while Zach Johnson were coveted by many colleges.

Shawnson Zach Johnson is going to Louisiana Tech. ifiifo' Southwest Texas rallies past Northeast 1 7N Domingues singled. Following one of Holubec's 11 strikeouts, Mark Villarreal walked and Tompkins hit a three-run triple, his school-record tying seventh of the year, into the right field corner for the winning runs. "When you play hard, sometimes good things like that happen," SWT head coach Howard Bushong said. In the top of the ninth, NLU, the visiting team in the bracket got a leadoff single from Josh LaRue, but he was stranded at second as Garrett Sherrill re Lewis scored from first when center fielder John David Janek threw wild to home.

Wolfe moved to third on the error and scored on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Willie Core. Kenny Holubec (7-2) had allowed just four hits through seven innings, but Southwest Texas got three hits in the ninth. "I was more upset after the Southeastern Louisiana game (Saturday's 8-4 win) because we didn't swing the bats," NLU head coach Smoke Laval said. tired Corey Artieta and Nick Frank to end the game. Sherrill got the save, his third, for Mitch Hall (2-1), who retired three of the five batters he faced in NLU's four-run eighth.

NLU plays an elimination game 11 a.m. today against Texas-San Antonio. "We know we have to come back early (today)," Holubec said. "We have to compete, win that first game, take the afternoon off and come back (tonight)." By Robby Edwards Special to The Times John Tompkins hit a three-run triple in the bottom of the eighth and Southwest Texas avoided elimination from the Southland Conference Tournament with a 5-4 upset of host and No. 1 seed Northeast Louisiana Sunday.

The Indians (36-19) scored four runs in the top of the in- ning to take a 4-2 lead. Jason Wolfe hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and Justin NSU stays alive with win against Southeastern 3C "They threw it and we hit it. It just didn't go our way today. It was a great college game." Said Wolfe, who was 2-for-4, "It was a little frustrating. We kept making good contact but they kept catching the ball.

It's just tough luck and you can't do anything about it" In the eighth, SWTs Ter-rence Moore reached on a fielder's choice and Anthony Amy Beth BennettThe Times Southwest Texas' Mark Villarreal is safe at home when the throw to NLU catcher Ted White is not in time Sunday. Philyaw, Knights struggle early but finish strong I. 1I skid. It also enabled Philyaw to prove he's a capable quarterback. "He's a winner," Knights coach Fred Akers said.

"He never got rattled. He knew he'd get his chances and he did what he's supposed to do by forgetting about the mistake (the fumble which set up the Thunder's first rushing touchdown of the season)." Martin will have an MRI done on his ankle today, leaving doubts as to who will start Saturday's game at Mississippi. Philyaw, who completed 10 of 19 passes with no interceptions, said Martin should be mance Sunday in a 31-14 victory over the New Orleans Thunder, the fledgling league would probably like to borrow the same story line the Knights' backup quarterback played out in Tad Gormley Stadium sad start, happy ending. Philyaw, who said he was entering training camp as the first-string quarterback, fumbled the ball on the first possession after starter Jason Martin left the game with a sprained ankle Sunday. Philyaw's first pass attempt later sailed two yards behind his intended receiver.

And the 5-foot-9 former Northeast the starter if he's healthy. "He didn't lose his job. He went down in battle so he's still the starter," Philyaw said. "I'm the backup. I did my job in leading the team to the win, and if I'm the starter this week, I'll be ready to go.

I got better as this game went on. It was all about getting comfortable and sometimes it takes a mistake to make you better." The Knights defense didn't make many mistakes and it still got better as the game went on. Led by Brandon Bertrand's nine tackles Shreveport held the Thunder See KNIGHTS 3C Backup QB leads Shreveport to 31-14 victory over N.O. By John McCloskey The Times Raymond Philyaw's career with the Shreveport Knights has a lot in common with the Regional Football League in which he plays. Both began their inaugural seasons in professional spring football with high hopes and big boasts but neither has been able to fulfill them.

But after Philyaw's perfor Just over 100 fans attend game in New Orleans, 3C Louisiana star's second attempt was batted down at the line of scrimmage. But with his teammates staying behind him, and with the confidence he displayed in saying he could start and lead this team, Philyaw threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Knights from two first-half deficits. The victory enabled Shreveport (3-2) to snap a two-game losing streak, while extending the Thunder's season-long Ws AP j. jL Shreveport's Gil Carillo, who caught a touchdown pass, runs for yardage during the Knights' 31-14 victory Sunday..