The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 23

Stealers play final game in Three Rivers Stadium. Page 4C CONTACT JOHN McCLOSKEY 459-3295 or sportsshreveporttimes.com SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2000 0 Hudson has Kittens looking like a favorite Grambling just like it's the end, because if we can build a lead it's tough to come back on us." Hudson rr 4 YYA ill fwK scored 14 of Lyons his points in Grambling (9-2) will play today at 1:30 p.m. in Centenary's Gold Dome against Airline, which knocked off St Augustine 62-52 in action at Evangel. Most of Hudson's big scenes came early as he led Grambling to a 22-8 lead early in the second period. But after Peabody pulled within four points late in the third, Hudson opened the fourth by scoring 11 of the next 15 points for seven of them at the free throw line to put Hie kittens in control at 68-57 with 2:12 to play.

The early part of the game is the most important to me," Hudson said. "I always take the beginning of the game and play think they would be that good from outside." Enter Hudson. In the next minute and a half, Hudson took control of the Kitten offense again and scored six points to push the lead back to 13 at 36-23. Grambling led 36-27 at half-time, but Peabody scored seven of the first nine points in the second half and bothered the Kittens with a halfcourt trap to pull within 38-34 at 5:22 of the third. "It kind of slowed us up a little bit, and they came out with more intensity than us," Hudson said.

They were more fired up than us." Peabody (14-3) which tried to go to its 6-10 center Wayne Powell early, but the Warhors-es were unable to challenge until some outside shots started falling. Tervy Young, who led Peabody with 15 points, his a three at 4:13 of the second period to cut the Grambling lead to 26-1 7. Patrick Williams followed with a baseline jumper to get Peabody within seven. Deshawn Williams and Tristan King were also in double figures for Peabody with 13 each. "We came in prepared to defend their inside game but they hit some big shots from the outside," Grambling coach Michael Lyons said.

"I didn't face Airline today at the Gold Dome. By Brian McCallum The Times The Antonio Hudson Show was in the first day of a two-day run Friday in the Christus Schumpert-Highland Holiday Classic. In his opening act, the star Grambling forward Antonio Hudson showed a solid grasp of his part in scoring 34 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the Kittens' 73-64 win over Peabody at Captain Slireve. the fast start, capping it at 6:51 of the second when he took a pass in midair and put the ball in off the glass. Hudson's supporting cast also took a few bows.

Paul Milsap also had a big day with 15 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks. John Milsap added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Charlie GesellThe Times Grambling's Antoino Hudson (42) plays aggressive defense against Peabody's Deshawn Williams. jTi Tonight's game WHAT: New Orleans at LSU. WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge RADIO: KWKH (1130 AM) NOTE: Shaquille O'Neal will have his No. 33 retired tonight. Shaquille O'Neal returns to LSU to receive degree in general studies. By Nakla Hogan The Times BATON ROUGE The black cap and gown NBA star Shaquille O'Neal ordered over the Internet specifically for this day fit perfectly. So did the trademark smile and the pumped fist he gave his little brother, who snapped pictures to capture the moment.

And so did all the col Parkway defeats Huntington 0 Lady Panthers make 14 from line in fourth quarter. By Jim Dawson Spepia! to The Times In' a game that saw the two 'teams combine for 60 free-throw' attempts, it was Parkway's ability to make 14 of its 18 attempts in the fourth quarter that 'gave the Lady Panthers their 68-64 win over the Hunt-ingtoh Lady Raiders Friday afternoon in girls quarterfinals action at the Cliristus Schumpert-Highland Holiday Classic 2000 at the, Southwood gym. Kim Reed, Cristina Gallucci, and Kelly Womack combined for 'nine free throws in the last two minutes of play to seal the Lady Panthers win. 'This was a good win for us," said Parkway coach Roger lege graduates who carried O'Neal more than a decade signs that read: "Me and Shaq ago in Germany and coached are LSU graduates." him at LSU from 1989-92. More than a decade after he Although he has accom-began, O'Neal finally became plished a lot the NBAs a college graduate.

With his reigning MVP, winning the platinum NBA championship World Championship, win-ring on his finger and a huge ning an Olympic gold medal, burden lifted off his shoul- having been in a handful of ders, O'Neal and his 7-foot-l, movies and recording rap al-320-pound body glided across bums O'Neal didn't let the Pete Maravich Assembly those distraction derail him. Center to receive his bache- He took correspondence lor's degree in general studies courses, independent study Friday afternoon. and summer school classes to This is the day I've waited gain the 28 credit hours he for since 1989," said O'Neal, said he needed to earn his de-referring to his enrollment at gree. Nolan. They are as athletic a team as we will see.

They play 'exactly like (district opponents) Woodlawn and BTW." Wi Iex: MiMJJJ.iJii i iiljij.iii.inuiijiijii ii i in i iiiiii Mini. fV WW 11 111 MlWimpiPllll i j'', tfki I i Y- 1 rtrfft 1 -TTTTiii--' iMiigmTMiMi iifi irn-'J A Callucci led Parkway with a game-high 20 points, while teammate Jessica Kelly added 18. Reed had 13 points in the game, while Sara Arcadia girls get past Cotton Valley i Byrd boys rally past Evangel 3c LiU in 1989. 1 his is very lm- Neal, who will have his No. 33 jersey retired during a portant to me.

This puts a stamp on me being an educated PaulkhadlOoffthe bench. 3 Huntington had 12 from person. O'Neal said his graduation Sharese Richardson and Youmoka Brown and Taniesha Galloway contributed 10 apiece for the Lady Raiders. pregame ceremony before the start of tonight's LSU-Univer-sity of New Orleans game, left LSU in 1992 after his junior season to enter the NBA draft. The Orlando Magic made him the first overall selection, and a rich man.

"I got real frustrated many times," said O'Neal. "When I left my mind got real lazy. I had to reteach myself how to study and read." One tiling O'Neal didn't have to teach himself to do was make money. He has a contract with the Lakers worth $152 million through Huntington is a very good team' said Callucci. "I thought we played well, working together, in a really hard game." day, which Brown the Lakers allowed him to attend despite having a game against Vancouver on the same night, ranks right up there with winning an NBA title and the birth of his son.

It also showed kids and fans what happens when you keep working to reach your goals. Aiter trailing by as much as nine midway through the second quarter, Huntington cut the lead to three at the half. That run set up as close a sec- I See SHAQ 6C "It shows you what education means to him, to stay after it after all the wealth he has accumulated and all that he has accomplished," said for- i mer LSU head basketball i coach Dale Brown, who discovered I as a fan could want, with the Lady Raiders tying the score at 57-57 with 2:25 left in the game on a basket by Renal-da Moody. An answering basket by Jessica Kelly put the Lady Panthers back up, and from that point- on, it was the Parkway Robert B. BurgeThe Times Shaquille O'Neal gives LSU Dean Karl Roider a hug Friday during the Fall Commencement Ceremony in Baton Rouge.

success at the tree-throw une that spelled the difference. Diploma latest of Shaquille O'Neal's accomplishments Former LSU great Shaquille O'Neal received his degree in Baton Rouge Friday and will have his jersey number retired before the Tigers' game with New Orleans tonight. All-America at LSU, first pick (Orlando Magic) of NBA draft, 1992 ft, 4 a Enrolled at LSU, 1989 Set SEC single-game record with 12 blocks against Loyola Marymount, 1990 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1993 I All-NBA first team, 1998 I NBA All-Star Game Co-MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP, NBA first team, 2000 I Graduated with a bachelor's degree in general studies from LSU, Friday I No. 33 retired from LSU, tonight Reed free throws at the 40-second mark pushed the lead back to four and Womack came off jhe bench to add the final two free throws for Parkway when Callucci was injured on a foul and forced to leave the game with 20 seconds left in the game. It was sophomore Wom-ack's first action in the game.

(Womack) really produced under pressure," said Nolan. "If we don't score and they get the ball back there, I don't know if we could have stopped them." Yvi Olympic gold-medal winner, named to all-time NBA team, signed as a free agent with the Lakers, 1996 All-America at LSU, SEC Player of the Year, National Player of the Year, World Amateur Athlete of the Year, 1991 Times research Fulmer readies Vols for K-State Mudbugs let victory slip away New Mexico Notre Dame learns lessons from probation, ii 5C spot when veteran players were injured. That year, the Vols finished 8-4 'tallies two late goals to claim 54 victory. Fulmer period goal which put the Scorpions ahead, 2-1. Murphy had a goal later in the period to end New Mexico's second period scoring.

The Mudbugs took an early 1-0 lead in the opening period when Tony Bergin scored after assists from Forbes MacPherson and Jim Sprott But New Mexico tied the score on a goal from Mark De-Santis. The first period ended with the two teams tied at a goal each. here Friday night The Mudbugs took a 4-3 lead into the final period. But New Mexico's Artern Rybin beat Mudbugs goalie Chad Lang on a power play for the game-tying goal at the 16:18 mark. Just more than a minute later, New Mexico center Randy Murphy beat Lang for the game-winner.

Rybin and Murphy enjoyed big nights for the Scorpions. Both scored two goals each in the game. Rybin had a second The Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee finished the regular season with six straight wins and can top off its comeback from the brink of a losing record with a win on New Year's Day. "We want to put an exclamation on this football season," Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer said Friday after the team's second practice for its matchup with Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl.

"I told them tliis morning But the Vols never lost again, finishing 8-3 and No. 21 in the final regular season poll. "Everyone's anticipations for a great season went way up when we played as well as we did against Florida should have won the game and then we probably went to an all-time low when we went to LSU," Fulmer said. Throughout the season, this year's team has been compared to the 1994 squad that struggled early after freshman Peyton Manning was thrust into the starting quarterback how proud I am of them the commitment even when their backs were against the wall to continue to improve and fight themselves basically out of nowhere into a New Year's Day bowl game." In early October, Tennessee stood at 2-3 after losing 21-10 to Georgia, narrowly falling 27-23 to Florida and being defeated 38-31 in overtime at LSU. From Staff Reports N.M.

In a rematch of last season's "Western Professional Hockey League championship series, 'the New Mexico Scorpions used a pair of third period "goals to defeat the Bossier- Shreveport Mudbugs, 54, with a win over Virginia Tech in the 1994 Gator Bowl. "You have to admire what this team has done much like (the 1994 team) if we can finish it up like we want," Fulmer said. The '94 team laid the foundation for what we were able to accomplish for the next four or five years. I'm hoping history can repeat itselL".