Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 11

fo) Spcals Scoreboard 2B State Fair racing 2B II The Baseball Page 3B Daniel wins first major 4B Great Falls Tribune Monday, July 30, 1990 Yugoslavia humbles U.S. Gold escapes hoop team once more tl I ii "lv, LfFT Iff 'jCTlr-r-rs- 1X2 -IT i 1 1 iJ -mr- -a JM v. lit I i And then came the foul troubles. Leading scorer Radja had to be taken out for seven minutes after his fourth foul with 18 minutes left in the game (you get five in international play). Guard Jurij Zdovc, the eventual leading Yugo scorer with 21, took his fourth with 15: 14 left Reserve center Radisav Curcic, who had scored only 11 points all tournament, but 10 Sunday when pressed into relief, took his fourth with 11:56 left.

Guard Toni Kurkoc was called for his fourth with 10:58 left. None of it was enough for the Americans. The fact it wasn't does not bode well for the United States in Argentina. And this bodes even worse; Yugoslavia will likely add NBA players Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic for the world championships. "We're going to get better," said Mourning, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

"We're going to use this as a stepping stone." Added Krzyzewski, "I think they wore us down a little bit with the way they ran their offense. Toward the end of the (shot) clock, they always got the ball in the hands of someone who knew what to do. They hit a lot of big shots. That's not being lucky, that's knowing one another. That's something we have to do in a short period of time." They may have to grow up a tad, too.

From Mourning throwing a ball at Radja only minutes into the game to Day throwing Radja down after Radja had driven around him for a basket in the second half, the heads were not good. The Yugoslavs began like the wise old veterans they are, catching the Americans napping with three early fast break baskets and a 19-12 lead. "We wanted to play a ball control game with good blocking out," said Yugoslav coach Dusan Ivkovic. "Our players play with big heart." Tribune Photo by Thomas Bauer Tim Engelhart of Stockton, holds on to Hobo Joe during the saddle bronc event Sunday at the State Fair Rodeo. Stock dominates opening rodeo point ride on Skoal Terminator of the Sankey herd.

"My traveling partner, Mark McClure, had drawn the bull before and said that he was real good, said White, who said the bull turned back to the left and he was able to maintain good position on him. Second place in the event is currently held by former world champion Ted Nuce of Oakdale, with a 76. Other event leaders include former Montana Pro Rodeo Finals average winner Donna Liebrand of See RODEO, 2B score in the opening performance was Ed Wells of Powell, with a 54 marking. The saddle bronc riding found two cowboys Brook Holbrook of Bozeman and Gary McDaniel of Tensleep, Wyo. sharing the lead with 68 markings.

The bull riders faired better than the horse riders during the opening ound with seven qualified rides turned in. Chuck White came all the way from Arkansas to win money. The 24-year-old White came to Great Falls with hopes of turning in a solid score, and he succeeded with a 79- ByGERI PURS LEY Tribune Correspondent National Finals Rodeo bucking stock and homegrown animals stole the spotlight during the opening performance of the Montana State Fair Rodeo at State Fairgrounds Sunday. The four-legged athletes got the best of the cowboy counterparts with only two qualified rides turned in the bareback riding and three in the saddle bronc competition as a near-capacity crowd of 2,400 spectators watched from the grandstands. Rodeo stock contractor Ike Sankey said that when the horses are bucking as well as they did on Sunday, it gives the fans something to look forward to in the next two performances.

"When something like this happens, it gives the audience something spectacular to see. And with these same horses up in draw in the next two days and top-notched cowboys that have drawn them, I expect to see rides in the 80 point range." Leading the bareback riding is Australian cowboy Gavin Gleich, who turned in a 63-point ride on Frankie. The only other cowboy to4 Dodgers give Pioneers the gate By MIKE LOPRESTI Gannett News Service SEATTLE The United States men's basketball team has a lot to learn, and not much time to learn it. The Americans, hoping for better things ahead in next month's world championships in Argentina, were humbled by an injury and foul-racked Yugoslavia 85-79 Sunday for the Goodwill Games gold medal. The Yugoslavs lost one starter to injury and had four players in deep foul trouble the second half.

But they took the lead for good at 38-37 early in the second half, stretched it to 78-67 with 4:39 to go, and then held on. With Yugoslav leader Dino Radja fouling out with 3:51 left, the Americans cut the lead to 78-74 on Billy Owens' three-pointer with 2:58 left. It was the first U.S. three-pointer of the game, only the second outside jump shot of the second half. Alonzo Mourning's free throws cut it to 81-78 with 1:48 left.

The Americans had a chance to get closer, but Todd Day's pass inside to Doug Smith went off Smith's hands with 42 seconds left. Time had run out on the Americans, who shot poorly enough to lose. They hit 38 percent, and the top three guards Day, Kenny Anderson and Lee Mayberry were a combined 5 for 27. "I think it frustrated us," coach Mike Krzyzewski said, "that we couldn't put down the shots we normally put down." Added Owens, who led the United States with 23, 13 in the second half, "You can't say why they weren't falling. They just weren't falling.

I think we tended to force some shots. But you can't say why you're missing them." It was a crippled Yugoslav effort, with forward and second leading scorer Zarko Paspalj spraining his ankle midway through the first half and leaving the game for good. O'Malley in bigs again By Tribune Staff Let's face it. Tom O'Malley is no Howard Johnson. The New York Mets' reserve who filled in Sunday night at third base for the injured Johnson will never hit 36 home runs in a season as Johnson has done twice in his career.

Nor will O'Malley ever steal 41 bases in a year as Johnson did in 1989. Nor is O'Malley ever likely to be named to a major league All-Star team, as Johnson has done. What you see is what you get repeating. Having lost league MVP quarterback John Friesz, he, too, sees the favorites as Boise State, Montana and UNR, in that order. But after three straight conference titles, Smith promises a fight.

"We're going to put some pressure on ourselves to do something that hasn't been done, and that is win four in a row." Trying to fill Freisz's enormous cleats will be redshirt freshman Doug Nussmeier, who Smith says has "a strong, strong arm a cannon." Wide receiver Kasey Dunn, the conference's No.2 pass catcher with 73, offers a good target. The Vandal defense, meanwhile, returns largely intact with 1 1 starters. Montana State coach Earle Solomonson also would like to see a defensive player as MVP his own tackle, Corey Widmer. "I see no reason he couldn't be first-team all-conference or even an Ail-American selection come the end of the season," Solomonson said. In order to improve on last year's 2-6 conference mark, the Bobcats must have a good year from senior quarterback John Tetrault better than his 1989 showing of 996 yards and six TDs on 76 out of 167 passes for the conference's worst completion percentage, 45.51.

POCATELLO, Idaho Great Falls Dodgers right-hander Ken Hamilton has been an effective pitcher most of the season, but hasn't gotten much satisfaction. Entering Sunday afternoon's game against the Gate City Pioneers, Hamilton had logged 34 innings with a respectable 3.71 earned run average, but had just a 1-1 record to show for it. But Hamilton doubled his victory total and reduced his ERA Sunday with a masterful performance as the Dodgers whipped Gate City 5-0 in the second game of a four-game series at Hallewell Park. It was the second consecutive victory for the Dodgers after five straight losses and improved Great Falls' record to 22-16. Great Falls remained in second place behind the front-running Billings Griz, Nevada-Reno favored in conference race Two straight DODGERS (5) GATE CITY (0) Ob bi ob bl Ingram dh 2 0 0 0 AtwaterJb 3 0 0 0 Lunddh 1 0 0 0 Satohss 40 0 0 Fraunhfer2b 5 100 Orlegacf 4 0 0 0 Maurerss 5 10 1 Nocedh 4 0 0 0 Busch lb 4 13 1 Asailf 3 0 10 Mondesi rf 3 111 Adams if 4 0 1 0 Smith rf 0 0 0 0 Philiipsc 4 0 10 Meyers3b 4 0 10 Santiagolb 10 0 0 Grave 3 0 0 0 Chiyomarulb 3 0 0 0 Blackwell If 4 12 0 Farrish cf 3 0 0 1 Andrews Ph 10 0 0 Totals 35 5 7 4 Totals 30 0 3 0 Great Falls 012 100 010-5 Gate City 0W 000 000 E-Maurer, Phillips.

LOB-Great Foils 7, Gate Citv 7. 2B-Busch 2, Phillips. 3B-Blackwell. HR-Busch It). SB-Mondesi 2, Ingram.

Atwater. SF Mondesi. IP ER BB SO Falls Hamilton W.2-1 7 3 0 0 4 4 Jacinto 2 0 0 0 0 1 San Diego RenkoU-2 21-3 2 2 2 0 3 Hutto 3 1-3 3 2 2 0 2 Frcderiksen 31-321111 HBP By Hutto, Ingram) By Frederlcksen, Lund. WP-Renko. BK-Rcnko, Hutton.

A-400. lifornia League Former Great Falls Dodger Brett Magnusson has a shot at the triple crown. He is batting .315, eight points off the lead, has 17 homers, three behind the leader, and 60 RBI, 1 1 off the pace. Nevada-Reno's Chris Ault "Based on what happened last year (UM beat Boise 48-10), I would have to say Montana," Hall said. "Then a couple of us, Reno and ourselves, return a lot of players and would have to be considered contenders going into the season." The Broncos return quarterback Mike Virden and Chris Thomas, the league's second-most-proficient rusher with an 81 -yard average.

Hall also concedes Bennett is the likely MVP, though it is with reluctance. He thinks his all-conference defensive end Erik Helgeson, with 37 quarterback sacks over two seasons, has a chance. Idaho coach John Smith knows his Vandals will have a hard time y'f Mustangs in the Pioneer League's Northern Division. Billings played against Salt Lake City Sunday night. Gate City fell to 7-31 with its 13th straight loss.

The Pioneers are buried deep in the Southern Division basement. Hamilton blanked the weak-hitting Pioneers through seven innings, giving up just three base hits. Larry Jacinto worked two perfect innings of relief. Great Falls first baseman Mike Busch blasted his sixth homer of the season one off the league lead in the eighth inning to give the club a 5-0 lead. Busch also pounded two doubles.

Eric Blackwell added a single and triple. Raul Mondesi, Ron Maurer and Keoki Farrish also knocked in runs. The Dodgers remain in Pocatello 1 Montana's Don Read Grizzlies made it to the semifinals, beating Jackson State and Eastern Illinois before bowing to eventual champion Georgia Southern. Idaho sputtered in the first round, losing to Eastern Illinois. Among potential candidates for the Big Sky's 1990 Most Valuable Player, Read lists quarterbacks Fred Gatlin of Nevada-Reno and Idaho State's Jason Whitmer, along with Bennett, who passed for 3,091 yards and 20 touchdowns last year.

It is Bennett who is most mentioned for MVP. Even Nevada-Reno coach Chris Ault sees Bennett as the favorite. But Ault, whose Wolf Pack was third in 1989 with a 5-3 conference I i for two more games, then travel to Idaho Falls for their first look at the Angels this summer. DODGER NOTES: In San Antonio, Texas, Jamie McAndrew has stepped into the Missions' rotation with ease, underwhelmed by the jump from Single-A to Double-A ball. In five starts since his promotion from Bakersfield, the 22-year-old right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA and a 23-12 strikeout-walk ratio.

McAndrew was a closer at the University of Florida. But he has been nothing but a starter as a pro. He had an 11-0 record with a 1.65 earned run average in -nth the Great Falls Dodgers. In Bakersfield, the Bakers-field Dodgers have a 19-12 record in one-run games Bakersfield has won 12 straight to take over the lead in the Southern Division of the Ca- mark (7-4 overall), isn't as willing as others to concede the favorite's role to Montana. He adds Boise State, which returns 46 lettermen, to the equation.

UNR has 32 lettermen, including Gatlin, who racked up 19 TDs and 2,522 passing yards in 1989. "Boise probably is the one to have the edge, then Montana is right on their heels. We think we're going to be right in the thick of it (but) Boise has everybody back, Montana has that great quarterback; they're the teams to beat," Ault said. Boise State coach Skip Hall isn't any more comfortable with the favorite's role than Montana's Read, and pins the label on the Grizzlies. with O'Malley, who is the consummate "journeyman" ballplayer.

The 29-year-old infielder has played parts of nine seasons with six different major league ballclubs, mainly because he can play third, second and first base See METS, 2B The MSU coach sees the favorite as Montana, although Idaho, Nevada and Boise State "could challenge." First-year Northern Arizona Coach Steve Axman, trying to build on a team that tied for second-to-last with MSU and ISU at 2-6, acknowledges that "everybody is saying NAUislast." Idaho State coach Garth Hall also likes Montana, although "Boise, Reno and Idaho all will have strong football teams and have a chance to sneak in." The Bengals, Hall predicts, will be in the thick of the second division scramble. Much will depend on Whitmer, who threw for 1,967 yards in eight games, but for just three touchdowns. Montana, Idaho, Boise and UNR are unquestioned favorites, predicts Weber State coach Dave Arslanian. "I know we will improve a great deal," the second-year coach says, noting that as the Big Sky's 1989 cellar-dweller, with a 1-7 conference record, the Wildcats have nowhere to go but up. Weber returns running back George Jackson, who averaged 70.27 yards a game.

Arslanian hopes Jackson can challenge Bennett and Gatlin for top-player honors. By ROBERT MIMS Associated Press Writer SUN VALLEY. Idaho The Big Sky Conference football coaches have identified Montana and Nevada-Reno as the preseason favorites, but the coaches predict neither team will be able to stroll to the 1990 title. That includes Montana coach Don Read. His seasoned bunch may include quarterback Grady Bennett and 46 other lettermen, but he isn't about to declare the Year of the Griz.

"We have the potential this year and more talent overall," he said Sunday. "It's a typical Big Sky race. Several teams are in it. Staying healthy is the key." Beginning Tuesday, the coaches will meet in Sun Valley for their annual two-day Football Kick-Off, reviewing their teams for the writers and broadcasters that will be covering the Big Sky's 28th season. Of the nine coaches surveyed by the Associated Press, four picked Montana to win the title, while Boise State and Nevada-Reno received two votes each.

Read couldn't or wouldn't settle on a favorite. Last year, Montana finished 7-1 in conference play and 11-3 overall, good enough for second behind Idaho and an at-large berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. The.