The Marshall News Messenger from Marshall, Texas • 9

SECTION The Marshall News Messenger Thursday, December 21, 2000 Local teams rabbin spots in coaches poll 4 It fr two places to No. 12 in the latest poll; After running off a string of victories to start the season the Wildcats now find themselves 11-4. Things will not get easier for Waskom. On Jan. 9, the Wildcats will entertain district-rival West By PRESTON GILL News Messenger The Texas Association of Basketball Coaches updated its rankings of Texas basketball teams Tuesday and the Marshall High School boys lead a list that includes three area teams.

The Mavericks (10-3) dropped from the Top 10 after losing its first game of Rusk at home. The Raiders first cracked the Top 10 this week and are ranked ninth. Melanie Pondant has taken a team that lost three outstanding players to graduation and has built a team that appears just as strong on defense and stronger on offense for this season. That combination gave the Lady Bulldogs an 8-0 start and has them ranked No. 14 in the TABC poll.

Since that fast start the Lady Bulldogs played four ball games in three days in the Daingerfield Tournament last week. Jefferson was 2-2 in the tournament and now has a 10-2 record. the season to defending Class 4-A state-champion Denton Ryan on Dec. 2. Marshall dropped six places since the last poll and now comes in at the No.

15 spot in the TABC poll. Since that defeat in Sulphur Springs, Marshall has gone 5-2, including taking second place in the Christus Schumpert-Highland Holiday Classic last week and a 94-65 win over Mt. Pleasant Tuesday night. Waskom also dropped out of the Top 10, falling TEXAS CHRISTIAN running back LaDainian Tomlinson Southern Mississippi's Leo Barnes Wednesday night during the first quarter of the Mobile Alabama Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Tomlinson was held to a season-low 118 yards during his team's 28-21 loss.

South era Miss slips past TG change and uncertainty over who would lead them into the game. In the end, former The Golden Eagles (8-4) got a second chance after a fourth missed field goal, and trusted their senior quarterback instead of the shaky kicking game. jersey takes another win over Dallas, 4-1 Last-second TD hands loss to Horned Frogs defensive Patterson coordinator Gary replaced Dennis Franchione on the sidelines. Franchione left for Alabama Dec. 1 and was initially a a l.

a With 33, seconds left, they took over at the TCU 43-yard line after Mobile I Arti expected to native nine Pruitt got a coach the bowl also hit Handy on a 9-yarder in the third quarter, finishing 11-of-23 for 159 yards. Tomlinson, the nation's leading rusher the past two seasons, had a previous low of 119 yards against Tulsa. Southern Miss had two chances for a go-ahead score with just over two minutes left. For the fourth time, Brant Hanna kicked a low line drive, this one a 32-yarder that failed to clear TCU's defensive line. It was the second block of the night for the junior, who was 12-of-18 in the regular season.

Souther Miss held the Horned Frogs to 265 yards and set up a pair of TDs with interceptions. Southern Miss tailback Kelby Nance outshined Tomlinson, carrying 16 times for 104 yards. game. TCU officials decided Haulman's EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils still have the Dallas Stars' number.

Patrik Elias had a goal and three assists in the opening 10:29 as the Devils drove Ed Belfour to the bench and defeated the Stars 4-l on Wednesday night in their first meeting since New Jersey beat Dallas in the Stanley Cup final. Elias" linemates, Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora, and Stanley Cup MVP Scott Stevens also scored, while MOBILE, Ala. (AP) Jeff Kelly's 29-yard touchdown pass to freshman Kenny Johnson with eight seconds left lifted Southern Mississippi to a 28-21 victory over No. 13 Texas Christian in the Mobile Alabama Bowl on Wednesday night. In the first major bowl game of the season, TCU tailback LaDanian Tomlinson ran for 118 yards, his lowest total of the season.

The Heisman Trophy finalist carried 28 times and scored two TDs in the third quarter. punt. Kelly threw two incomple-tions, then scrambled 14 yards for a first down. On the next play, he lofted a perfect strike over the middle just above safety LaVar Veale's outstretched arm, victimizing the nation's top defense. The Horned Frogs (10-2) endured a December coaching late last week to allow the Patterson era to begin a season early.

Franchione watched from the press box. Kelly had a big fourth quarter. He was 7-of-15 for 40 yards after three quarters. Then, he hit LeRoy Handy on a 56-yard TD strike with 7:24 left, tying it at 21. Kelly Martin Brqdeur had 23 saves In the very one-sided game.

Kirk Muller scored early to prevent Dallas from being shut out for the second straight game. Belfour, who came into the game with a 1.89 goals against average, struggled for the second straight game, giving up four goals on nine shots, with the final three goals coming on the last three shots. He has given up 10 goals on 37 shots in less than four periods in his last two starts. The game was very reminiscent of Game 1 of last year's cup finals. The Devils won that one 7-3 behind an 11-point performance by the line of Arnott, Elias and Sykora.

The trio dominated play again, accounting for nine points. Elias' four points in the first period tied a team record accomplished five other times. Sports On TV College Football 7 p.m. ESPN2 Lat Vegas Bowl, Arkansas Mavs push past 'Blazers atUNLV Ex-Cav leads Spurs SAN ANTONIO (AP) Danny Ferry, who had spent the last 10 years in Cleveland, scored 16 points against his former team as the San Antonio Spurs snapped the Cavaliers' six-game winning streak with a 94-77 victory Wednesday night. Tim Duncan backed Ferry with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Derek Anderson added 13 points for the Spurs.

Led by Ferry, San Antonio's reserves contributed 43 points. Cleveland was led by Chris Gatling with 18 points, while Andre Miller and Lamond Murray chipped in 14 apiece. After trailing by 15 points at halftime, Cleveland went on a 21-6 run tied the game at 61-61. San Antonio regrouped behind six points from Anderson and closed the third quarter with a 14-4 run to lead 75-65. The Spurs continued shooting well at the start of the fourth quarter, outscoring Cleveland 13-2 early, on their way to the win.

"This was the closest thing to a playoff game I've been in since I've been here," Finley said. Hornets 65, Heat 56 Celtics 99, Nets 86 Raptors 99, Pacers 98 Denver 108, Pistons 106 Sacramento at Seattle -late Washington at Vancouver-late Minnesota at L.A. thought we were soft, but when there were confrontations we stood our ground," said Michael Finley, who scored 20 points. The Mavericks won their fourth straight to improve to 18-10, their best start since 1987-88. They've won five straight at home, their longest stretch since March-April 1988.

The Blazers, who had won four straight, led by six early but couldn't shake Dallas. DALLAS (AP)-No matter what the Portland Trail Blazers thought of Dallas before, they now know the Mavericks aren't a bunch of pushovers. Dirk Nowitzki overcame a slow start to score 29 points and Dallas withstood seven technical fouls and several cheap shots by Portland to pull out a 106-101 victory Wednesday night. "The coaching staff had said that Portland tzt KM Blues 6, Rangers 3 Sabres 2, Capitals 2 Sharks 2, Red Wings 0 Predators 3, Maple Leafs 1 Panthers 2, Penguins 2 Wild 2, Senators 2 Calgary at Phoenix late Vancouver at Edmonton late Atlanta at Anaheim late Average baseball salary up nearly 20 percent to $1.9 million Golf 9 a.m. TGC Sunshine Tour, Vodacom Players Championship, first round, at Cape Town, South Africa (same-day tape) College Basketball (men's) 6 p.m.

ESPN Wake Forest at Temple 8p.m. ESPN Illinois at Missouri FOXSN Pete Newell Challenge, Stanford vs. Duke, at Oakland, Calif. 10:30 p.m. FOXSN Pete Newell Challenge, California vs.

Georgia, at Oakland, Calif. NBA Basketball 7 p.m. TNT Boston at New York Local Teams High School Basketball (boys') 3:30 p.m. Marshall Mavericks at Hallsvllle Area Events Golf (youth) 8:30 a.m. Holiday Youth Clinic (at Alpine Target Golf Center, In Ungrlew) TO CONTACT US Scheduled area sporting events may be faxed to the News Messenger sports department at (903) 935-6242 or dropped by the News Messenger office for consideration as additions to our daily Local Events calendar.

Area sports results and news tips may be called into our 24-hour Sports Message Line at (903) 935-3834 or the sports desk at (903) 927-7914 or 927-5968. Game info, events info or letters to the sports editor may also be e-mailed to the sports The sports department welcomes results fhm any area sporting events and nil ran taimi nlthmioh result rwvi'iiarf Out of the park: baseball's average salary Here is a look at the average and minimum salaries in Major League Baseball since 1 980. 7 $2.0 million 1.8 1.6 1.4 Average salary Minimum salary NEW YORK (AP) Even before Alex Rodriguez's record payday, baseball players had a boom year at the bank. The average salary soared 17V4 percent to $1,895,630, according to the annual survey released Wednesday by the Major League Baseball Players Association. The New York Yankees had the highest average salary for the second straight year and the sixth time in seven seasons.

A year after becoming the first team to break the $3 million barrier, the Yankees averaged $3,656,542 as they won their third straight World Series title, up from $3,215,660 in 1999. Three other teams topped $3 million: Los Angeles Atlanta ($3,127,992) and the NL-. champion New York Mets Texas, which last week agreed to a record $252 million, 10-year contract with Rodriguez, had the biggest payroll drop this year, falling from second at $2,825,735 to 15th at $1,870,723. The average salary increased 17.7 percent from 1999's revised average of $1,611,166, the second-biggest rise since 1992, trailing only a 19.3 percent hike in 1997. This winter's signings, led by Rodriguez's deal, should push the average over $2 million next season, just nine years after it topped $1 million for the first time.

First basemen were the highest-paid players, averaging $4,996,933. They were 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 86 '88 '92 '94 '96 '84 '90 82 '98 2000 80 AP Source: Compilea from AP wire reports after 6 p.m. may not appear in the follow followed by outfielders starting pitchers third basemen designated hitters catchers ($2,484,428) and relief pitchers second basemen shortstops ing aay seauiim..