The Manhattan Mercury from Manhattan, Kansas • 9

comes off bench to spsok Csffis By DAVE WRIGHT Mercury Sports Editor Jack Hartman may well have found the guard he has been searching for all season to go with Mike Evans. Sophomore Fred Barton came of the bench midway through the first half Thursday night and teamed with Evans like the two had been bosom buddies since kindergarten as the Wildcats rolled past North Texas State, 89-71. The 6-2 Barton finished with 17 points easily a career high and was the one who got the Wildcat offense going against the North Texaszone. "PVw1 haH Irani firtA rnA charge and then stayed on top of them." While the Cats were in a festive mood, over in the visitors dressing quarters, Mean Green coach Bill Blakely was putting some mean words on officials Kent Kurtz and Norris Fox. "The officials certainly had a great imagination," snarled Blakely.

"If it wasn't for them, it would have been a close game. We had a lot of guys with three or four fouls sitting the bench. Every time we got it down to seven or eight points, we'd get a stupid call." Actually, North Texas never did get it down to seven points. The K-State guys opened the game up with a surge in the last five minutes of the first half. Leading 29-28, the Cats outscored North Texas, 15-2, over the next 3 minutes and pumped through 24 points and showed little effects of the bruised back he suffered at the Sun Bowl Classic.

And Redding celebrated his return to health in typical style. With a little over a minute left to play and the game safely tucked away, Redding had the sellout crowd in Ahearn Field Hoous in an uproar as he did a little step borrowed from Billy "White Shoes" Johnson of the Houston Oilers after taking a behind-the-back feed from Evans for a nifty fast break layup. He then helped lead the cheers after a Mean Green player missed a free throw. It was Redding's own way of expressing exuberance over snapping a two-game losing streak. "We needed this game, we needed the confidence," he chirped.

"Tonight we played for 40 minutes. We took Mike and Curtis (Redding) and the shots just came to me tonight," explained Barton, who hit eight of his 10 tries from the field. Barton saw action in only 10 games last year as a freshman and had scored only six points total this season with his only extensive playing time coming in last Saturday's loss to Texas El Paso. "It was tough waiting so long for a chance, and I was trying to make the best of it," he said. 'Til tell you, it was worth the wait.

Last year, I practiced every day with the varsity, but honestly I wasn't ready yet. I've never doubted my shot, but my ball handling was weak. I worked hard on it over the summer." Another bright spot for the Wildcats was the unflappable Redding, who went in at halftime with a 44-32 lead. The Mean Green pulled to within eight points on a couple of occasions early in the second half, but that was as close as the visitors came. K-State got another seven-point flurry midway through the final 20 minutes and ballooned its lead to 71-52 with 7:22 left to play.

Another key figure for the Wildcats was Rolando Blackman. The 6-5 freshman, playing in the middle against the zone, hit seven of 12 shots for a career-high 17 points but could have had many more. "Rolando could have filled it (the basket) up if he'd taken the shots he had," Hartman said. "I think he was surprised to turn around and look down the basket point blank. 3ut he's coming along so well you almost forget he's a freshmart." "I thought when I was shooting, they'd start gathering in around me," Blackman they didn't I kept looking for Steve (Soldner) down low." With Barton holding up his share of the offense, Evans threw in 14 points and.

dished out a career-high 11 assists. The Wildcats lost the board battle, 46-45, but Hartman saw improvement in his team's rebounding. "We were more active," be said. "At least, I could see some white shirts when the ball went up tonight" The loss dipped the Mean Green record to 7-3 on the season. K-State, now 7-2, will meet Colorado at 9 p.m., Tuesday in the first round of the Big Eight Holiday tournament in Kansas City.

Hartman said. "I was really pleased with him. Let's hope he can keep it up." "Their defense was overplaying The Mercury Sports Wrighting Sports Dave Wright The Manhattan Mercury Bl Friday, December 23, 1977 1AM After dutifully checking his mail each day, old Santa Claus has realized that most of the local sports figures have either been too busy hiring coaches or playing games to find time for sending their Christmas lists off to the North Pole this year. So once again Santa has enlisted the help of the ole Sportswrighter for some ideas so those we frequently read about on the sports pages during the year won't wake up Sunday morning and find their Cat -Mean Green facts 'n figures (I da R-fla reb 713 (Ml 7 t22 17 2-3 0-3 12 1-17 4 4-11 0-0 3 1-1 0-0 0 1-1 3-2 0 0-5 0-0 2 0-1 04 1 32-01 7-11 40 tg-fia n-Ra rek 7-12 3-t 0 NORTH TEXA8 STATE 44 Mitchell 45 Divii MWUliwni UMcMillian 39 Manning lOKupar liLiiter 42 Smack 55Robuuon ToUll KANSAS STATE 29 Blackman 31 Redding 40 Soldner UUngton 12 Evani 32Black 43 Dinner Murphy 34 Freeman Total i North Texas State 14 23 H5 14 7-21 0-2 0-1 (Ml 0-1 37-7! 0- 2 1- 1 0-0 1- 4 00 00 2- 2 11-24 30-71 45 Kansas State Turnovera'. North Texas State II, Kansas State 12.

fix v. AW tS ILw Lm in SfEnin fca- mini nm Technical Foul: North Texaa State bench. Officials: Kurti, Fox. Attendance: 11.220. The Wildcats hammered North Texas, 89-71, for their seventh victory Thursday night in Ahearn Field AFTER HIM Kansas State's Steve Soldner (40) looks for an open man down court as North Texas State's Melvin Davis (45) applies some Mean Green defense.

House. (Mercury staff photo) stockings empty. Here's the list that was rushed Santa in time for the orders to be filled. JERSEY JERMIER Jersey would like a new pair of sun glasses and a big bottle of sun tan lotion since he is "required" to make a post-Christmas trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl along with all the other Big Eight athletic administrators. Having to make business trips this time of year is really awful, isn't it? JIM DICKEY Santa leaves Jim the wish that most of the top high school football players in this area are of the indecisive variety and eally don't know which college they want to attend yet.

JACK HARTMAN Jack has had the same item on his list for several years, but Santa has yet to come through. It costs around $8 millibn and seats 15,000. MARK REINER AND JIM EADS These two have a new set of luggage at the top of their lists. They've worn their old bags out on the road this fall. Also, a fresh supply of road maps would be appropriate.

MIKE ROSS After following Kansas State's track season last year, Santa has decided Mike could best use a doctor's kit this Christmas. DAVE BAKER High on Dave's list are a rash of warm, sunshiny days during the months of March and April. STEVE SNODGRASS Santa could drop a couple of budding Chris Everts and Jimmy Connors into Steve's stocking. JUDY AKERS Santa will leave Mike Ross a note that he is to share his doctor's kit with Judy. CON COLBERT Con's present will be late arriving when Duane Acker announces that the KSU physical plant will take over maintenance of KSU Stadium, assuring Con he won't be on any more paint details.

GLEN STONE Santa has put together a bass boat with an unbreakable hull to leave under Glen's tree Sunday morning LEW LANE Lew would like Santa to promise him a full nine-game schedule for 1978 and one that will assure him of holding practice sessions during the latter part of November. STEVE NEFF Steve's asking for a new calendar that would move the 1977 Christmas vacation break back to Dec. 12. STAN CRAWFORD Stan will take the same gift as last year when Santa dropped a State Indoor championship into his stocking. BILL CONGLE TON Somebody told Santa Bill's shocking pink cross country uniforms are fading and he's promised to come through with a new and louder set than ever.

BRAD ECKART A transcript error that reveals Karl Brondell actually has another year of eligibility would be just fine for Brad. DOUG ENGSTROM Doug would like Santa to bring him a long string of wins over his alma mater, St. Xavier. STAN WHITLEY Santa will leave Stan a big map of Beloit with the locations of St. John's and Beloit high schools distinctly marked on it.

THE OLE SPORTSWRIGHTER All he wishes is that all the followers of The Mercury's sports pages have the merriest of holiday seasons and a prosperous new year that will bring success to all the local teams. Arkansas uses charity Buda named to UNO post Mercury News Service OMAHA, State assistant Sandy Buda was named head football coach at Nebraska-Omaha today. Buda, a native of Omaha who played and coached at Kansas, was the Wildcat defensive line coach under Ellis Rainsberger the last three years. The announcment squelched the possibility that Buda, 32, might be retained on the staff of new K-State coach Jim Dickey. Buda and Dickey are close personal friends and coached together at KU in 1973 and 1974.

Buda was a standout tight end for the Jayhawks for three years and was also a power hitting first baseman and pitcher on the KU baseball team. He was a high school standout at Creighton Prep in Omaha. shooting to nip Hawks into its match with Arkansas at Little Rock but fell victim to the fourth-ranked Razorbacks, now 8-0. Hope honorary Globetrotter HOLLYWOOD (AP)-Bob Hope is an honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters. And, after shooting a few baskets with the team, he said he's ready to battle for a starting position.

The legendary comedian became an honorary member of the Globetrotters at a ceremony in North Hollywood Thursday. Hope was presented a uniform, traveling gear and an autographed basketball. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Arkansas used the strength of a solid foul shooting performance to down Kansas, 78-72, Thursday night. In other Big Eight games, Kansas State downed North Texas State 89-71, and Oklahoma advanced to the championship match of the Carolina Classic with an 80-74 triumph over Pennsylvania. Oklahoma, 5-3, will meet South Carolina in the finals of the CaYolina tournament tonight.

Pennsylvania, down 40-30 at the half, chipped away in the final period, closing to 61-59 with 7:13 left before Terry Stotts scored fivestraight points. The Quakers later got within four, but Stotts again responded with a pair of baskets. Stotts and Aaron Curry had 19 points for the Sooners, while Keven McDonald had, 24 for Pennsylvania, 2-3. Kansas, 7-2, took a No. 16 ranking "We got beat at the free throw line.

We played hard but it's awful hard to win a game when they go to the free throw line so many more times than you do," Kansas coach Ted Owens said. Arkansas connected on 28 of 32 attempts from the line, while Kansas was 14 of 17. The Razorbacks, paced by Ron Brewer's 27 points, led all the way, although Kansas' four guard press shaved a 13-point lead to 74-70 with 30 seconds left before Arkansas sandwiched a pair of Marvin Delph free throws and a Brewer stuff shot around a jumper by John Douglas of the Jayhawks. Kansas, whose only other loss was to top-ranked Kentucky, was led by Douglas' 22 points. WINES Champagnes Liquor Cordials Sheaffers Liquors ATHLETE Robinzine paces Kings to 113-110 victory SLer Several Christmas Specials 'L BALLARDS Qj open evenings Sundays UNIVERSAL INSULATION C07JTRACT0RS 776-3172 FREE ESTIMATES sTW I KANSAS CITY (AP)-If ever a player and a team were made for each other, it's Bill Robinzine and the Kansas City Kings.

Robinzine and the Kings, you see, understand each other. They know the meaning of adversity and how to overcome it. Take Kansas City's 113-110 Thursday night victory over the Chicago Bulls, for example. Not only did the Kings, struggling for respectability in the National Basketball Association's Midwest Division, rack up their fourth straight win, but they did it despite a flurry of fouls, the ejection of their coach and an injury to one of their centers. "The main thing is we showed a lot of pride," said center Tom Burleson.

"Even though we were losing at halftime (56-51) we were enthusiastic. We knew we couldn't afford to quit" A major factor in the triumph was Robinzine, who stepped in after forward Richard Washington was shifted to center when Sam Lacey injured an ankle. ra-sstttjtsrrtt THE jYfS(, FRIENDLY COODS -Yf EQUIPMENT lL For All SPORTS QfeaJ' Gunninghanv-Shields Menswear wishes everyone the best of a holiday season and a very prosperous New Year. i qV7av Z21 foyntz Ask About Wishing Our Customers And Friends A Joyous Holiday Season! Thank you for a wonderful year Blueville Nursery, Inc. RED TAG SALE CHRISTMAS SPECIALS From tha prof at i 1 I (Qinningjiam aTW An Una TKra.

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