Albany Democrat-Herald from Albany, Oregon • 24

Tech xpected happ Parsons' free throw gives West the win ens i. wins Benson regained Its momentum. "We were switching off, but we weren't getting any help," said Gray, accounting for West Albany's third-period surge. "Number 43 (Parsons) and number 45 (Clunes) look so much alike that it was confusing. The wrong guy kept picking up number 45." Benson corrected Its man-to-man defense and the Techmen pulled away from the Bulldogs.

While Gray didn't say it, the Techmen may have been looking past West Albany for the quarterfinal game against Sunset. "We didn't go all out today because we have four tough days in a row," said the Benson coach, who would like to win his third straight state title and fourth in five years. Gray then poked his head into the Benson dressing room and yelled to the team "The big game is tomorrow night at 7 30. seconds remaining. "We wanted to get the ball to Dennis and have him go one-on-one," Barrett told his team during the timeout.

"Then we wanted to go to the four-corner offense." Parsons was fouled by Steve Nichols with two seconds left to set up the game-winning free throw. West Albany puilea away from Sheldon late in the third period when Don Hayes fouled out with 3:03 remaining, He had 16 points at the time and was leading the Sheldon offensive attack. West's lead dissolved after Brent Saylor twisted his ankle and left the game. He had 12 points. Jim Holman led West's scorers with 13 points.

WEST ALBANY (581 Simmons. Torgeson, Holman 13, Sorte 5, Decker 7. Parsons 11, Clunes 10, Saylor 12. SHELDON (57) Blehl 2, Hanson 6. Fryer 2, Nichols 6, Peterson 18, Cordell, Hayes 16, Saley, Bass 7 By FRED WESTERIUNO Domocrat-Horald Writer PORTLAND Dick Gray was standing outside the Benson High School dressing room wearing his white puka bead necklace and eating orange slices.

The Benson coach was smiling. The expected had happened. The unbeaten Techmen won their 24th straight game by holding off upstart West Albany, 70-53, Wednesday in a first-round game of the Oregon Class AAA High School Basketball Tournament at Memorial Coliseum. But the smile disappeared when his mind flashed back to the latter moments of the third quarter when the Bulldogs, fired by Dennis Parsons, put together two six-point scoring sprees to null within four points, 44-40, of the state defending champions. "We were hurting ourselves," said Gray.

"They were shooting well and we started to hestitate. And when you hesitate, you're in trouble." And momentarily, at least, Benson was in trouble. Two West Albany turnovers and a Techman named Ron Graham turned the momentum around for Benson. Bend toppled Medford 57-47. West Linn disposed of Dallas 6145 and Sunset knocked off Sheldon of Eugene 71-42 In Wednesday's other first-round games.

Earlier, in consolation games, Washington of Portland eliminated Pendleton 87-73 and Thurston of Springfield ousted Astoria 58-56. "Graham really gave us a lift," acknowledged Gray. "That was the difference." He was also the difference for Parsons. The West Albany senior forward dumped in 16 points by the mid-way point in the third quarter with his deadly long Jumpers. Graham changed that.

"He stayed right on me," remarked Parsons, who wasn't able to break loose from the tight-pressing Benson senior. But for West Albany coach Duane Barrett, It was lack of offensive movement that stalled the Bulldogs' upset hopes. "They're a good basketball team," he said. "I won't take anything away from them. But I didn't think we played a very good basketball game.

"In the first half we stood around, just stood around." West Albany took a 6-2 lead in the early moments of the first period on a pair of baskets by Parsons and a field goal by Brent Saylor. But Benson pulled away for a 21-11 first-quarter advantage. "We missed some shots in the first quarter we probably should have made," noted Barrett. Brad Clunes agreed. "If we had gotten those shots we might have turned the game around in the beginning," said the 6-6 senior Bulldog center.

The third-quarter rally was another turning point. "We had it going our way," added Clunes. "I thought the crowd would start pulling for us if we had gotten going. They like to root for the underdog." Rick Ravio swiped an inbounds pass from West Albany and Gary Wohlers sank a jump shot from the corner to put Benson back up by six points, 46-40, with 46 seconds remaining in the third period. Moments later another turnover a bad pass cost the Bulldogs two more points as Mark Hoisington sank a fielder.

And PORTLAND "Lots of guts, guys, lots of courage," West Albany High School basketball coach Duane Barrett told his Bulldogs following a 58-57 consolation bracket win over Sheldon of Eugene In the Oregon Class AAA Tournament today. West Albany moves into Friday's 10:30 a.m. game with the winner of the Medford-Dallas game. Dennis Parsons broke a 57-57 tie with two seconds left in the game. He made the first shot, missed the second, but retrieved the rebound as time ran out.

West Albany trailed, 14-5, in the early going of the first quarter before coming to tie the game at halftime, 28-28. The Bulldogs surged ahead in the second half, 52-44, with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter. Sheldon rallied and tied the game at 57-57 with 19 seconds left on a shot by Greg Petersen. West called time with 15 (Related story, page 25) Peake ri-rta reb pf pis 2-2 0 0 2 3-3 2-4 2-2 11 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2- 7 0-14 3- 8 710 l-l 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 Hoisington Ravio Graham Dunn Marshall Burns Suchy Noe Brusse I team I TOTALS WEST ALBANY Morris Simmons Torgeson Parsons Clunes Saylor Ho'lman Sorle Miller Nicholson Crossley Decker IS3I 0-2 2-3 9-17 4-13 2- 5 02 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 3- 3 0 5 12 2 2 2 0 0 1 3 0-0 0-0 1- 2 64 22 2- 2 (HI 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5 10-12 37 15 70 30-65 Score by quarters West Albany Benson Tech 13-53 22-70 20-50 13-16 33 13 53 i (earn) TOTALS BENSON (70) Brannon Wohlers Turnovers: West Alhanv 20 Renson 17. Field goal shooting: West Albany .400, Benson .462.

Free throw shooting: West Albany .813. Benson .833. Officials: Jim Robinson and Ted Talbot Score by quarters fglga 4-13 4-10 ft-fta reb p( pts OO 3 3 8 2-2 1 0 10 15 13 16 14-58 18 10 12 17-57 West Albany Sheldon Fred Sandgren Page 24, Thursday, Mar. 13, 1975 fllbang ftemocrat-fcalD The game from a different view PORTS All-conference Pac-8 coaches tap Lee, Shelton -7'La By BOB RODMAN Sports Editor It was interesting, entertaining even, to sit there at a basketball game and watch Fred Sandgren do the same thing. Just sit there.

No expressions. None of those "if-looks-could-kill" looks. No towel in sight with which to wipe the brow and wring the neck. Fred Sandgren simply sat and watched. More or less.

And though the South Albany High School basketball coach's body didn't move a whole lot, his mind was at full throttle. He was attending the Oregon Class AAA High School Basketball Tournament at Portland's Memorial Coliseum. It was day No. 2 of the five-day extravaganza and the continuation of the first round. But Sandgren was there as a spectator, not a participant.

And he made it very clear that he would have much preferred to have been sitting on the team bench rather than seat No. 47 in the fifth row of the bleachers. "I would love to be sitting over there," Sandgren said as he looked toward the West Albany bench and the chair occupied by West's coach, Duane Barrett. "The tournament isn't nearly as much fun as it is when you're in it." But it is safer. Sandgren was free of the pressure, free of the strategy sessions, free of the officials and free of the technical fouls that have occasionally drifted his way.

South Albany reached It was the traditional congratulatory handshake, but West Albany's Duane Barrett, above right, didn't enjoy it that much as Benson, coached by Dick Gray, defeated the Bulldogs, 70-53, Wednesday in a first round game of the Oregon Class AAA High School Basketball Tournament at Portland's Memorial Coliseum. It was a struggle for West Albany. Jim Sorte (23) struggled with Benson's 6-10 Mark Hoisington (32), left. Dave Simmons (13) struggled to get the ball down court against Benson's Michael Brannon, lower left. And Dennis Parsons fell on Benson's Vern Marshall, below, in the struggle for the basketball.

I mmtJLt( Tiimfn miiiiium if RON LEE All Pac-8 for third time the Valley League's SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Guard Ron Lee of Oregon and center Rich Kelley of Stanford were named today for the third time to the Pacific-8 All-Conference basketball team. The eight league coaches were unanimous in selecting Dave Meyers, a UCLA senior, and Lonnie Shelton, an Oregon State sophomore, as forwards and Gus Williams, a Southern California senior, as the other guard. Lee, a 6-foot-4 junior from Lexington, Mass. who averaged 17.9 a game in scoring, got seven votes. He could be the first player in conference history to win the honor four times if he repeats next season.

Kelley, a 7-foot senior from Menlo Park, averaged 20 points a game for 26 games and led the league in rebounding with 11.5 a game. Shelton, 6-ioot-8 ana irom Bakersfield, Calif, is a former high school track star. His 18.8-point average helped Oregon State finish as runner-up and earn an NCAA playoff berth. The second team had the league's leading scorer, Steve Puidokas of Washington State, as its center. The Chicago sophomore averaged 22.4 points for 25 games.

Completing the second team were Ed Schweitzer, Stanford junior, and Rich Washington, UCLA sophomore, at forwards and juniors Rickie Hawthorne of California and Clarence Ramsey of Washington as guards. Rated honorable mention for receiving at least two second team votes were senior Larry Pounds of Washington, sophomore Greg Ballard of Oregon and Oregon State sophomores Don Smith and George Tucker. A 7 a I Loak mr IHJb playoffs after finishing in a second-place tie with McNary during the regular season. But a loss to Sprague in the playoffs' first round ended the season at that point. "I would've loved to have been here," he said, folding a tournament program in his hands and looking down a little.

"Our kids are young and the experience would have been very good for them. "But a lot of the kids are here watching the tournament," he added. And so was he. Watching one thing, perhaps, and wishing another. But nevertheless Staff photos by Randy Wood FRED SANDGREN This year, he watches LONNIE SHELTON A unanimous selection Roseburg player breaks wrists MOTORCYCLE MALL MARCH BUYS! Anniversary Special! Driver, a senior, broke both wrists in Roseburg's 57-38 victory over Pendleton in Tuesday's quarterfinals.

He collided with Pendleton's Jerry Lilly and both fell to the floor. PORTLAND. Ore (APi -Roseburg will have to do without Dave Driver, the Indians' playmaker and top ball handler, for the rest of the Oregon Class AAA prep basketball tournament. 85U s. bantiom Hi woy watching.

And what he saw Wednesday was the West Albany-Benson game. He saw West Albany struggle, rally and fall. The experts, and nearly everyone else, figured West Albany would lose to unbeaten Benson, a team shooting for its third straight championship and fourth in five years. Sandgren watched as Benson's Mark Hoisington. a 6-10 senior and probably the most sought after of this year's high school basketball players in the state, led his team to a 70-53 win over the Bulldogs.

"I honestly think West can win," he said. "Thev're doing well And with 1 15 left in the third period. West had closed to within four points of Benson. 44-40. Sandgren smiled right along with the rest of West Albany's fans.

But the attack didn't last and neither did the smiles. With less than four minutes left in the game. Benson held a 17-pomt lead at 61-44. "Yeah," Sandgren relinquished. "I think West is pretty much out of it.

They're down 17 and I don't think they have enough firepower to get back Sandgren doesn't believe in moral victories. West's push at Benson didn't knock the Techmen over. "That's the way it goes." Sandgren said as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back. "A little too much quickness, I think." The South Albany coach couldn't help but think back and remember a couple of overtime losses and a loss to South Salem that should've never happened "A few big 'ifs', I know." he said, "but if we had won those three I SEE THE VALUE VAN AT SPECIAL FACTORY PURCHASE 7 rilSSEN FORD 1193 GT-380 Sebring REG. M349 Now Large stock now of new 1974's SAVE LIMITED SUPPLY PLUS '50.

CASH REBATE! C5ML OREGON'S MOTORCYCLE SUPERMARKET OPEN WEEKDAYS 5-8 SAT 9-6 SUXOAYS 12-5 75 FORD EC0II0LIIIE -the only new van! MOTORCYCLE MALL NEW COMFORT NEW DURABILITY NEW CHOICES think we'd have been here today You can be very sure the 1975-76 season has already begun for Fred Sandgren. "We're as sure as we can be that we'll be here (state tournament) next year," he smiled "The ball bounces funny, sometimes, but we have the talent That talent, in the form of his players, is sitting around Memorial Coliseum this week. Watching, absorbing, wishing and wondering. "I want them to see what they're missing. he laughed But he didn't think it was funny i i'Uu -vi NEW VAN VALUE AT NISSEH FORD 171 S.

lrofi Downtown Albany. 1 2 5531 i.