The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 21

SECTION Glenn Robinson and Malik Rose Berry Tramel column 2-C Scoreboard 7-C Chamberlain's scoring record broken PHILADELPHIA Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia high school career scoring record was broken Friday when Maureece Rice sank a 3-pointer with 1 :52 left in a tournament consolation game. Rice, an 18-year-old senior at Strawberry Mansion High School, finished with 44 points, pushing his four-year total to 2,209. Chamberlain had 2,206 during his three-year varsity career, which ended in 1955. BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Stotts, Hawks get win NBA scores, 7-C Colorado, Nebraska win Big 12 basketball, 8-C OKIAHOMAN Sports Blazers 4, Gorillas 1 CHL, 8-C Maureece Rice NEWSOK.COM Saturday, December 28, 2002 Results Profiles Analysis 33 23 Oklahoma State coach Les Miles and his Cowboys sing the school's alma mater to Cowboy fans after their win Friday in the Houston Bowl. HOUSTON WE HAVE A WINNER Houston Bowl OS 17 adds bowl victory to seasons list of feats Oklahoma State wide receiver Rashaun Woods had another excellent day, pulling in nine catches for 1 64 yards and a touchdown to earn MVP honors at the 1 Kevin Williams Houston Bowl.

Oklahoma State defensive end Kevin Williams finished with seven tackles four for losses including three sacks. "It puts the program in a position where the By John Helsley Staff Writer HOUSTON These Cowboys earned a lot of tags this season. Resilient. Respected. Trend-busters.

Turnaround team. The latest: Champions. Oklahoma State finished off a season full of measurable feats Friday in the Houston Bowl, rallying past Southern Mississippi 33-23 before 44,687 at Reliant Stadium. "This team has accomplished a lot," said Cowboys coach Les Miles. "Maybe the most significant accomplishment has a championship assigned to it." So what if it was the Houston Bowl, a minor postseason party that once had attached to it.

But for a program trying to rise from a long legacy of losing, it's more than a solid start. The Cowboys finish 8-5, representing OSU's first winning season in five years and just the second since 1988. Along the way they beat Nebraska, ending a four-decade string of futility; beat Texas marking their first Aggie breakthrough in the Big 12; and beat Oklahoma, this time with something more than pride attached. "It puts the program in a position where the young guys know where the bar is," Miles said. "And in fact, for them to raise it, they're going to have to go some.

"But our goals will be much more ambitious next season." Said tight end Billy Bajema, who started OSU's game-winning drive with a 33-yard reception and run in the fourth quarter: "We plan on doing big things next year. We'd like to win a championship. And go to a bigger bowl. And just con- young guys know where the bar is. And in fact, for them to raise it, they're going to have to go some.

But our goals STAFF PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS Oklahoma State receiver Rashaun Woods dives into the end zone past Southern Mississippi's Etric Pruitt on Friday. Les Miles will be much more i ambitious i next season." OSU Coach Les Miles On field, triplets are identical Jenni Carlson Ik Fields is the hometown hero. On the outside, the three of them look nothing alike. They come from varied backgrounds. They have unique histories.

They are as different as different can be. Except when they step on the field. OSU defense plays straight up to down Eagles. Notes, Orange Slices. OSU offense rings in win with Bell.

Southern Miss has to switch quarterbacks. Tramel: Woods just makes game unfair. Expanded statistics. Pages 4, 5, 6 -C HOUSTON Les Miles doesn't mind if other folks refer to Rashaun Woods, Tatum Bell and Josh Fields as the triplets. Just don't expect the Oklahoma State coach to dub them as such any time soon.

Not because they aren't worthy of high praise. Not because they didn't have plenty to do with a 33-23 victory Friday against Southern Miss in the Houston Bowl. "Only because I'm afraid somebody's mom would get mad at me," Miles said, smiling. Mommas aren't the only the ones who can tell these three apart. Woods is the unheralded kid from Millwood who created a nationwide buzz.

Bell is the touted recruit who showed signs, then struggled, then surged. And See OSU, Page 6-C See TRIPLETS, Page 4-C Pass-happy days new to Kimball Former Sooner receiver reflects on new offense Rose Bowl Oklahoma vs. Washington State Pasadena, Calif. 4 p.m. Wednesday mm brought his 13-year-old son, Nicholas, to see his former team practice at Loyola Marymount University, he marveled at the plethora of passes.

And couldn't help but wonder what might have been. "If I wasn't so proud of them, I'd be crying," said Kimball, a systems engineer and Southern California native who lives in Camarillo, a Los Angeles suburb. could only shake his head and chuckle at how the program has changed since he played. The Sooners still wear crimson and cream. They're again one of college football's best programs.

The differences? Kimball was OU's receiving leader in 1977 and 1978 with 13 and 12 catches, respectively. Such was life for a wide receiver during the heyday of the Wishbone. So Friday morning, when Kimball By George Schroeder Staff Writer LOS ANGELES As he watched the Oklahoma Sooners fling footballs around the field, Bobby Kimball STAFF PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY OU coach Bob Stoops gives directions during practice on Friday. See SOONERS, Page 3-C Serena K-State wins; Huskers lose SHREVEPORT, La. Eli Manning threw for 31 3 yards and a touchdown as Mississippi ended Nebraska's 40-year streak of winning seasons Nebraska's Matt Herian and Mississippi's Eric Oliver with a 27-23 victory Friday in the Independence Bowl.

At the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Kansas State survivied a scare from Williams named top female athlete Serena Williams, who won three of the four Grand Slam titles and 56 of 61 matches overall, was chosen as The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year on Friday. Besides her .918 winning percentage, Williams claimed a tour-best eight titles (in only 13 tournaments played), and took home a record S3. 6 million. She was a runner-up twice and never fared worse than the quarterfinals. Williams received 53 first-place votes and 351 points from AP member newspapers and broadcasters across the country.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MORE INSIDE, Page 2-C Arizona State for a 34-27 win. The Wildcats were led by quarter back Ell Roberson, who scored three times. The Cornhuskers' seven losses this year were their most since going 3-7 in 1958. BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MORE INSIDE, Page 3-C.