Rapid City Journal from Rapid City, South Dakota • 21

NBA Insider, D2 Scoreboard, D2 Custer preview, D3 WEDNESDAY Rapid City Journal March 11, 1992 Thrillers rally ITS MOOD at Birmingham behind Smart Thrillers Bandits 107 100 3 4 Pats take third place By William Shoemaker Journal Sports Writer Rapid City Central engineered 10-3 scoring run midway through the final period and captured the District 4AA basketball championship with a 71-64 victory over the Rapid City Stevens Raiders Tuesday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The Cobblers advance to the state Class AA tournament March 19-21 in Rapid City. The Raiders will host Aberdeen Central in a regional qualifying game Saturday at Carold Heier Gymnasium (time to be announced). Douglas edged Sturgis 63-61 for third place when Steve Isaacs hit a jump shot from the top of the lane with three seconds remaining. The Patriots will host Huron Saturday, with the winner also advancing to the state tournament (time to be announced).

The Cobblers hit critical free throws in the final minutes and took advantage of a four-minute scoring drought by the Raiders to gain the championship title. The Raiders rallied from a 12-point deficit in the first half and pulled to Rapid Cllv Thrillers 34 21 21-107 Birmin9hom Bandits 24 2 24 21100 Roeid City Thriliers-Frtd Coddd 3-4 Craia Neal 1-5 1-1 3. Larry Robinson -21 0-0 22, Noie Jonnston 4-5 0-0 Keitn Smart 0-12 6- it. Carlton McKinney 5-13 0-0 1 1. Pat Cummings 4-7 3-4 11.

Cliff Robinson 11-24 3-4 25 Totals 43-94 14-ly 107. Birmingham Bandits Michael Cutr1ght 6-12 0-0 12. Cnris Collier 1-4 0-0 2. J.m Farmer 1-19 7-9 24. Eric Johnson 710 0-2 14.

Skeeter Henry 7-18 6-9 20, Eugene McDowell 1-3 DO 2. Leonard Allen 7-11 2 3 16. Robert Youngblood 1-2 2-2 4, Irving Thomas 3-7 0-0 6. TotoiS 41-88 17-25 100 Quarter ooirts Rapid City 5rt, Birmingham Three-point goals Neal 0-1. L.

Robinson 4-9, McKinney 1-2. Cutright 05, Farmer 1-4, Henry 0-3 FG percentages-Rapid City 45.7 (43-94). Birmingham 46.6 (41-88) Rebounding Rapid City 54 (Cummings 12), Birmingham 56 (Allen 11) Assists-Rapid City 17 (Cofieid 7), Birmingham 25 (Henry 12) Turnovers-Rapid City 17, Birmingham 22 Total fouls Ropid City 28, Birmingham 19 Technical fouls McKinney (flagrant elbow) Officials Monte McCutcheon, Woody May-field BIRMINGHAM, Ala. The Rapid City Thrillers, short-handed but sparked by Keith Smart's 10 fourth-quarter points, rebounded from a four-point deficit earlier in the final period to claim a 107-100 victory over the Birmingham Bandits in the Continental Basketball Association Tuesday night. With just eight players traveling to Birmingham (Stanley Brundy and Jarvis Basnight stayed in Rapid City with various ailments), Thrillers coach Eric Musselman made a move Tuesday night to ensure that Rapid City enters the second season at full-strength.

Musselman, still concerned about Brundys ankle, signed ex-Los Angeles Laker star Mike McGee. "Mike McGee is a two-time NBA champion," Musselman said. The Thrillers will try to activate McGee, a free agent, in for their 7:05 game tonight against the Fort Wayne Fury at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. "We made the move to give us numbers (of players) for these last three games. If someone is called up he'd be eligible for the playoffs," said Musselman.

McGee, a 6-foot-5 scorer known for his tough inside game and deadly three-point accuracy, helped the Lakers to NBA championships in 1982 and 1985. He spent the last half of the 1989-90 season with the Phoenix Suns. Last season he played overseas. His arrival will place Brundy, Rapid City's all-star center, on the injured i within three points District 4M list. Brundy would be required to sit out for at least 10 days, which would bring him back to the team just before the playoffs.

"Stan is too important to our team to rush him back for these last three games," Musselman added. "He's been a major contributor all season long. Everyone could tell he was still injured, that he was limping. If this ankle is still going to bother him then we'll save him for when we need him, See Thrillers on page D2 Li r-rai. Journal photo by Don Polovich Stevens' Ryan Burke, 45, pulls up as Central's Rod Engle, 50, and Shawn Dupris tighten the defense.

TONIGHT'S CBA STARTING LINEUP! FURY vs. THRILLERS early in the fourth quarter. "They made a run on us to pull within three and we had to dig down and play our brand of basketball," said Cobblers coach Kim Templeton. "They did a great job in coming back." Central, 14-6, led 56-53 with six minutes remaining. Rick Johnson and Jesse Dana produced critical drives to the basket and completed consecutive three-point plays to give the Cobblers a 66-56 lead with 2:20 remaining.

The Cobblers played three nervous minutes in the fourth quarter without the services of Boe Lintz, who left the game with four fouls at the 7:17 mark and Central ahead 52-47. Three minutes later, Central still led 58-53 when Lintz returned to action. "The other guys picked it up when Boe went out," said Templeton. 'That's what we have to do when someone goes out. We have to do the job with the rest of them.

This was a great win and a total team effort." The Cobblers hit nine of 11 free throws in the final minutes. The Raiders pulled to within 69-64 and missed three opportunities to pull closer in the final seconds with two missed shots and a charging violation. "We found ways to stay in it, but everytime we'd make a run, they'd find a way to answer," said Raiders coach Lyle Pagel. "We didn't rotate well on defense in the first half and Fort Wayne Fury post men to break down and take the shot," said Isaacs. "I posted up and turned around to shoot.

As soon as I shot it, I knew it was going in." Patriots coach Bob Reynolds was relieved. "We wanted the ball in the hands of our best shooter, Alvin Iron Cloud, because he'd be able to find the open man or be the best to have fouled," Reynolds said. "I did not want an outside shot, but I'll take it when the game's this close." Sabers closed out his high school career with a fine 22-point performance, including 10 in the third quarter. Jason Peldo added 16, including 14 in a nice first-half effort. "We played well and put a good effort together," said Sturgis coach Gary Eyjen.

"We knew the game would come down to the end. Scott has been a leader for us all year. He had a great game." Iron Cloud led Douglas with 19 points, including 11 in the first half. Isaacs finished with 15 and Murner 12. Box scores on Page C3.

we gave up easy baskets. That gave Central some confidence and we had to work harder to score." The Cobblers bolted to a 9-2 lead early in the first quarter and built 12-point leads in the second quarter. Central led 42-31 at halftime as Lintz and Johnson combined for 24 points. Joel Fenske rallied the Raiders in the third quarter. Fenske scored 1 1 of his game-high 25 points in the period, including three buckets from three-point land.

The Raiders, 8-12, also clamped down on Lintz and Johnson, keeping the pair scoreless and holding Central to just eight points in the quarter. Stevens trailed 50-47 heading into the fourth quarter. The Cobblers outrebounded the Raiders 34-18 with Dario Davis and Lintz hauling down seven each. Lintz led five Cobblers in double figures with 17. Johnson added 15, Shawn Dupris 13 and Dario Davis 12.

Dana tossed in 10. Davis' best contributions came with two important field goals in the third quarter and his defense of Raider standout Sean Piatkowski. Piatkowski was held to just five points on the night, on five free throws. "It was nervous at the end," said Davis. "I thought they'd come back and take it from us.

I knew we had to play harder down the stretch." Douglas trailed most of the game against Sturgis, but rallied with a 10-2 run midway in the fourth quarter to take the lead. The Patriots, 6-14, trailed 52-48 with 6:30 remaining. Steve Isaacs and Ryan Murner completed consecutive three-point plays over 45 seconds to give Douglas a 54-52 lead. Isaacs drove inside again with three minutes to play and his basket gave the Patriots a 58-54 lead. Scott Sabers rallied the Scoopers, 4-17, with key baskets inside the lane in the final minute.

His basket with 29 seconds tied the game at 61-61. Douglas called timeout with 18 seconds remaining. The Patriots finally found Isaacs at the top of the lane, who hit the winning basket with three seconds to spare. "It was designed for one of the Jay Edwards 6-4 205 Indiana Travis Williams 6-6 215 S. Carolina St.

Torgair Bryn 6-9 250 SW Texas St. Myron Brown 6-2 195 Slippery Rock Jerry Johnson 5-11 165 Florida St. Coach Gerald Oliver Rapid City Thrillers Larry Robinson 6-5 200 Centenary Cliff Robinson 6-10 245 Southern Cal Pat Cummings 6-9 235 Cincinnati Craig Neal 6-6 180 Georgia Tech Keith Smart 6-1 175 Indiana Coach Eric Musselman Game at a glance TIME, PLACE: 7:05 p.m., MST; Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena. TICKETS: Prices are $5 for adults, $3 for students. On sale at the civic center ticket office.

RADIO: KOTA (1380), Bob Burnell with the play-by-play. Bo Jacl cson aeciaes on surgery he couldn't run during the three exhibition games he played. "My main objective is to get rid of the nagging pain and get rid of the limp," Jackson said. "I feel Ft I like myself, except for run- ning. And if you can't run, Harding County wins region title Jackson said the medical options explained to him raneed from arthroscoDie sional level after a hip replacement, it'll be me.

If I do something like that, I'd want to do it with the White Sox." Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf signed Jackson to an incentive-laden contract last spring after the star was released by Kansas City. Reinsdorf said doctors have told him it is possible that Jackson may play again, bui "the odds are long." "It's in the hands of a higher authority," Reinsdorf said. Although Jackson was 4-for-7 this spring, his limp was worse than at the end of last year, despite an off-season rehabilitation program with trainer Herm Schneider. The injury caused Jackson to lose all cartilage between the hip socket and femur, leaving a one-inch gap. SARASOTA, Fla.

(AP) Bo Jackson, the two-sport star hobbled for more than a year by a career-threatening Injury, decided Tuesday to have hip replacement surgery. Jackson, 29, said he planned to go home to his family before the surgery is performed later this summer. He said he realized it could mean the end of his athletic career. "Realistically, yesterday could've been my last at-bat in the major leagues," Jackson said. "I know that." Jackson, who became a hero by starring as a running back and as an outfielder, hurt his hip playing for the Los Angeles Raiders in January 1991.

After a rehabilitation program, he came back for the final month of the 1991 baseball season and hit .225 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 71 at-bats. But the injury only got worse this spring and BVv' I surgery to hip replacement 1 and said he favored the most "That's probably what they have to do, but I don't know Jackson STURGIS Scott Strenge and Garrett Clarkson scored 20 points each as Harding County upended Kadoka 74-62 in the Region 8B boys high school basketball championship Tuesday night. The Ranchers shot well, hitting 50 percent of their shots, and the de-fens- held the Kougars to 27 percent from the field. what's going on in the doctors' heads," Jackson said. "If there's going to be someone to come back and perform on the profes- Arrows, Patriots capture district titles Matt Gilbert tallied 15 points and hauled in 22 PcQEOnS to next week's South Dakota Class AA boys basketball tournament with a 62-59 victory over Sioux Falls O'Gorman By The Associated Press Watertown's Arrows won their way bert.

FG percentages-Kad 27 23 83), HC SO (30-60). Rebounds-kad 47 (Hildebrand 9), HC 44 (Gilbert 22). Turnovers-Kod 11, HC 11. Total fouis-Kod 26. HC 19.

Fouled out-Hiidebrand, Griswold, Fugate, Strenge. Lindholm- Offi-ciais-Croig Tiesjen, Luke fellow Robe. Atten-donce-40O. Region 3B ABERDEEN Eric Lappe and' Brian Marso combined for 51 points to lead Harrold over Iroquois 76-59 for the Region 3B basketball championship Tuesday night. Lappe scored 18 of his 26 points in the first half for the Cardinals.

Harrold made 16 free throws in the final quarter. Marso hit nine of those 16 free throws and was a perfect 11-11 during the game for 25 points. Harrold will advance to the state tournament to be held in Aberdeen March 19-21. troauois 17 20 41 59 Harrold 25 37 54 74 Iroquois Jason OeJean 29, Jamie Keating 11, Mike Peskev 4, Ryan Walter S. Robbie Mitzel 1, Stacy Decker Jeremy Forthman 1.

Totals 22 1423 5V. Harrold Eric Lappe 26. Brian Marso 25, Joel ingle 6, Bill Schied Quinton Bauer 4, John Onken 10. Totals 27 10-23 76. 3-ooi'it goals DeJean, Marso 2.

Lapp 1 FC percentages Iroouois 43 (2251). Rebounds r. oauois 44 (OeJean 17, Keating 10). Total fouis-lroauois 21, Harrold 17. Fouled out-Walter, Mitiel, Onken, Morso.

Ottirals Ken Hanson, Tom Long. Attendance 4,000. TV Sports Tuesday night for the crown in District 1AA. Sioux Falls Lincoln also earned a state tourney berth, defeating Brandon Valley 63-34 for the District 2AA title. Top-ranked Mitchell won its district last week.

Junior Jason Sutherland scored 18 points and Brian Benson 15 to lead Watertown (16-4). Sutherland kept the Arrows in the game, scoring seven of his team's 12 fourth-quarter points. O'Gorman (14-6) trailed 50-41 at the end of three quarters and outscored Watertown 18-12 in the final period. Matt Brandhagen led the Knights with 16 points, and Travis Burkhaiter added Lincoln (15-5) was led by Chris Re-hfeld's 19 points. The Patriots led by a 19-16 margin at halftime but outscored the Lynx 44-18 in the second half.

Brandon Valley (7-13) got eight points apiece from Ryan Arlt and Rick Mc-Kinney. Yankton won only its second game of the season Tuesday night, defeating Sioux Falls Washington 53-50 for third place in District 2AA. O'Gorman will play Yankton Saturday night in Watertown for a state tourney berth. Brookings defeated Sioux Falls Roosevelt 60-44 for third place in District 1AA. Brookings meets Brandon Valley Saturday night in Watertown.

rebounds and Matt Lindholm added 11 points for the Ranchers, who improved to 21-1. Bobby Fugate netted 19 points and John Griswold 17 for Kadoka. Harding County advances to the state Class tournament March 19-21 in Aberdeen. Kodoko 12 21 40 62 Hording County 24 23 57 74 Kodoko -Tucker Amiotte 1 0-0 2. Bobby Fugate 7 3-t 19, John Griswold 6 4-6 17, Heath Hildebrand 2 3 3 7.

Suit, Siuudord 2 4, Greg volley 1-2 t. Shavne Porch 30-9 7, Stew Gardner 1 0-0 2. Stacy Wilbert 1 1-2 3. Totals 23 1 2-22 42. Harding County Man Gilbert 4-7 IS, Bryan Corle 2 2 2 Scott Strang 10 0-0 20, Garrett Clarkson 7 0-10 20.

Matt Lindholm 5 1-1 1). Justin Anders 1 0-0 2. Totals 13-25 74. 3-pomt goals Giswom. Fugote 2, Porch.

Gil Local EvcntsJ College basketball: TransAmerica championship, ESPN, 2:55 p.m.; North Atlantic championship, ESPN, 5:30 p.m.; Northeast championship, ESPN, 7:30 p.m. Boxing: Fight Night from Paramount, PSN, 9 p.m. CCA Fort Wayne at Rapid City (KOTA 1380), Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, 7:05 p.m. Ltftu4.tf..al.et 9.ti- t9 4 6.