The Spokesman-Review from Spokane, Washington • 26

jMi-papay-ipiriCTyqp 'W 7 I C2 The Spokesman-Review and Spokane Chronicle Spokane, Dec. 21, 1985 Pepperdine corrals Mustangs In OT Pelluer steps in with poise of a veteran COLLEGE BASKETBALL rebounds for Texas (9) LSU 82, SE Louisiana 61: Sophomore forward John Williams scored 28 points to lead the unbeaten Bengals to victory over Southeastern Louisiana in the first round of the inaugural Louisiana State Univeristy Invitational in Baton Rouge, La. Southern University met Northeast Louisiana in the other first round game of the all-Louisiana tournament The opening game between LSUs defending Southeastern Conference champions and Southeastern Louisianas defending Gulf Star Conference champs was the first meeting of the two schools in 19 years. It was never close. LSU opened a 4-0 lead over Southeastern, then went ahead for good, at 25-24, with 6:34 remaining in the first half.

The 42-34 halftime score was as close as it got after that Williams got a standing ovsation when he was taken out of the game with four minutes remaing. Thats when Coach Dale Brown cleared the bench. The triumph improved LSU to 10-0, while Southeastern fell to 4-6. Don Redden added 10 points for LSU, while junior forward Teddy Butler led Southeastern with 16 points and Robert Cousin had 12 points. for Georgia Tech with a bruised wrist, scored 10 points after intermission when the Yellow Jackets led by as many as 27 points before Coach Bobby Cremins emptied his bench.

Don Marbury led Texas 5-4, with 23 points, 18 of them in the second half. He was the only Aggie who finished in double figures. Georgia Tech, which never trailed, scored the first six points of the game and blew the contest open with a 10-point burst that carried the Yellow Jackets to a 22-6 lead with 12:53 to go. Price bombed away from the outside to key the spurt that featured a steal and slam dunk by freshman Tom Hammonds. Neals dunk and pair of free throws after an intentional foul completed a four-point play that capped a 14-2 Georgia Tech surge.

Led by Marbury, who hit 10 of 15 shots from the field, Texas cut its deficit to 15 points midway through the second half. Georgia Techs Antoine Ford and Ferrell answered with quick baskets, though, the Yellow Jackets regained command. Besides leading Georgia Tech in scoring, Price handed out eight assists. Dalrymple scored his 14 points on seven of 13 shooting from the floor, while Neal finished with 12 points. Jimmie Gilbert scored 9 points and had 10 Associated Press Forward Eric White and guard Dwayne Polee tossed in 20 points apiece as Pepperdine handed Southern Methodist its first defeat of the season, a 75-68 overtime decision in the opening round of the University of Kentucky Invitational Tournament Friday night in Lexington, Ky.

Pepperdine, winning its seventh straight game to improve to 7-1, will meet the winner of the Kentucky-East Carolina game in tonights championship game while Southern Methodist, 6-1, will take on the loser in the consolation. White gave Pepperdine the lead for good in overtime at 68-66 on an 18-footer with 3:02 to go. The Waves added seven more Kints before Southern Methodists Kevin wis scored with four seconds left. Anthony Frederick added 11 points and Jon Korfas scored 10 for the winners. Center Terry Williams and Lewis each tallied 20 points for Southern Methodist, followed by Butch Moore and Randy Jones with 10 apiece.

Southern Methodist battled back from a 17-point deficit in the first half to go up 36-35 on John Colbornes basket with 17:39 left. After the teams traded baskets, Frederick sank a free throw and Korfas and White hit jumpers to give Pepperdine a 42-38 edge at 13:36. Pepperdine gradually built on the lead, and appeared on the way to victory when Levy Middlebrooks hit a baseline jumper for a 56-49 lead at 5:34. But Southern Methodist rallied to tie the game at 60 on Lewis three-point play with 2:27 to go. Polee gave Pepperdine a 62-60 on two free throws at 2:10, but Southern Methodist pulled even with nine seconds to go on Jones basket.

Pepperdines White missed a 25-footer as regulation time ran out. (7) Georgia Tech 83 Texas 58: The backcourt tandem of Mark Price and Bruce Dalrymple scored 19 and 14 points, respectively, as the Yellow Jackets cruised to victory over the Aggies and into the championship game of the 35th Gator Bowl Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. Southern Mississippi met host Jacksonville later for the opportunity to face Georgia Tech in tonights final. Price scored 15 of his team-high total in the first half and Craig Neal added 10 more as the 6-1 Yellow Jackets raced to a 44-25 halftime lead and never looked back. Duane Ferrell, who sat out the first half SPORTS DIGEST From staff and wire reports Ralph selected NAIA All-American with 1,111 receiving yards, and he already holds the Whitworth career record of 141 catches.

He was already named to the Kodak Division II All-America team for small college players. Ralph praised the work of Whitworth quarterback Cliff Madison, who was named an honorable mention All-American. Madison, a senior from Los Angeles, ranked third in Division II with 307.8 passing yards and 288.4 total yards per game. Cliff, he deserves a lot (of credit) hes a great quarterback, said Ralph. And the whole line; they got bad-talked all year, but they really came through at the end.

Whitworth College wide receiver Wayne Ralph reacted to his selection to NAIA Division II All-America first team the same way he reacted to passes thrown his direction this season: calmly, effortlessly and proficiently. I led the nation (in receiving), so I thought Id get it, Ralph said after the Friday announcement. But I wasnt sure. It could have gone to seniors who had good seasons. No NAIA receiver has ever had a season quite like Ralph.

The junior from Moses Lake set NAIA records by catching 101 passes and averaging 11.2 receptions per game. Ralph also set a school record Dallas Morning News DALLAS When third-string quarterback Steve Pelluer stepped into the Cowboys huddle Sunday for the first time ever in a regular-season game, he said he saw eyes as big as grapefruits. I dont think a lot of guys realized Gary (Hogeboom) wasnt going to be able to come in, he said. So when they saw me, they all looked surprised it was me. Everybody was just staring at me.

I felt like I had to reassure everybody. I said, Hey, its all right. Itrs not the end of the world. In fact, it was the dawning of a whole new world for Pelluer, who as early as next year could become a very important part of the team. Sunday, in the Cowboys 28-21 victory over the Giants, Pelluer showed why.

In his second series, he drove Dallas 72 yards in 11 plays late in the fourth quarter to set up what proved to be the touchdown that won the game and the NFC East division title. The key play of the drive? A 28-yard pass on third-and-15 to rookie wide receiver Karl Powe. That All-Pro linebacker Lawrence Taylor was coming right at Pelluer didnt matter. Pelluer dug in and threw a perfect pass. Either by words or deed, Pelluer, 23, finds ways to reassure his teammates.

He just has excellent poise, said Coach Tom Landry. Tve never seen him ruffled. Im not really surprised he did so well, but then you feel like you have to be a bit surprised the way he han- died the pressure of the situation he was in. Hed never been in that situation before. He reminds me a little bit of Joe Montana in his style and his personality, said tight end Doug Cosbie.

They both have quick feet and neither one has a cannon for an arm, but they can get the ball downfield. Steve and. Joe are quiet guys but they both have a lot of confidence in themselves. Steve always stays calm. There may be a reason for that.

At the University of Washington, where as a sophomore he led the team to a Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl victory, Pelluer endured more than a little frustration. The Huskies had their own quarterback controversy and Pelluer twice lost his job. I think thats the biggest thing thats helped me, he said. To be able to struggle through some tough periods in my life helped me keep my confidence up. There is reason to believe that Pelluer, a second-year player, could be the No.

2 quarterback next season. With Danny White firmly established as the starter, Gary Hogeboom finally could be traded. I feel like I could have a future here, Pelluer said. But he is in no hurry. I dont think Im at a point where I could be a starter game-in and game-out, he said.

I just want to keep getting better. To tell you the truth, I feel lucky just being in the NFL. Some teams just kept two quarterbacks. Im really just happy to be here. Until Sunday, Pelluer had been here only in a manner of speaking.

His only regular-season game appearance was as the holder for place-kicker Rafael Septien when the Cowboys beat the Saints, 30-27, in overtime. Hogeboom, the regular holder, had been injured. Pelluer was the holder when Septien hit his field goal in OT. Pelluer admits that when he entered the game Sunday, he was a bit nervous. Its not easy maintaining confidence if you spend all the time on the bench.

Its a little hard, said Pelluer, who completed four of seven passes for 39 yards. Doing it in practice is not the same as getting out there in a game. Even in practice, though, Pelluer usually is the quarterback for the scout team. So hes running the other teams plays. Thats why I think its impressive that he could come in and do what he did, Cosbie said.

I think he can be a really good quarterback. Becker triumphs Boris Becker defeated Stefan Edberg 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 8-6 Friday to enable West Germany to salvage a split of their opening singles matches against Sweden after the first day of the Davis Cup tennis final in Munich, West Germany. Becker outlasted Edberg in a close battle of two hard servers. In the first match, Mats Wilan-der gave defending Davis Cup champion Sweden a 1-0 lead when he beat Michael Westphal 6-3, 6-4, 10-8. AP photo Utahs John Stockton stands over fallen Charles Barkley.

Sixers won 112-105. Malone fills up at bonus bar NBA Motta, the latest coming Thursday, when Aguirre helped Atlantas Dominique Wilkins to his feet after the two players collided in a National Basketball Association game in Atlanta. No injuries resulted from the seemingly minor collision, but Aguirre said Wilkins is a personal friend and that he feared the Hawk star had been injured. Motta pulled Aguirre out of the game and said Aguirre later refused to re-enter Veteran major league baseball players Dave Kingman of Oakland and Milt Wilcox of Detroit have been informed by their clubs that they will not be offered new contracts. Another American League free agent, Milwaukee pitcher Danny Darwin, changed his mind about going to another team and said will go to arbitration with the Brewers The 100-man Ballys All-America high school football team includes two Washington players, South Kitsap defensive back Eric Canton and Eisenhower quarterback Cary Conklin.

Linebacker Michael Swindell of Boises Capital High won the scholar-athlete award, and Libby running back was Montanas All-America representative. Ballys selects at least one player from every state, plus the District of Columbia Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders scored his 916th career point against the New York Rangers, breaking Bobby Orrs all-time scoring record for a National Hockey League defense-man The NHL suspended Edmontons Glenn Anderson for eight games and Dave Silk of Winnipeg and Greg Stefan of Detroit for six games because of stick-swinging incidents New University of Akron football coach Gerry Faust has asked former University of Pittsburgh coach Foge Fazio to join the Akron coaching staff Veteran San Francisco wide receiver Freddie Solomon announced he will retire from the National Football League. Coaches fired Jack Sangster of Brandon and John Chapman of Lethbridge have become the latest Western Hockey League coaches to draw pink slips. The Wheat Kings hope to find a replacement for Sangster during the holiday break. Chapman has been replaced by former minor league pro coach Earl Jessiman.

In other WHL news, a group in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, has made an offer to purchase the Regina, Pats. Rick Doerk-sen, executive assistant of the WHL, said the league hopes to the Pats do not have to move, since Regina is a much larger city and has a much larger arena than Swift Current. Attendance has dropped sharply in Regina this season, due largely to the establishing of parking fees at the arena. Lewis Lloyd and Robert Reid scored 18 points each for Houston, while Rodney McCray added 17. Otis Birdsong had 17 for New Jersey.

There were nine ties and five lead changes in the second quarter after the Nets led most of the first period behind Gminskis 10 points. Houston came back to lead 37-34 early in the second quarter before New Jersey outscored the Rockets 17-10 for a 51-47 advantage. The Nets held a 57-53 lead at halftime. Lakers 128, Cavaliers 116: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 13 of his 29 points in the pivotal third quarter as visiting Los Angeles defeated Cleveland. Los Angeles, 23-3, won its fourth straight game.

Cleveland beat the Lakers 129-111 in Los Angeles home opener Nov. 5. The Lakers have won 11 consecutive home games since that defeat, which snapped a 17-game regular-season home winning streak. Los Angeles led 63-59 at halftime and still maintained only a four-point advantage, 71-67, with 9:27 remaining in the third quarter. But the Lakers got consecutive baskets from Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, James Worthy and Earvin "Magic Johnson for a 79-67 lead.

Associated Press Moses Malone scored a season-high 37 points including 19 free throws as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Utah Jazz 112-105 Friday night. Malone connected for 19 of 22 free throws high marks in the National Basketball Asscociation this season for attempts and free throws as the Sixers won their third straight. The teams played evenly until midway through the fourth quarter, when Philadelphia took a 102-98 lead on a layup by Terry Catledge. After Bob Hansen hit a jumper for the Jazz, Philadelphia scored six straight points, four by Malone, to lead 108-100 with 2:18 left to play. Utah didnt get closer than six the rest of the way.

Pacers 114, Bucks 102: Steve Stipanovich scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Indiana held Milwaukee scoreless for 4 Vi minutes late in the game at Indiana. Stipanovich scored nine of the Pacers first 13 points in the final quarter, boosting Indiana from an 87-80 deficit at the end of three periods to a 93-93 tie. He later scored five points in a 12-0 Pacers rally that lifted Indiana from a 101-100 lead to a 113- 100 advantage wth 54 seconds left. Ricky Pierce scored with 27 seconds left to break the Milwaukee scoreless spell, which began after Terry Cummings scored with 4:57 left. Nets 122, Rockets 112: Buck Williams scored 11 of his 26 points in the third quarter as New Jersey extended a four-point halftime lead to 15 en route to a win over visiting Houston.

Williams, who also had 20 rebounds, got plenty of help from centers Mike Gminski and Darryl Dawkins, who added 22 and 21 points, respectively, to outscore Houston 7-footers Ralph Sampsom and Akeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon had 20 points and Sampson 18 for the Rockets, who are unbeaten at home this season but only 4-10 on the road. Williams had two baskets during an 11-5 Nets streak that gave them a 68-58 lead early in the third quarter. Later in the period, his three-point play finished off a 23-13 run that boosted New Jersey into a 91-76 advantage. The Rockets could get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Miscellany A Louisiana appeals court cleared the way for a new trial for John Hot Rod Williams, the former Tulane University basketball star accused of taking money to shave points in two games last season The Dallas Mavericks suspended star forward Mark Aguirre for their two weekend games. Aguirre has had numerous run-ins with Coach Dick Pro football: Part myth, reality Detroit is no longer interested in hanging on to Milt Wilcox Hall of Fame in Canton. But, Carroll said, Canton newspaper headlines blared New League Is Formed more than a month before, and that the car dealer meeting may have served merely to finalize plans for a league that later would capture the imagination of the nation. Carroll, citing the fruits of research, also offered these tidbits: Only several years before the historic 1958 Baltimore Colts-New York Giants overtime championship game, pro football was only about as popular as indoor soccer is today. Just six years before that game, the turning point in NFL history, the Colts were called the Dallas Texans and were so bad, they wound up finishing the season in Hershey, Pa.

Even in the early 1950s, newspaper columnists frequently wrote that an average college football team could beat any pro team. Pro footballs first great passing quarterback wasnt the revolutionary Sammy Baugh, but a highly underrated former Michigan All-American named Benny Friedman who once threw 18 touchdown passes in a single season with a ball more like a watermelon than a football. An NFL franchise once could be purchased for $50. Jim Thorpe, the most storied of footballs early stars, didnt have an outstanding NFL career. He hung on for eight seasons after his talents began to deteriorate, although he played in an era where players often retired after a year and I couldnt see him breaking into that situation.

And his contract is just too high to pursue him on any other basis. Wilcox contract with Detroit expired after the 1985 season, but the team still owned his rights. By not offering him a new contract by Fridays deadline, the Tigers made Wilcox a free agent, able to sign with any major-league team. Wilcox said Friday he had hoped to stay with the Tigers but will try to catch on with another club. He said the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies have expressed interest after scouting him this winter.

Im throwing as well as I have in 10 years, he said. Theres a little stiffness -in the top of the shoulder, but its not bad. After I throw a few pitches it goes away. Every game I pitch, I throw a little better. However, one major league scout who saw him pitch in November said Wilcox appeared to be favoring his arm.

He wasnt letting loose, he was holding back, the scout said. He was pitching decently, but you could tell he was afraid of re-injuring the arm. or two to pursue more lucrative careers. The NFLs true 1925 champion, either the Pottsville (Pa.) Maroons or the Chicago Cardinals, has never been determined. League standings incorrently list Chicago at 11-2 and Pottsville at 10-2; both teams were 10-2.

Pottsville beat Chicago, but was suspended by the league for playing an exhibition game against a Notre Dame alumni team. The first pro football game was played not in 1895 in Latrobe, but in nearby Pittsburgh three years before. The first all-professional team was Pittsburghs Allegheny Athletic Association in 1896. The researchers have recently traced the sports numerous franchise shifts and compiled the first comprehensive list of all-pro teams. The tedious fact-finding process has determined that some NFL teams, like the Indianapolis Colts, have played in as many as eight cities.

The Colts were originally called the St. Marys College Collegians when formed in Day-ton, Ohio, in 1916. They later landed in New Jersey, Brooklyn, New York City (they were called the Yankees and were owned by Dan Topping, the baseball teams former owner) as well as Dallas and Hershey. But many people think pro footballs early days were sheer chaos, Carroll said. There were games not reported, but the NFL was better organized than one would think.

There were published schedules and as early as 1922, the players had insurance. A franchise that cost $50 in 1920 was $1,000 in 1922. Sure, things werent done in a modern style, but they werent bad. Knight-Ridder DETROIT Milt Wilcox nine-year career with the Tigers ended Friday when the team said it would not offer him a contract for 1986. Wilcox, a hero of the 1984 championship squad, missed most of 1985 with a shoulder injury.

He has been pitching in the Dominican Republic this winter, trying to convince the Tigers to offer him a new contract. But the team decided Wilcoxs age (35), salary ($550,000 last season) and history of injuries made him a bad gamble. In addition, Wilcox became a victim of numbers. With the off-season acquisition of left-hander Dave LaPoint, the Tigers now have five solid starters, including Jack Morris, Dan Petry, Walt Terrell and Frank Tanana. Even if Wilcox returns to form, the Tigers probably would use him as a spot starter.

"Were not going to tend him a contract, said Tigers General Manager Bill Lajoie. Were not going to invite him to spring training. Milts career with the Tigers is over. We have five starting pitchers, Associated Press PITTSBURGH They are footballs dedicated detectives, historians who enjoy the sport not only on television, but on microfilm monitors that transform them to the halcyon days of professional football. There are 150 members of the loosely knit Professional Football Researchers Association scattered across the country.

Most are mere spectators, some, including former all-pro guard Joe Kopcha of the Chicago Bears, are former players. All are fans. Bob Carroll, for instance, is a Pittsburgh-area researcher and illustrator with an encyclopedic knowledge of footballs forgotten heroes. Lido Starelli, a San Francisco plasterer, has missed only one 49er game in 43 years and has every game program to prove it. The amateur researchers specialize in debunking the myths and mysteries of the sports sometimes nomadic and often-misunderstood past.

Its amazing how much of the myth and lure associated with pro football dont stand up under research, said Carroll, 49, the editor of The Coffin Corner, the PFRAs semi-monthly newsletter. Much of what has been written even in encyclopedias isnt always that accurate. For example, it has long been accepted that the National Football League was formed Sept. 17, 1920 as the legendary George Halas and other founding fathers squatted on Hupmobile running boards in a Canton, Ohio, auto dealership. An illustration of the historic meeting hangs in a prominent place in the Pro Football i..