Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 46

HIGH SCHOOLS Weatherford beats El Paso Hanks by 4 Traci McKinley scored 31 points last night to lead the Weatherford Lady Roos to a 65-61 decision against El Paso Hanks The victory takes Weatherford into the final of the Class 5A Region 1 championship against Lewisville today at 11 at the Midland Chaparral Center Weatherford (29-6) which led 32- 25 at halftime withstood a late El Paso Hanks charge Lori Lowen added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Roos Gilmer 64 Aledo 61: Tartansha Haynes scored 24 points to lead the Buckeyes past the Bearcats in a Class 3A Region 11 semifinal game at East Texas State University in Commerce Gilmer (28-3) nearly buried Medo (27-3) by jumping out to 20-9 first quarter lead Buoyed by their fast getaway the Buckeyes led until a pair of Desiree Ray free throws with three minutes remaining Sheron Yocum gave the Buckeyes the lead for good at 50-47 on a 3- pointer from the top of the key and Stacy Smith converted three of four foul shots in the last two minutes to hold off Medo "We just made too many mistakes tonight" said Medo coach Paula Abernathie "the girls never gave up but every time we got close we made mistakes" Nikki Walker paced Medo with 20 points Gilmer advances to the region final today at 3:30 pm to meet the winner of the Canton-Brownshoro game GARY SKREHART Lewisville 80 Lubbock Monterey 73: Michelle Chambers scored 30 points to lead the Farmers to a comeback victory against the Plainsmen in Region 1 action at the Chaparral Center in Midland Monterey (26-6) led by four at the end of three quarters But Chambers led a late charge as the Farmers (31-3) outscored the Plainsmen 26-15 in the final eight minutes Lisa Bryant and Diana Kersey each scored 22 points for Plainsmen Murphy added 13 for the Farmers who will face Weatherford in Regional action next week Pflugenille 70 Boswell 56: The Panthers made a I 3-0 third-quarter run and a 12-2 fourth-quarter run to defeat the Pioneers in a Class 4A area playoff Missouri Oklahoma meet today game at Waco High School Pflugerville (29-5) advances to the regional round next week against the Lubbock Dunbar-Big Springs winner Boswell ends its season at 28-6 "They (Pflugerville) have a lot of good athletes" Boswell head coach Clayton Brooks said "We will be better next year" The Panthers lead 34-30 at halftime but the Pioneers got baskets by Brian Bechcom and Tom Etchison and two free throws by Butch McGill to close the margin to 37-36 with 6:35 left in third quarter Then Pflugerville used a pressing defense to make a 13-0 run to take a 50-36 lead Damon Massey scored seven of those points including two 3-pointers Boswell answered with a 8-0 run but the Panthers maintained a 50-44 lead going into the fourth quarter The Pioneers got within four points twice in the fourth quarter at 56-52 and 58-54 But Massey hit a 3-pointer with 3:30 remaining to give Pflugerville a 61-54 lead and started a 12-2 Panthers run to seal the victory Pflugerville used a pressing defense to start the game and jumped out to a 12-7 lead But Etchinson scored twice and Butch McGill hit a free throw to tie the score at 12 The Pioneers outscored the Panthers 5-4 the rest of the quarter for a 17-15 lead The Pioneers increased their lead 23-18 in the second quarter but Pflugerville's Tony Watson scored eight consecutive points and the Panthers took a 26-23 lead Pflugerville edged Boswell 8-7 in the final three minutes for 34-30 halftime lead Watson lead Pflugerville with 18 points Etchison scored 24 points to lead Boswell JOE Mc DANIEL Track SLAM Invitational Track Meet: Richardson dominated the track meet at Cravens Field last night by winning five of 15 events Among first-place individuals for the Eagles were Archie Manning in the pole vault (12 feet) Dwight Smith in the high hurdles (1477) and Michael McKinney in the 400 meter-dash (5079) Richardson also took first in the 400-meter relay with a time of 4285 to upset Sam Houston and won the 1600-meter relay in 3:3086 Michigan's Loy Vaught left palms the ball above Ohio State's Jaamal Brown to pass to a team imal Fort Worth Star-Telegram MARK GAIL nilersity of North Texas coach Jimmy Gales watches his team defeat Northeast Louisiana 76-71 Thursday night in Denton to clinch a share of the Southland Conference basketball championship Kissing Bandit still smacks players Section 3 Page 8 I Fort Worth Star-Telegram Saturday February 25 1989 Associaled Press mate in the second half of a Big Ten game Thursday night in Columbus Iklichigan won 89-72 So how was Morganna able to transform her life of poverty and gloom to fame and fortune as the Kissing Bandit? "I deserve no credit for the beginning of it I deserve credit now because it takes guts" Morganna says "It started in the early '70s and I was 17 years A bunch of my girlfriends and I had gone to a game in Cincinnati On a dare I ran out and put a kiss on the cheek oE Pete Rose" Beginning with that momentous kiss Morganna has parlayed the made-forTV act into millions "It is fun and it is frivolous but we're having a great time doing it even if the front offices of baseball don't" Mot-- ganna says "Basketball accepts me but I know baseball probably never But that's not going to dampen my attitude "Out of 36 players I've kissed 23 have been in baseball and I have had 16 arrests all in baseball" Morganna was thwarted in her atj: tempt to kiss the Cubs' Ryne Sandberg during the first night game at Wrigley Field last Aug 8 "When I was in Chicago I had to be handcuffed" Morganna says "But we posed out in front of the police station for some Polaroid pictures" Associated Press 'T ST MARY'S CITY Md An 18- year-old St Mary's College freshman appears to be the only woman in country who has earned a place as one of the guys on a varsity baseball squad and her acceptance comes after years of uphill battles Julie Croteau of Manassas Va a first baseman who bats and throws left-handed says she's noticed some sure signs of acceptance by her college team7 mates such as no more apologies for swearing and no exceptions when they yell "Come on guys" It hasn't always been easy for Croteau who has played some form of baseball since the age of 6 She recalls humiliations rejections charges of discrimination filed against a high school and even a lawsuit "I got started when my mom signed up me and a cousin for tee-ball I went up through the baseball ranks Little League and that type of thing then junior varsity at Osbourn Park High School" she said "I tried out for the varsity and was cut but I could accept' ccept that because I could see I was not good enough "As a senior I tried out but didn't make it That time my parents thought skills had nothing to do with it it was all gender It's hard to prove discrimina-': tion and we lost in court Basically' though I had problems all four years of high school" When it came to choosing a college she says "I wanted to go to a small school for academics and one where I was hoping I could try out for the base- ball team" Croteau said Wednesday: "When Julie and her parents came to look at the school they were very open with us and asked about the possibility of her trying out for baseball" said Chris Cihlar a school spokesman "We checked with the NCAA and they saw no problem with it They didn't have a rule one way or the other and said a' final decision was up to the institution" St Mary's has a coed team and a coed sailing team although the latter is not a recognized National Collegiate Athletic Association pionship sport "At St Mary's our attitude is the" sports are available for the students Baseball is a sport that's available Julie' is a student who wanted to come out for-7-7 the team and her skills enabled her to make the team It was that simple" said baseball coach Hal Willard HIGHSCHOOLS Section 3 Page 8 Fort Worth Star-Telegram Saturday February 25 1989 I Weatherford beats 444 44 Al i Woman win fir Aitat4o Avow Vow" wItae4salke410Nd I IL t' 'vt i 1100Ba410 I El Paso Hanks by 4 I- 1 it pl ay 1st base "4" tti 9 ar 4 at St Mary 7 4 'e flg at Traci McKinley scored 31 points last game at Waco High School 1 Iso Associated Press 40 di 'T II Jc night to lead the Weatherford Lady Pflugerville (29-5) advances to the '''Hitt64'4 -'1 Its ST MARY'S CITY Md An 187 IC 44 "--') Roos to a 65-61 decision against El regional round next week against the 0 i kis 4 i ir-o 1 year old St Mary's College freshman ar 4 Paso Hanks The victory takes Weath- Lubbock Dunbar-Big Springs winner i flt 601N ill'' 4 LAC' NO A appears to be the only woman in the ar erford into the final of the Class 5A Boswell ends its season at 28-6 1 14 country who has earned a place as one er Region I championship against Lewis- They (Pflugerville) have a lot of I 4 tv "sa of the guys on a varsity baseball squad pl vi lle today at I 1 at the Midland Cha- good Boswell head coach i 4 and her acceptance comes after years of parral Center Clayton Brooks said "We will be better i i a er 4 --p uphill battles Weatherford (29-6) which led 32- next year Julie Croteau of Manassas Va a 25 at halftime withstood a late El Paso The Panthers lead 34-30 at half- tr ao It first baseman who bats and throws left- I Si'''' 4r'l Hanks charge Lori Lowen added 17 time but the Pioneers got baskets by 1: 1 0 4 o' handed says shes noticed some sure points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Brian Bechcom and Tom Etchison and it t- A 'f: signs of acceptance by her college team dc -ta i Roos two free throws by Butch McGill to such as no more apologies for 1 I 44 Jo close the margin to 37-36 with 6:35 left 140' 1 (lt4 swearing and no exceptions when they Gilmer 64 Aledo 61: Tartansha in third quarter Then Pflugerville used 1FIre yell Come on guys ye voloolow Illi- i 4 Haynes scored 24 points to lead the a pressing defense to make a 13-0 run to i It hasn't always been easy for Cro- St Buckeyes past the Bearcats in a Class teau who has played some form of take a 50-36 lead Damon Massey 'A to 3A Region II semifinal game at East CI baseball since the age of 6 She recalls Texas State University i scored seven of those points including Commerce two 3-pointers humiliations rejections charges of dis- ed Gilmer (28-3) nearly buried Medo ii Boswell answered with a 8-0 run but 4 a crimination filed against a high school SI (27-3) by jumping out to 20-9 first guar- the Panthers maintained a 50-44 lead 1 0 i '4 I k) and even a lawsuit cll ter lead Buoyed by their fast getaway fourth quarter The i 1 A '4 'o 4 signed going into the 'I got started when my mom a 044 a St the Buckeyes led until a pair of Desiree Pioneers got within four points twice in 4 it'' A fl ftdpz up me and a cousin for tee-ball I went 4 IL 4 Ray free throws with three minutes the fourth quarter at 56-52 and 58-54 1 -1 r- L' -00 up through the baseball ranks Little a 4- -s '''IBN" r3' '''''''t ''y 1 to remining But Massey hit a 3-pointer with 3:30 lt 1 shortol :1 League and that type of thing then Sheron Yocum gave the Buckeyes remaining to give Pflugerville a 61-54 A ad i' "N- 4: a junior varsity at Osbourn Park High' cc ye the lead for good at 50-47 on a 3- lead and started a 12-2 Panthers run to Ii" 't i School" she said "I tried out for the fl---k 4 ----74k 41- 11 pointer from the top of the key and it" varsity and was cut but I could accept Stacy Smith converted three of four seal the victory --e' c'- 'i Jo a because could see was good Pflugerville used a pressing defense 14 8T: ''t' tht I ld I not foul shots in the last two minutes to be to start the game and jumped out to a 4 'At 4 1 4'" 'lc enough hold off Medo Ja 12-7 lead But Etchinson scored twice 1 "As a senior I tried out but didn't We just made too many mistakes 14 and Butch McGill hit a free throw to tie -'a-1 I I i 7- '-iffr make it That time my parents thought or 4 tonight" said Medo coach Paula Aber- --4 2' 1 skills had nothing to do with it it was all the score at 12 The Pioneers outscored '-''''N A "1 nathie the girls never gave up but the Panthers 5-4 the rest of the quarter l' '''1 4 t'N 4" N1r' tt gender It's hard to prove discrimina St '01 every time we got close we made mis- for a 17-15 lead 0 -16 -4- tion and we lost in court Basically '1 It -r a 7 1 takes The Pioneers increased their lead br l'Itr'Sdv though I had problems all four years of Nikld Walker paced Medo with 20 a A 1 high school" points Gilmer advances to the region 3C 23-18 in the second quarter but 51- a i When it came to choosing a college Pflugerville's Tony Watson scored 's It ik- I Sc final today at 3:30 pm to meet the she says "I wanted to go to a small eight consecutive points and the Panth- ''-'1- 410i I It he winner of the Canton-Brownsboro ers took a 26-23 lead Pflugerville edged school for academics and one where I 44 4' 1 's '''''7 ba game Boswell 8-7 in the final three minutes i 01179 1: :4 7 was hoping I could try out for the base- GARY SKREHART for 34-30 halftime lead 1r 4 -444- i a ball team" Croteau said 0 04 soim-44444 so Watson lead Pflugerville with 18 Na r- kt' r- 1 4-- "When Julie and her parents came to Or cr Lewisville 80 Lubbock Monterey points Etchison scored 24 points to wo 4 44 4--- 1 ti look at the school they were very open 73: Michelle Chambers scored 30 lead Boswell 4 1 '4A 4 ltt Ii6' ''dir with us and asked about the possibility JOE MC DANIEL 44 so points to lead the Farmers to a come- i 0 "1 A of her trying out for baseball" said be back victory against the Plainsmen in a 77 4t1 1 Chris ar a sc Cihlhool spokesman "We 3t ra 4 of 41 Region I action at the Chaparral Center qv a i 4t 000144 'v -i checked with the NCAA and they saw no problem with it They didn't have a NI fir in Midland Track ci Nis 4 1 "-4 4 1 Monterey (26-6) led by four at the i ea It l'-1 a A) 17 rule one way or the other and said 1 sh SIAM Invitation Track Meet end of three quarters But Chambers --r- fi nal decision was up to the institu- al t-1' Ns 'i1t ticiiik 0 li 0 is I st i led a late charge as the Farmers (31-3) Richardson dominated the track meet '4'-' 4c1 11 ''''44 be outscored the Plainsmen 26-15 in the 's has a coed swimming Nil at Cravens Field last night by winning ng --11a it 'Nfo0- A final eight minutes i A five 15 events Lisa Bryant and Diana Kersey each ve even 0 11 a 14 1 la 2 I 1 tio nt Mary Among first-place indivi duals for the -A -ilA'''''' 0rwt 1 the latter is not a recognized National till scored 22 points for Plainsmen JJ Collegiate Athletic Association cham Murphy added 13 for the Farmers who a I Eagles were Archie Manning in the pole sts-- 1 00e4ott6 pionship sport I will face Weatherford in Regional ac A 4 ik' Ar vault (12 feet) Dwight Smith in the -440 1't s'O' i At St Mary our attitude is the a a -'746144'' -40A 4kt if high hurdles (1477) and Michael tion next week i' 4- '15- sports are available for the students McKinney in the 400 meter-dash t-0t )'' 'i -4-: "--4 -se Pflugerville 70 Boswell 56: The (5079) Richardson also took first in Baseball is a sport that's available Julie 46----- 1' is a student who wanted to come out Panthers made a I 3-0 third-quarter run the 400-meter relay with a time of 4285 Associated Press the team and her skills enabled her to ne and a 12-2 fourth-quarter run to defeat to upset Sam Houston and won the ichigan's Loy Vaught left palms the ball above mate in the second half of a Big Ten game Thursday ca make the team It was that simple" said the Pioneers in a Class 4A area playoff 1600-meter relay in 3:3086 Ohio State's Jaamal Brown to pass to a team- night in Columbus Michigan won 89-72 baseball coach Hal Willard an :1: la 1 Te Missouri Kissing Bandit still smacks players --N un Oklahoma IL So how was Morganna able to thc 1 i transform her life of poverty and gloom- gal IT! today ts 1 CHICAGO to fame and fortune as the Kissing Ban- oiefie dit? pit i "1 deserve no credit for the beginning': sct of 41 -r of it I deserve credit now because it takes guts" Morganna says "It started' tw tat 1 in the early '70s and 1 was 17 years old- ka A bunch of my girlfriends and I had i 414 gone to a game in Cincinnati On a dare a 414 1 I ran out and put a kiss on the cheek oL' --00- 1 Pete Rose" 4 ii Beginning with that momentous kiss 4' I 4i' Morganna has parlayed the made-for- na act into millions 9: '4 "It is fun and it is frivolous but we're 4- 4 1 4 fa TV having a great time doing it even if the ye i '4 a 1 1 front offices of baseball don't" Mona to 1 ganna says "Basketball accepts me but ne I 's 4 1 vel )-' A 61 4 -I I -iN I know baseball probably never will re IA ft -L But that's not going to dampen my as 4 i attitude th 0 7 04 1 "Out of 36 players I've kissed 23 ru have been in baseball and I have had '1'i'll let 44 I 1' i 1 16 arrests all in baseball" tri nc )1 i 1 i 6 Morganna was thwarted her at-7 Ft 1 tempt to kiss the Cubs' Ryne Sandberg nc iT 1 during the first night game at Wrigley or it'' 6'440 -4 Fie it 'When I was in Chicago I had to he "When last Aug 8 w( handcuffed" Morganna says "But we of 1 posed out in front of the police station 4 for some Polaroid pictures 1 tk i 4 3' dc 0 l' 4 it i dc 4 I i' lo 10 ai to Fort Wonh Star-Telegram MARK (JAIL AIL niversity of North Texas coach Jimmy Gales watches his team defeat sh Northeast Louisiana 76-71 Thursday night in Denton to clinch a ch yfor" share of the Southland Conference basketball championship sp th th cic 1 sl th ra of 1 ha 1 rit I ra sa BY FRED MITCHELL Chicago Tribune CHICAGO Time out Break for commercial Call security It's Morganna the self-proclaimed Kissing Bandit interrupting action on the playing field to plant yet another well-calculated kiss on the unsuspecting cheek of a blushing professional athlete Morganna crashes major-league baseball games National Basketball Association contests anywhere she is guaranteed to extract maximum fan and news media exposure And miracle of miracles Morganna has worked her way onto the sports pages amid field-goal percentages power-play goals and poignant locker-room banter not so much to entertain us as to show us another side of her A side that believe it or not is more revealing The unveiling of Morganna Roberts exposes an unwanted child who grew up poor in Louisville Ky Her mother Jane disowned her before Morganna's grandmother Virginia took care of her for six years Morganna was then sent to Mount Mercy Catholic Boarding School just outside of Louisville She ran away at the age of 13 to become a go-go dancer "When people hear I went to boarding school they say 'Oh she came from rich parents' They don't realize I was put in there because my parents didn't care and my grandmother had to work" says Morganna who has been married for 13 years and lives in Columbus Ohio "I wasn't put in a boarding school because they wanted to give me the best it's because no one wanted to give me the time of day "I don't want this to sound like a down story There are a lot of people who had a lot worse childhood than I had The world is what you make it I tell people you have to be positive you have to shake this off" The whistles the adulation and the attention that the scantily clad Morganna attracts at sporting events seem to represent the missing essentials of her troubled childhood "I have people yell to me that they love me just because I put a smile on their face at sporting events" Morganna says "These are both men and women I'm just a blessed person I say 'Thank you God for giving me anotlier day" BY FRED MITCHELL Chicago Tribune Time out Break for commercial Call security It's Morganna the self-proclaimed Kissing Bandit interrupting action on the playing field to plant yet another well-calculated loss on the unsuspect- ing cheek of a blushing professional athlete Morganna crashes major-league baseball games National Basketball Association contests anywhere she is guaranteed to extract maximum fan and news media exposure Ando mim worked has wchleer of way miracles cnIteos the org sports pages amid field-goal percentages power-play goals and poignant locker- room banter not so much to enter- tam as os ow another side of her A side that believe it or not is more revealing The unveiling of Morganna Roberts exposes an unwanted child who grew up poor in Louisville Ky Her mother Jane disowned her before Morganna's grandmother Virginia took care of her for six years Morganna vas then sent to Mount Mercy Catholic Boarding School just outside of Louisville She ran away at the age of I 3 to become a go-go dancer "When I i people hear went to board- ng school they say 'Oh she came from rich parents' They don't realize I was put in there because my parents didn't care and my grandmother had to work" says Morganna who has been married for 13 years and lives in Co- lumbus Ohio "I wasn't put in a board- ing school because they wanted to give me the best it's because no one wanted to give me the time of day "I don't want this to sound like a down story There are a lot of people who had a lot worse childhood than I had The world is what you make it I tell people you have to be positive you have to shake this off" The vhistles the adulation and the attention that the scantily clad Morgan- na attracts at sporting events seem to represent the missing essentials of her troubled childhood "I have people )ell to me that they love me just because I put a smile on their face at sporting events" Morgan- na says "These are both men and wom- Morganna earns her daily bread these days by appearing at nightclubs baseball card shows custom car shows and other such events When she attended boarding school she had more modest ambitions "When I was a child all I wanted to be was a nun" Morganna says "That's because I was in a Catholic boarding school and that's all I was around There were 200 girls and puns around so I thought that was all there was to be I'm still a very religious person Things didn't work out I guess you could say! kicked the habit" Morganna normally an uninhibited talker becomes somewhat reticent when asked about her childhood "To be honest yes That's why I kind of skip over it I know that I'm an adult now but I say why look back at the past because you work hard to keep a positive attitude" she says before relinquishing a few more details of her youth "I'm not really an only child My mother was married several times before she had me She had a son by one of her husbands before me We have never met I got a Christmas card from my mother a couple of years ago but I wasn't quite sure it was her The last time I saw her was in 1969 I was still a kid in my early teens" More than anything else Morganna fancies herself a survivor "I started in show business when I was 13 years old I stayed at one club in Baltimore for two years until I was 15 and I've been on the road basically ever since for about 40 weeks out of the year "I couldn't get a job to be a dishwasher or to bag groceries or what have you because I didn't have a work permit You had to be 16 to get that So I slept in doorways and ate out of trash cans for about a month and a half until I finally answered an ad a cardboard cutout in a window that said: 'Cigarette Girl or Camera Girl Must be 18: "I went in there and said I was 18 and that I would send them a birth certificate I never did I didn't want to be a go-go dancer because that's not what the ad in the window said But that worked and I still work clubs You just live on what you have to do at that time I was 13 years old and world ng 56 hours a week I was just glad to be out of doorways and eating out of trash cans You can't sit around and feel soril for yourself" Morganna earns her daily bread these days by appearing at nightclubs baseball card shows custom car shows and other such events When she attended boarding school she had more modest ambitions "When I was a child all I wanted to be was a nun" Morganna says "That's because I was in a Catholic boarding school and that's all I was around There were 200 girls and nuns around so I thought that was all there was to be I'm still a very religious person Things didn work out I guess you could say 1 Morganna normally an uninhibited talker becomes somewhat reticent kicked the habit when asked about her childhood "To be honest yes That's why I kind of skip over it I know that I'm an adult now but I say why look back at the past because you work hard to keep a posi- tive attitude" she says before relinqu- ishing a few more details of her youth "I'm not really an only child My mother was married several times be- fore she had me She had a son by one of her husbands before me We have never met I got a Christmas card from my mother a couple of years ago but I wasn't quite sure it was her The last me time I in 19691 till a saw was was kid in my early teens" More than anything else Morganna fancies herself a survivor started in show business when I "I was 13 couldnyears 't old I stayed at one club in Baltimore for two years until I was 15 and I've been on the road basically ever since for about 40 weeks out of the ear et a ob to be a dishwash- I er or to ba roceries or what have ou because I didn't have a work permit You had to be 16 to get that So I slept in doorways and ate out of trash cans for about a month and a half until I finally answered an ad a cardboard cutout in a window that said: 'Cigarette Girl or Camera Girl Must be 18: "I went in there and said I w-as 18 and that I would send them a birth certifi- cate I never did I didn't want to be a go-go dancer because that's not lAtat the ad in the window said But that worked and I still work clubs You just live on what you have to do at that time I was I 3 years old and working 56 hours a week I was just glad to be out of Associated Press COLUMBIA Mo A victory today over No 7 Missouri would give No I Oklahoma the Big Eight championship but Sooner Coach Billy Tubbs had better not hear any criticism of Rich Daly Missouri's emergency interim head coach "I don't think people appreciate one very important fact about Rich Daly's situation" Tubbs said of the No 2 assistant coach who stands 2-3 in Norm Stewart's absence "He took over right in the toughest part of Missouri's schedule What Rich is being asked to do is tough man It's tough" Stewart's Tigers were 20-3 and ranked No 3 on Feb 9 when he passed out en route to a game at Oklahoma The dean of Big Eight coaches has since undergone surgery for colon cancer and gall bladder disease and is most likely out for the year His No 1 assistant Bob Sundvold is suspended pending an NCAA investigation So Daly finds himself in charge of a 22-6 squad that's dropped to No 7 and seems in danger of having its promising season collapse An 82-71 loss Wednesday night at Oklahoma State left the the Tigers two full games behind Oklahoma in the Big Eight race and removed lots of the luster from today's 3:10 pm CST tipoll in Columbia The Sooners 24-3 overall and 10- 1 in the conference would assure themselves of their fourth Big Eight title in six years by handing Daly his fourth loss "I also think it would guarantee us a No 1 seed in one of the NCAA regionals" said Tubbs a close personal friend of Stewart "But I'm not worrying about those things right now I'm just spending all my time worrying about ways to beat Missouri" The Tigers possibly deeper and more talented than any other Stewart team have lost at Oklahoma Oklahoma State and Iowa State under Daly and won at home against Kansas and Nebraska The crisp efficiency of their guard-oriented offense has been mostly a memory "Ifs just been incredible the distractions that team has had" Tubbs said "I think Itich has done a fine job and I wou14be the last person to 7ut Rich down But when a team has adjusted to Associated Press COLUMBIA Mo A victory to- day over No 7 Missouri would give No 1 Oklahoma the Big Eight champion- ship but Sooner Coach Billy Tubbs had better not hear any criticism of Rich Daly Missouri's emergency interim head coach "I don't think people appreciate one very important fact about Rich Daly situation" Tubbs said of the No 2 assistant coach who stands 2-3 in Norm Stewart's absence "He took over right in the toughest part of Missouri's sched- ule What Rich is being asked to do is tough man It's tough" Stewart Tigers were 20-3 and ranked No 3 on Feb 9 when he passed out en route to a game at Oklahoma The dean of Big Eight coaches has since undergone surgery for colon cancer and gall bladder disease and is most likely out for the year His Na I assistant Bob Sundvold is suspended pending So Daly finds himself in charge of a an NCAA investigation 22-6 quad that's dropped to No 7 and seems in danger of having its promising season collapse An 82-71 loss Wednes- day night at Oklahoma State left the the Tigers two full games behind Oklaho- ma in the Big Eight race and removed lots of the luster from today's 3:10 pm CST tipoff in Columbia The Sooners 24-3 overall and 10- 1 in the conference would assure themselves of their fourth Big Eight title in six years by handing Daly his fourth loss "I also think it would guarantee us a No I seed in one of the NCAA region- al said Tubbs a close personal friend of Stewart "But I'm not worrying about those things right now I'm just spending all my time worrying about ways to beat Missouri" The Tigers possibly deeper and more talented than any other Stewart team have lost at Oklahoma Oklaho- ma State and Iowa State under Daly and won at home against Kansas and Nebraska The crisp efficiency of their guard-oriented offense has been mostly a memory "It's just been incredible the distrac- ions that team has had" Tubbs said "I Morganna also has a connection with the Chicago White Sox She is a co-owner with Orlando Sentinel sportswriter Bob Fowler of the Utica NY: Blue Sox a Sox farm team "I won't kiss my players until they play for the White Sox because then they wouldn't have anything to shoot for" she says So what does her husband think about her act? "My husband thinks this is all great He's one of my biggest fans" Morganna says "He was my accountant before we got married and accountants sometimes lead dull lives I was paying him too much quarterly to do my taxes so I decided to many him" Morganna won't say how much she makes from her numerous appearances or how long she will keep up her act "Every year" she says "I think it is going to be the last year But I still haven't kissed Ry110 yet I haven't got all the basketball players I'd like to kiss I think this could go on until the turrcof the century" Morganna also has a connection with the Chicago White Sox She is a co- owner with Orlando Sentinel sports- writer Bob Fowler of the Utica NY: Blue Sox a Sox farm team "I won't kiss my players until they play for the White Sox because then they wouldn't have anything to shoot she says So what does her husband think about her act? "My husband thinks this is all great He's one of my biggest fans" Morganna says "He was my accountant before we got married and accountants some- times lead dull lives I was paying him too much quarterly to do my taxes so I decided to marry him" hlorganna won't say how much she makes from her numerous appearances or how long she will keep up her act "Every year" she says "I think it is going to be the last year But I still haven't kissed 4110 yet I haven't got "Norm is an excellent coach and like most head coaches he did the coaching from the bench" Daly said "I can't be Norm Stewart I have to be myself But the team has had some time now to get accustomed to who I am and they're working real hard We're trying to do the same things we did under Coach Stewart But I don't handle practice the same way and little things like that take some time for everybody to adjust to" Oklahoma represents the first time Daly's had a chance to coach against a team a second time "That will help a little Nope" he said "But Oklahoma is just so strong "Norm is an excellent coach and like most head coaches he did the coaching from the bench" Daly said "I can't be Norm Stewart I have to be myself But the team has had some time now to get accustomed to who I am and they're working real hard We're trying to do the same things we did under Coach Stewart But I don't handle practice the same wayand little things like that take some time for everybody to adjust to" Oklahoma represents the first time Daly's had a chance to coach against a a coach and to his style and to his personality then you just can't hardly ask another guy to step right in without missing a beat You can't change a team's personality overnight" The Tigers might also miss Stewart's expertise with opposing teams and coaches "Norm has gone against these teams for years and against these coaches" Tubbs said "He's going to know their tendencies a lot better You kind of learn by instinct what to do in situations It's not easy what Rich has been asked to do" Daly 47 sass he's becoirie more comfortable in the role a coach and to his style and to his nersonalitv then you just can't hardly -in without ask another guy to step right missing a beat You can't change a team's personality overnight" The Tigers might also miss Stewart's expertise with opposing teams and coaches "Norm has gone against these teams for years and against these coaches" Tubbs said "He's going to know their tendencies a lot better You kind of learn by instinct what to do in situa- lions It's not easy what Rich has been I I in.