Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 11

Thursday March 4, 1993 Santa Cruz ntintl Top U.S. racers prepare Scoreboard, Page 4 1 Business, Page 6 0 Stocks, Page 7 for new season on county roads Page 5 1 aJs-. 3 CCS basketball playoffs oonaitoir17 smokes 1 Warriors suffer a big blow Hardaway hurts as team loses to Lakers San Francisco Chronicle OAKLAND The Golden State Warriors pulled out a lightning bolt of inspiration and threw it at the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night, but for all its dazzle and sizzle, it went for nothing; actually, it went for worse than nothing. Not only did their inspired work fall short, 117-111, the injury-ravaged team took another major hit on the hurt list, losing co-captain and All-Star guard Tim Hardaway to a knee injury. "This," said swingman Jeff.

Grayer, "is so bad that you don't even know how to express it." Hardaway, who went into the game averaging 21.5 points and 10.9 assists, came down off balance and landed on his right knee wrong after being fouled by Lakers backup center Elden Campbell; The injury occurred with 10:42 to rf VJ x-v i mmm. rrji -Air Pirates Tim Young, left, and Sam Crosson sandwich Willow Shmuel ThalerSentinel Glen's John Stevenson, scrambling for a loose ball. 'I wanted to assert myself. I want to get my mind-set on going above the Tim Young, Harbor center Tom Bucs dunk Willow Glen in semifinal By GREG MELLEN Sentinel staff writer SANTA CLARA It's something that has been brewing al! season: a simmering, fermenting process. Wednesday night, Harbor High tapped the keg on center Tim Young's power game.

The result was three thundering dunks for a resounding 19 points from the 7-foot-l junior, highlighting a 49-37 victory over Willow Glen in the Central Coast Section Division III boys basketball semifinals. Pirate zone stops Willow Glen 's top gunner Page B3 The win sets up a date for the 31-0 Pirates with unbeaten and top-seeded Palo Alto (26-0) in the finals Saturday night. Young, who had three dunks all season coming into Wednesday night's contest at Santa Clara High, opened a new page in his playbook. Call him the Tim-inator. Young, whose game has always been replete with gentle kiss shots off the glass, dainty hooks and a soft-as-down free-throw touch, gave Palo Alto an "I've got something for you," show with his newfound power game.

But there will be no more of this kinder, gentler stuff. It's playoff time. Tim Time. "I wanted to assert myself," said Young, who helped the Pirates improve to a state-best 31-0 record, which also ties the Santa Cruz County record for consecutive victories in a season, held by the 1985-86 Aptos team that won the CCS and NorCal Division II titles. "I want to get my mind-set on going above the rim." Under the tutelage of Harbor assistant coach Mark McNamara, a former center in the National Basketball Association, there has been an effort to get Young to add a little bullishness to his finesse game.

"It's my responsibility," Young said of picking up his game. "It's time to step it up." "Everyone's been waiting for the dunks and I think Tim picked a good night to show it," said forward Sam Crosson, aware that undefeated Palo Alto, a 42-34 winner in the early game, was watching. "I think he wanted to show (the Vikings) something. I think this takes us to the next level as a power basketball team." "Obviously he played with authority," said Harbor's coach, Boxing out opponents is just one of the things junior center Cathy Mahoric does so well for the Harbor High Pirates. Shmuel Thaler Sentinel file Giants get The Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.

Shortstop Royce Clayton, who batted .224 in 98 games last season, was among four San Francisco Giants to sign one-year contracts Wednesday. Clayton, 23, will make $155,000, an increase from the major league minimum of $109,000, and will earn additional $25,000 if he makes the All-Star team. "We were very satisfied with Royce's defense last year, and he's going to get a lot better," said Manager Dusty Baker after the Giants completed their signings for 1993. "People have to realize he's about two years ahead of schedule." Center fielder Darren Lewis, left- Illustrative of the Pirate tendency was a 5-minute stretch in the third quarter. After Young converted a finger roll with 6 minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the period, the Pirates led 33-22.

But the Bucs missed their next nine shots and committed a pair of turnovers before backup forward Peter Green scored two of his nine points with 1:05 remaining to stunt an 8-0 run by the Rams. "A couple of times we've tasted blood and hurried," said Gruber. "But this is the semis of CCS. These are all good teams." Despite Harbor's dominance, the Rams were within five points at 40-35 with 3:56 remaining. However, Willow Glen missed its final five shot attempts, while the Pirates were converting free throws.

more physical since last year. And his supporting cast did a good job." While Young's power set the early tone, it was the team's finesse at the free-throw line that put it away. Although the Pirates may have rang Willow Glen's bell on several occasions and outscored the Rams in every quarter, they still seemed to be lacking the knockout punch. Mike Gruber. "It's been a progression.

That was a goal at the start of the season. We wanted him to finish stronger." McNamara calls it "ringing the bell" when a player dunks, and Young's dunks helped put Willow Glen down for the count. "The big guy was the difference," agreed Willow Glen Coach Kurtis Townsend, whose team lost to Harbor in last season's CCS semis, too. "He's gotten a lot go in tne second quarter and with the Warriors trailing, 33-31. He lay on the floor for a full timeout, then was carried off the floor after being unable to shoot his free throws, automatically knocking him out Hardaway of the game.

"I thought I was bulletproof," said Hardaway, who missed three games in his rookie season, no games in his second season and just one game last year. "I didn't think this could happen to According to team physician Robert Albo, who examined Hardaway immediately, the Warriors' point guard either has a bruised knee, which would mean an absence of about one week, or suffered ligament damage that could knock him out of action for "five to six weeks." Whichever the case, guard La-trell Sprewell said any time that Hardaway misses will count severely against the team. "He's our captain the guy we turn to when things get tough. He's the guy who penetrates, who dishes, who finds us, and me, for shots," Sprewell said. "We're going to have to see how this turns out, but it's going to be tough." It was tough enough Wednesday night, particularly immediately after the injury.

The Warriors (25-33) immediately reeled backward, falling behind by as many as 10 points on three separate occasions before the half. In the second half, however, they rallied, seizing an improbable 91-86 lead at the end of three quarters. That lead disappeared in an 11-0 Lakers scoring run to start the final quarter, and even though the Warriors held a three-point lead at 109-106 with 3:08 to go in the game, they could not hang on. Hardaway, the only player on the team to have played in all 58 of the team's games, becomes the fifth major casualty in the Warriors' NBA-leading catalog of wounded. He will have an MRI exam today, after which his status will be fixed.

His knee injury came one game before the return to the lineup of forward Billy Owens, who has missed 25 straight games and 40 of the team's last 41, with torn cartilage in his left knee. Also injured are Sarunas Mar-ciulionis (tendinitis, Achilles' tendon); Chris Mullin (torn ligament, right thumb) and Alton Lister (tendinitis, right foot). Earlier this season, the team lost backup point guard Keith Jennings to a major knee injury. Sprewell, Grayer and center Victor Alexander also have been injured at one time or another. This season is no different.

In the outfield, veteran Gary Pettis and Eric Fox are dueling for what appears to be one backup spot. In the infield, journeymen Rafael Ramirez and Dale Sveum are battling for one backup job. At third base, Scott Brosius and Kevin Seitzer are the candidates to start, with Jerry Browne a possibility because he can play several positions well. The Athletics also are searching for a fifth starter from among Bob Milacki, Curt Young, Shawn Hille-gas and Joe Slusarskl. Kelly Downs might be considered, although the club seems to prefer Downs in the bullpen.

Although both teams in the CCS' first Unbeaten vs. Unbeaten basketball final are assured berths in the Northern California playoffs, Young says he and the No. 2-seeded Pirates will have no trouble getting up for the No. 1-seeded Vikings. "I'm not thinking about after the next game, because we lost the CCS final last year (to Seaside) and we want the championship bad," Young said.

"As for NorCal that's a long way off and we have one huge game before then." Gruber agreed that Saturday's matchup is the one everyone wants to see. "I want to play our game and see their game," Gruber said. "This is the first time we'll go in as underdogs and I think it will be good for us." sonal goals and say 'I'm going to get this many points or that many Personal stats don't mean that much to me. What I care about is whether I hurt or help the team. "I just like to play my game.

If that doesn't get me recognized, that's OK, as long as I'm content and my coaches are content and my teammates are content with how I've played." Count Harbor Coach Nick Adams among the contented. "We wouldn't be where we are without her," Adams said. "She gives us a little bit of everything, Please see MAHORIC B3 Textbook Cathy Mahoric, ever so 'team player' humble, key to Harbor's CCS title run i players under contract player. That honor went instead to Santa Cruz's Faith Hasty. Lesser individuals might have taken exception with the coaches' vote even considered it a slap in the face after a fabulously successful season.

But as far as Mahoric is concerned, her failure to win the MVP crown is much ado about nothing. "Faith deserves it, she's a great player," said Mahoric of the player with whom she shared the MVP award last season. "I'm not really the kind of player that looks for recognition, and not getting the MVP award is not going to get me down. I don't try to set high per n' I Royce Clayton Gets a big raise from Giants By KARL GRUBAUGH Special to the Sentinel SHE'S THE second-leading scorer in the area. She's the second-leading rebounder.

She's a recognized leader on a team that won a share of the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League girls' basketball championship and continues to pursue a Central Coast Section Division III title. But in a vote of the league's coaches at the conclusion of the regular season, Harbor High junior center Cathy Mahoric was not named the SCCAL most valuable with rookie outfielder Steve Hosey, so his 1992 contract was renewed at the major league minimum. Baker will conduct a three-inning intrasquad game today in preparation for his major league managerial debut Friday at Mesa against the Chicago Cubs. "I'm nervous, but I'm not scared," Baker said. "It was the same way before my first major league game as a player, and even the night before our first day of spring training this year." Baker added that Martinez, who has a hyperextended left elbow, might be able to play by the weekend.

Right hander Bill Swift complained of tightness in his shoulder, but expects to take his pitching turn Sunday. A's looking to fill openings for several spots on roster Baseball cards flub identity ofSoquel's Orton Page B4 Swift 's shoulder tightness a cause of concern Page B4 hander Bryan Hickerson and rookie outfielder Ted Wood also signed ahead of the deadline imposed by General Manager Bob Quinn. Lewis, who is being counted on to platoon with Dave Martinez in center field, received an Increase to $172,500. Hickerson, who was 5-3 with a 3.09 earned run average last year, signed for $187,500. Agreement could not be reached The Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.

The Oakland Athletics begin spring games Friday with several jobs available over the course of the following month. "You can tell by the number of competitions there's a lot of newness," Manager Tony La Russa said. "It's a lot like '88, there's a lot of changes. That year the experts were saying it takes a while for a team to come together. I agree it takes time.

But, hey, we've got six weeks down here." The Athletics began their run of four American League West titles in the last five years in 1988, when several changes took place..