The daily collegian. (University Park, Pa.) 1940-current, February 29, 1996, Image 8

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    8 The Daily Collegian
SidelineysY
A brief look at the world of sports
Scores
Baseball
Florida Marlins 5, University of
Miami (Fla.) 4
NBA
Boston 121, Charlotte 116
Orlando 116, Miami 112
Atlanta 90, Portland 88
Seattle 94, Detroit 80
Phoenix 117, Minnesota 93
Utah 115, Washington 93
LA. Lakers 99, Vancouver 80
Sacramento 90, New York 85
NHL
Edmonton 4, Hartford 4, tie
Buffalo 3, Ottawa 2
Boston 3, N.Y. Rangers 1
Philadelphia 4, Dallas 4, tie
Winnipeg 4, Toronto 3
Tampa Bay 5, Los Angeles 1
Anaheim 5, Montreal 2
Schedulei: k :
Mmm, baseball
Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh at Braden
ton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
University of Georgia vs. Atlanta at
West Palm Beach, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Cal St.-Fullerton vs. California
Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
San Diego vs. Seattle at Peoria,
Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
NHL
Washington at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
N.Y. Islanders at Detroit, 7:30 p.m
Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.
St. Louis at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m
NBA
Orlando New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.
Golden State at Indiana, 7:30 p.m.
Cleveland at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at Houston, 8:30 p.m.
Toronto at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.
Dallas at Denver, 9 p.m.
Sacramento at L.A. Clippers, 10:30
p.m.
In brief
Padres, Mets to play
in Mexico in August
SAN DIEGO The San Diego
Padres and New York Mets are
going south of the border for
major league baseball's first reg
ular-season venture outside the
United States and Canada.
Their Aug. 16-18 series will be
played in Monterrey, Mexico,
because of scheduling conflicts
at Jack Murphy Stadium.
"What began as a scheduling
problem evolved into a real
opportunity for us to break new
ground for major league base
ball," Padres president Larry
Lucchino said Wednesday.
Frazier reportedly
hospitalized again
LINCOLN, Neb. Former
Nebraska quarterback Tommie
Frazier is in the hospital.
Suzanne McMasters, spokes
woman at Bryan Memorial Hos
pital, confirmed Wednesday that
Frazier had been admitted but
would not disclose details.
The Omaha World-Herald
quoted Frazier's mother, Priscil
la Frazier, as saying her son was
undergoing tests to determine if
another blood clot had formed in
his right leg.
Frazier was admitted to Bryan
on Monday for a sinus infection
that worsened during a weekend
autograph session in Norfolk,
Mrs. Frazier said.
Quote of the day
"I I had a chance to sit
down and talk and have
breakfast with my hero,
and we talked hitting and
it was just a blast."
Dante Bichette
Colorado Rockies outfielder on his
meeting with hitting legend Ted
Williams
Compiled from Collegian staff and
wire reports.
Three-Pete tames Wildcats
By MICHAEL SIGNORA
Collegian Sports Writer
With guard Pete Lisicky con
necting on a barrage of three
point bombs, Penn State's offense
was too much for Northwestern,
as the No. 12 Lions turned in a
solid performance, winning 78-62
last night before 14,008 at the
Bryce Jordan Center.
Lisicky was magnificent
throughout, pouring in 29 points
on 11-of-14 shooting, including a
7-of-10 effort from downtown,
breaking the school record for
most three pointers in a season.
The stellar sophomore missed
his first attempt of the night but
then drained 10 straight, getting
off quick shots from various
spots beyond the arc.
"It seemed like we were getting
great looks off screens," Lisicky
said. "I don't know whether to
credit our guys with setting good
picks or if they just weren't con
centrating on stopping me."
But looks are one thing and bas
kets another. Lisicky had no prob
lem with either category, consis
tently shooting from long range
or driving to the hole.
With Penn State (20-4, 11-4)
nursing a 12-6 lead early in the
first half, the Whitehall native
scored 11 consecutive points,
first slashing to the basket for a
layup and then nailing three con
secutive three pointers.
Lisicky headed to the hoop
more often than in recent games,
but admitted it is not his strength.
"It's something I'm working on
and I have been working on,"
Lisicky said. "If I feel I can do it
against a certain player or a cer
tain team, I will. That's not my
forte at all. If it's there I'll take it,
but I'm not looking to drive."
Northwestern (7-18, 2-14) had
no answer for Lisicky, and guard
Geno Carlisle, the Wildcats back-
court star, was a non factor. "As a coach you don't want to
Carlisle entered the game averag- see mistakes because if done
ing 20 points per game, but enough, they become a habit,"
Lisicky and teammates bottled up Dunn said. "I thought our guys
the sparkling shooter, holding played very solid defense and for
Carlisle to just 11 points. the most part kept Carlisle out of
Lion coach Jerry Dunn was the game."
pleased with Penn State's defen- On the rare occasion when
sive intensity, noting that when Northwestern's deft guard
his team mounted a sizable lead, maneuvered past his initial pur
defenders stayed tough. suers, center Calvin Booth proved
Cager offense exudes Flex appeal
By DAVID COMER
Collegian Sports Writer
The coaches put in long hours of prepara
tion, often into the wee hours of the morning
studying film to learn an opponent's tendan
cies, for a situation like last night.
Before the Lion basketball team's game
against Northwestern at the Bryce Jordan
Center yesterday, which Penn State won 78-
62, coach Jerry Dunn saw something on tape
he thought his team could take advantage of.
It was the way the Wildcats switched on
screens in their man-to-man defense that
Dunn and his staff noticed. Running the Flex
offense, a half-court set involving a series of
picks that often produces opportunities in the
post or open jumpers from the elbow, would
exploit the Northwestern defense. And it did.
Hall can't hyde both sides of her fiery persona
By GEOFF MOSHER
Collegian Sports Writer
When Ohio State's Katie Smith missed the game
tying trifecta on senior night in Columbus, Ohio, it
was a freshman who grabbed the last rebound.
Lady Lion freshman Shauntai Hall ripped the board
from the air and protected it like a mother does a new
born, preventing the Lady Bucks from winning their
final game in St. John Arena.
"No one is getting this thing," the freshman Hall
said of the final rebound enabling Penn State to pre
vail 72-69. "Nobody is taking this thing from me."
It was the biggest game in the freshman's career,
yet she played like a veteran who's been there before.
Not only was in the game during crunch time, she pro
duced. "I was really happy to be in there in such a big
game like this," Hall said.
That's just the attitude the freshman has brought to
the Lady Lion basketball program since day one in
Happy Valley. Every time her 5-foot-11 frame walks
onto the floor, the opponents aren't aware of what lies
ahead but soon feel the wrath.
In only the second game of the season, against St.
Francis, Hall played 22 minutes. She lead the team
with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including her first
three pointer of her collegiate career.
"She came in the game and just took it too 'ern,"
Lady Lion Angie Potthoff said. "That's just an added
bonus to her game."
Hall's success hasn't,given her supreme confidence
yet. She still believes she is a student of the game,
surrounded by the best professors.
Hall attributes her clutch composure to being a
spectator of those who have lived to tell namely
Potthoff and the seniors.
"I have a lot of work to do, I'm still learning," Hall
said. "The college game is a lot of information for a
freshman to digest. The seniors have had a big impact
on all of the freshman. Without them, 'I don't think I
would have made the transition as well."
Her high school coach, Kamala Meikle, agrees that
Lion man-of-the-hour Pete Lisicky lays one off glass and out of the reach of Northwestern's center Dan
Kreft (55). Lisicky poured in a game-high 29 points while setting the team season three-point record.
Penn State guard Pete Lisicky was the
biggest benefactor, finding himself wide open
for medium-range jumpers or three pointers.
He netted 29 points to help the Lions to their
best offensive showing sir ce a 95-point out
burst six games ago at lowa. '
"That's something just by scouting we
noticed," Lisicky said. "Credit to the big men
that were coming down and setting the
screens for me and the guys that were getting
me the ball in good position. They weren't
guarding it well."
Though the Lions got a lot of easy opportu
nities in transition and out of their regular
motion offense, each time the game got slop
py, it seemed as if they turned to the Flex. It
settled them down. They would get into the
Flex, set their crisp screens, make their sharp
cuts and get their open looks at the basket.
Hall has hasn't reached her full potential, which is
awfully odd considering she broke almost every
school record.
Hall dominated the waxed floors of Albert Gallatin
High School in Masontown as a four-year starter.
When it was over, she was the school's leading point
scorer (1, 937) and rebounder (1,193). But she played
defense too, compiling 171 steals, 137 blocks and 134
assists to add to her overstocked resume of hard-court
accolades.
"Her first step is deadly," Meikle said. "And if you
had to play her man to man you're dead."
Added to her billboard of basketball honors is a
1995 USA Today Pennsylvania Player of the Year,
Western Pennsylvania Coaches Player-of-the-Year
and Nike All-American status. In her senior year she
averaged 30.5 points, 16.7 rebounds, and shot 61 per
cent from the floor. But even more impressive she
can grab rim.
A player with so much air-time and talent could talk
all day about how she dominated this and that, but
Hall is the complete opposite. Almost like Dr. Jekyl
and Mr. Hyde she's unstoppable in a game, yet sub
dued off the floor.
"She's a very quiet individual," Meikle said "But
she became an absolute terror on the court."
It's no magic potion that gives Hall a split personal
ity, just a campus of 30,000 ; plus strangers. "I have
always been that way. I would be nervous speaking in
front of people," Hall said, mentioning her fear of tak
ing Speech Communications 100 A. "I'm determined to
get out of it."
Hall is destined to become a star and Lady Lion
coach Rene Portland said she'll do it the way past
Lady Lions have reacted to superstardom with
class.
"She will be one of our great stars," Portland
extolled. "And she will do it the way the others have
done it. She really fits in to what we want done here at
Penn State."
Portland wants winning done at Penn State, and
what better person to win with than Hall.
a formidable foe. The redshirt just too much to overcome.
freshman recorded five blocked "I thought their team defense
shots, often inspiring the crowd was excellent. They were intimi
with his defensive antics. Booth dating at times and we couldn't
also pulled down a career high 12 get anything going inside," Byrd
rebounds. song said. "We had our drives
Wildcats coach Ricky Byrdsong rejected and Lisicky's three-point
credited Penn State for an out- shooting broke our backs."
standing effort, and said the corn- Penn State hopes the combina
bination of Lisicky's scintillating tion continues with the NCAA
shooting and stifling defense was tournament on the horizon.
At its basic level, the Flex relies on back
screens set on the baseline to get open shots
in the paint, preferably layups. But the
offense can cause confusion for defenses
because the player who sets the back-pick
then has a• down-screen set for him. Defend
ers can get lost in the barrage of screens, as
the Northwestern players often did.
"I thought we did a nice job executing the
Flex," Dunn said. "A guy like (their leading
scorer Geno) Carlisle, we want to wear him
down and make him guard screens."
The Lions' plan worked. It was devised in
the days before the game, when the coaches
were in their offices staring at a TV screen
watching tape after tape.
"That was a good scouting thing," Lisicky
said. "We knew we'd be able to run the Flex
against them."
Lady Lion Shauntai Hall tears down a board against !Illinois on Jan. 26
Hall stepped up at the end of the Ohio State game with a key rebound
Thursday, Feb. 29, 1996
Icers
freeze
Devils
On the road to a second
straight ACHA
championship final, Icers
topple Arizona State, 4-0.
By JIM lOVINO
Collegian Sports Writer
The No. 2-ranked Icers gave
what coach Joe Battista called "one
of our best defensive perfor
mances of the season" en route to a
4-0 shutout of Arizona State last
night. Leading the way for the
Icers were seniors Rob Keegan,
who scored twice, and Derek
Lecours, who stopped all 27 shots
he faced to get the win.
Penn State's offense started the
game slowly, failing to convert on
two power play opportunities in the
first period. Luckily for the Icers,
Arizona State's offense was just as
cold. The teams skated to a score
less tie at the end of the first.
"We were a little jittery," Bat
tista said. "We made a few mis
takes and their goaltender played
well in the first. But we calmed
down in the second period."
The offense finally started to
fire on all pistons four minutes into
the second period when senior
Chad Markowitz tallied a power
play goal on a rebound off a Matt
Johnson shot. Just one minute, 30
seconds later, Keegan scored on
the power play as well. Assists
went to Brent Brower and Rich
Martha.
The rest of the second period
was controlled by a stingy Penn
State defense. Late in the period,
the Icers found themselves down
by two men, but the penalty killing
unit, led by seniors Andrew Barnes
and Matt Cavrak, staved off the Ice
Devils' attack. Penn State went
back to the locker room at the end
of the period holding a 2-0 advan
tage.
"The Crash Line," which was
broken up during the second half
of the season, returned in grand
style at Nationals. The trio of Eddie
Kmit, Mike Pietrangelo and Tom
Please see ICERS, Page 14.
Seedings for round-robin
ACHA National
Tournament
Pool. A
No, 1 Ohio University (25-24* •
No. +Easter Michigan (244240
No. 4:Achigan-Dearbortt 0-15-2)
No. 81A1/Elyt
Pool B
No. 2 Penn State (26-3-1)
No. 3 Arizona (22-5-1)
No. 6 lowa State (27-7-2)
No. 7 Arizona State
Collegian Graphic/Walter Barrueto