• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-03-05_Vol52_No20_04

Sport s The Western Carolinian 4 Thursday.^arch 5, 1987 Cats Stun Chattanooga Floyd Showers on Mocs' Parade PERFECT By CHRIS GEIS SPORTS WRITER ASHEVILLE, Feb. 27 - An incredibly disappointing season for Western Carolina was almost completely washed away this evening by one 15-foot jump shot from Floyd Showers. Showers canned his jumper with nine seconds left in overtime and gave the Catamounts a stunning 73-72 victory over Tennessee-Chattanoogaa in the first round of the Southern Conference basketball tournament. Western Carolina, playing its best game of the year, got an extra lift from Showers, who did not miss from the field or from the free throw line, and the Catamounts pulled off one of the biggest upsets in conference tournament history by beating the Moccasins, the regular season runnersup in the Southern. The victory was the Catamounts' first overtime triumph in their 10 years of Southern Conference tournament play, and it ended three years of frustration for the Catamount seniors — Richard Rogers, Spotlight Walker, and Chris Tipton — who had never won a league playoff game before in their careers at Western. The Catamounts lost last year in overtime to Appalachian State, 63- 62, and the year before to Virginia Military, 65-63, also in overtime. They also dropped a first round game to Furman in 1984 by a 71-67 count. "It's one of the biggest wins we've ever had, if not the biggest," said an excited and sweat- drenched head coach Steve Cottrell, after a wild post-game celebration "The timing, the situation, the team, and being in Ashevilie That was a great game tonight. I'm so happy for our kids. I'm really excited for them "We might even win the NCAAs!' The Cata mounts survived a 10- foot jumper by Lance Fulse, who was inside the foul lane, to win their first game in six tries at the Ashevilie Civic Center. Fulse had gotten a pass from Moccasin guard Maurice Head with about three seconds left, but Fulse missed the shot, and Morris Lyons, who grabbed the rebound, wasn'table to put up a shot before time had expired. The Moccasins elected not to call a timeout after Showers' basket, instead rushing the ball up the floor on a semi-fast break on which they found Fulse just outside the key. Said UTC coach Mac McCarthy: "We were better off, I thought, than they were without the timeout. We knew .where we were going on the fast break. We knew what we were doing. I'd take that shot, inside the free throw line, again." Chattanooga fought back in regulation by hitting two three- point field goals, one by Cornelius Crank and the other by Lyons, in the last 53 seconds, and the score was tied at 66 when Western gained possession and called a timeout with 10 seconds left. Robert Hutchinson, who was four of six from the field and had Wildcats Subdue Catamounts,85-76 Season-Old Second Half Cold Snap Afflicts Western For the Last Time By CHRIS GEIS SPORTS WRITER ASHEVILLE, Feb. 28 - For three halves of basketball in the 1987 Southern Conference tournament, Western Carolina will be remembered as a very good team. The only blemish from a tournament that took away many scars from a 10-19 season will be the 85-76 loss here today to Davidson in the tournament's semifinals. Derek Rucker, the Wildcats' junior all-conference guard, scored 24 points in the blemished second half, and that was the reason the Wildcats advanced to play Marshall in Sunday's championship game while Western ended its season and surprise showing in the tournament. After leading by 39-35 at halftime against the defending tournament champions, Western fell prey to a superb 20-minute performance by Rucker, who in that span was seven of seven from the field, including three-pointers, and had ended with a game-high 34 points. "We had a spurt there in the second half where we just couldn't stop Rucker, and we had to use some of our timeouts. Rucker really played well. That spurt put us away," said Western coach Steve Cottrell. We went to three different defenses on Rucker to stop him: the zone, man-to-man, and finally a two-chaser. The two-chaser was the only thing that slowed him, but by then it was too late, because they had a 12- or 14- point lead." The key spurt in the second see DAVIDSON next page Floyd Showers hit all eight of his field goals and both of hisfree throws in the Cats' 73-72 upset of UTC in the Southern Conference tournament. He also scored the winning basket with nine seconds left in overtime. eight points, was just short on a 15- foot jumper from the left side of the key, however (trie ball was on target, but hit the front end of the rim and bounced back), and Andre Gault was unable to tip it in as time expired. It was an ominous sign for the Catamounts, for in the 1985 and '86 overtime losses in the tournament's first round, Tipton Thundering Herd Champs Coal Miners Cheer as Marshall Edges D.C. for Tourney Title ASHEVILLE, March 1 - After 44 minutes and 59 seconds of first-rate basketball, if was only logical that the last and deciding basket in Sunday night'-s- Southern Conference tournament final come from either of the two men who dominated the three-day tournament: Skip Henderson of Marshall or Derek Rucker of Davidson. The two playmaking guards for two of the league's best teams dominated portions of the tournament as few other point guards in the Southern Conference ever have, and each was the main reason their teams were in the championship game. It was Henderson who almost single- handedly spurred Marshall past Appalachian State in Friday's first round, scoring 17 of his 21 points and making all five of his steals in the second half as the Thundering Herd went from a 33-27 halftime deficit against the tournament's eighth seed to a 76-61 romp. And Rucker took complete control in his team's Saturday afternoon semifinal game with Western Carolina, scoring 24 of his 34 points in the second half as the Wildcats also went from a halftime deficit to a solid victory. As it turned out, Rucker was named the tournament's most valuable player, but Henderson did the most important thing: he tipped back a missed Marshall shot with one second left in overtime against tne Wildcats to give his Tt i '"Herd tema a '66-64 overtime vict' the Southern Confe championship, Marshall's third The Herd now moves 011 the third time in four years, and that eluded them in tl appearances, in 1984 and I "It's unbelieveable," Hend team's victory celebration at Ashevilie Civic Center, a celebratic couple of thousand Marshall fans i feel like we have the material to g round. It's just up to us. If we want lo do it.., it. There's just no telling; we could go all II the Final Four" Henderson's winning bask* up for the one-and-one free-throwopportunity thot he it:; with 23 seconds remaining in overtime If alii Davidson guard Chris Heinemc layup after going one-and-one ii seconds left on the Herd s Dwayr Heineman's basket tied the score a' Marshall could not get.'off regulation ended "I was trying too hard,7 Hendersoi wasn't relaxed. I feel I play betk >sure see CHAMPS next page and Rogers each missed shots that could, have won the game in regulation But the Catamounts held their composure, and came back from deficits in the overtime period to beat the Mocs in the postseason for the first tin Crank hit two field throws with 2:10 left to give UTC a 72-70 lead, and the Catamounts didn't score again until Walker, a teammate of Crank's at Gastonia Ashbrook High, was fouled by Crank, his fifth i Hid hit the front end of a one- and-one with 58 seconds left, making the score 72-71. see MOCS next page SOUTHERN CONFERENCE ALL- TOURNAMENT TEAM FIRST TEAM Derek Rucker, Davidson(MVP) Skip Henderson, Marshall Rodney Holden. Marshall Jeff Himes, Davidson John Castille, Furman SECOND TEAM Robert Hill, Western Carolina Dwayne Lewis, Marshall Craig Burgess, The Citadel Floyd Showers. Western Carolina Tom Curry, Marshall HONORABLE MENTION Chris Heineman, Davidson John Humphrey, Marshall Ace Tanner, Davidson Lance Fulse, UT-Chattanooga Cheerleader Missy Conley, a Wesl-: ilinian All- Tournament pick, watches tensely as the final seconds of Western's upset win over UTC tick away. HERE COMES THE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIII New Wave niiuuiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii With Top Seed Tad Grafton Leading the Way and a Corps of Talented Players Following, Western's Tennis Program is on the Road to Riches team, was waiting.. ;!y not having the tinn'i gard Grafton's serve le, he punched a return dowi outside lii :ourt, where Gratton ent it back at court diagonal 1. The ball bare! dropping, was there, retui for an even m< >gled winner. 'The whole je of shots had tal seconds. as in session. ;k to the s ie, shaking his head at Jaggers return and saying, "I'm getting old. man". He may be getting older, but he is also -- as the cliche goes - getting better. Gratton is a senior and the top seed of a WCU team that has a surplus of talented freshman players. The division is •perience and 1 seniors Gratton, Ed Jagg \ndy Jhanji; and the irreverant New Wave energy of the ■ freshmen ho will be am for the Senior Tad Gratton exhibits a polished backhand. EDWIN CARLTON PHOTO < * tgtttM By GORDON GRANT SPORTS WRITER The ball hung for a moment before it began its descent, and during that moment Tad Gratton was frozen, his body bent back into an arc of potential energy. Then the potential became kinetic as he whipped his racket around into an example of the serve that is one of the fastest in the Southern Conference. The ball went off fhe racket at a tangent of precise and seemingly unreturnable velocity into the corner of the opposite service court. There Ed Jaggers, Grafton's doubles partner and the third ranked man on WCU's tennis next four years. Seniors and freshmen play for the same team, and are all supportive of each other during practice, but as coach Bill Hyatt pointed out while we watched: "It is an individual's sport: no team can help you during the match. You're on your own". This striving for individual excellence makes for a creative tension that, though friendly, pervades a practice. Each player uses his best shots, goes for winners, and perhaps privately contemplates when a friend and opponent may be challenged in a match to see who will play at a higher ranking for the team The atmosphere is not unlike that depicted in a recent and hugely popular movie about fighter pilots - though for this season it appears that Tad Gratton is Top Gun. As long as the internal competition is friendly - and it is - Coach Hyatt feels it is positive 'We ate infinitely stronger ttian last year", he said, as he watched freshman Jay PhedSdnt and sophomore Carroll Purcell hammering at one another on one of the middle courts. "Jay Pheasant is already our second seeded player, and had an 80-2 won/lost record at his Pennsylvania high school. Carroll is a transfer whom we're fortunate to have: he had one loss during high school in Georgia. He may fee one of the hardest hitters on the lam." Purcell confirmed the Judgement with a fast, flat drive down the line, passing Pheasant, who was hastening to the net. I turned toward the next court, where a dark-haired young man was executing a well-controlled half-volley. "Alan Valzola", said Hyatt. "From Venezuela. Graceful player. He and Andy Jhanji are our second-seeded doubles team, right behind Ed Jaggers and Gratton." Andy Jhanji walked past us toward the courts. "Hey coach, have you seen Robbie's hair?" Hyatt laughed. "I don't want to look. What color is it now?" On the farthest court the target of their comments exchanged shots with his teammate, Terry Xanthos. Robbie McRary may be the most flamboyant example of the energy of youth that animates the team. His hair was a vivid orange that had been combed out into a thick uniform pelt, rather like the fur of a Himalayan Panda. The sun glinted on his earring as he dove for a backhand "Lastweek," said Bryce Bishop, the women's tennis coach, and a former pro circuit player, "Robbie's hair looked kind of like a leopard's. You know, speckled?" He may receive a lot of comment, but the team benefits from his presence. Robbie is a walk-on, a more than pleasant surprise for coach Hyatt, and a player who was ranked 27th in the USTA 18 and under rankings while pldying in high school at Lenoir, N.C. He is presently fifth seeded in singles and third in doubles, playing with Jay Pheasant. Terry Xanthos, the player raJlying with Robbie, is another exceptionally talented freshman. He was 5th-ranked in South Carolina high schools last year, and may well be playing higher than his present 8th position on the team were it not for an injury he suffered earlier this year. "He was up at Appalachian State this fall," saia Hyatt, "and was doing an interview for an announcer, when the balcony they were standing on collapsed. I think they fell a story. Terry's wrist was hurt pretty badly, and he'sjust now getting bockinto see TENNIS page 6

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1987-03-05
  • Date digitized: 2019-04-09
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 15"
  • Pages: 8 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-03-05_Vol52_No20
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library