University of South Carolina Libraries
Page 16 - April 24, 1985 Sports THE GAMECOCK f It's playoff time... -??9 uugo auyuuuy uaiu: Higginbotham The regular season. What good is it anymore? It certainly doesn't have much meaning anymore in the National Basketball Association. In the NBA, 16 of 23 teams make the "second season" while the National Hockey League places 16 of its 21 teams in the playoffs. There's somethina wrona here XJ ?-? I he NBA regular season also used to determine who would receive lhe top pick in the draft. But this season the league has implemented a lottery allowing the seven teams that did not make the playolls to have a shot at the top pick. Now, finishing with the worst record in the league has no guaranteed reward. coneeivamy, me team limslung dead last could pick seventh in the draft. The heavyweights In the NBA playoffs thus far, only six teams have a real shot of making the finals: Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, the Lakers, Denver, and Houston. The rest arc but sparring partners for the league's heavyweights. Granted, upsets can happen and often do, but what arc the chances of this happening in the NBA? Two years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the league by ousting heavily favored Boston in four games, and the New Jersey Net; upset the 76crs the following year. But the other scries weni exactly as they should have. This year, the Celtics finished with the league's besl regular season record, earning them a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a 2 - 19 start, Cleveland played decent basketball, but did they deserve a playoff berth1! No, because they finished the year 36 -46. Boston has had their hands full with the Cavs, winning by three in the opening game and by two in the second. Maybe Cleveland is that good, maybe not. Perhaps the ? .i il. *1.^ ? -i i -i i- i- - * - ? j ^cuits uiuugin nicy wuuiu orecze inrougn me series anc face the 76ers in the second round. This should happen as both Boston and Philly are leading their series, but neither team looks like the World Champs of past years. The team in the Eastern Conference that does look like championship material is Milwaukee. In what was supposed to be a "rebuilding year," the Bucks finished with the third-best record in the league. They are the perfect exam pie of a team that nr.kes the most of its ability and plays a< a unit, l.ook for them to win the Eastern Conference in ? six-game series with Boston. i ne los /\ngeies i.akers seem to nave a cake-walk to th< Western Conference finals. L.A. has outstanding talen again this year, playing the best basketball since thi All - Star break, and has a great intangible on its side Revenge. Still fuming from their seven-game loss to Bostoi last year for the NBA crown, they feel they have somethin] to prove in 1985. The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have th ability to reach the championship round, but they do no have the experience. Doug Moe has done a superb job witl the Nuggets this year, but they are having their trouble with the San Antonio Spurs in their opening-roum tu- c? ii *? n?i. \iiaysjii. i lie attiuc 15 uuc iui iiic nuu^iuii ivutKCis, Mruggl ing with the Utah Jazz at the moment. Either team coul< knock off the Lakers for the Western Conference title, bu don't look for it to happen this year. The picks The real tests in the NBA playoffs will come in the con ierence cnampionsnips. i uxe me mucks over me c eincs n the East and the Lakers over anybody in the West. In th finals, I've got a hunch this is the Lakers' year, in a tough seven-game series with Milwaukee. In the NHL, Edmonton and the "Cireat Gret/ky" wil win the Stanley Cup again. But then, anyone could win th title in either league because of the "wonderful, excititij playoffs" fortunately bestowed upon us. Believe that one and alert me when Santa Claus flies over C olumbia. Jimmy Higginbotham is a sportswriwr for I h< Gamecock and sports director <>! H 7/.VC '-/ A/. Aldrich's By Jeff Owens Charlie Aldrich continued to come through for the Gamecock baseball team last night, hitting a late-inning home run to help USC nip Virginia Tech, 9-8, at Sarge Frye Field. Aldrich led the Gamecocks last week with a .583 average and eight run batted in. Last night, he sent an eighthinning pitch over the left field fence ? his eighth of the season. "He's a battler," USC head coach June Raines said. "He comes out to play everyday. He's going to strike out some, but he's going to hit some home runs and doubles too. "He's in control of his emotions. He plays hard and in this game, you have to play with control, and he's learning to do that." USC jumped out to a 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning, as Jeff Barns waiiwu, MUll" MCVllllU ailU MOIl'll 1)11 Rob Rhinchart's double. Joe Datin then drew a base on balls, Aldrieh doubled and both came home on a double by Scott Maekie. I be Gamecocks increased their lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, w hen Barns and Rhinchart hit back-toback doubles. In the tilth, Virginia Tech closed the gap, scoring on a solo home run by second baseman Greg Mance. I'hc Mokies took the lead on a two-run homer by George C'anale, making the score 6-5. II.., r ? .- - : i i- - i in v kiiiiv. vuv. r > nil" iL'au ill tho seventh when Kieth Killian walked and scored from first on a double byDave Hollins. Hollins then scored I I'rom third on a wild pitch. The Hokies tied the score in the ; eighth when Doug Basse reached first on an error, went to third on a past ; ball and scored on a wild pitch. The score stood 7-all. > In the bottom of the eighth, ; Rhinehart walked and Aldrich hit his [ homer to give the Gamecocks the win. Righthanded senior Bo Taylor picki Tennis tearr nnnrlor nnoo UUOO I i By Brian Binette If you're thinking about asking USC h DeMars about his team's chances of goir namcnt in Athens, Ga., next month, dc You'll get the same answer now ih? when bids are released. "1 really don't know," the first-year c to be interesting to see what the comn 1 decide to choose someone to fill th tourney." The men's and women's teams s J weekend's triumph in Memphis, Tenn e captured their first Metro Champion history of USC's participation in the cc j IN THE men's half of the champions ranked 12th in the nation, started in fin< positions ? six singles and three double: I round matches. Friday's second round ? 1 doubles matches and the number one p s ing up the possibility for Metro titles ir j "We definateiy had our backs agains cond day of competition," DeMars said j worry, also, about Florida State winnii t tion, and with them being ranked behin hurt our chances for an NCAA berth.' To capture the crown on Saturday, t to win all five singles competitions left t< captured positions three through six, si ranked 84th in the nation, defeated Flori ing, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, to clinch the title by over me seminoies. e South Carolina finished the weekend ' points. Florida State had 40, while Loui: ' third with 27 points. Willi.K TIIK men's squad was the M to win the championship, l ady Garnet Hlkins and the women's team showed n< first before the tournament began. I l.atly Seminoles to nip USC in the to l ady Gamecocks had downed I SI J I . Kv s 1 ... .roln "We were delinalely al a tlisachanlaf! I Jennifer Reaull not in (lie lineup," sai homer lif ed up the win in relief, striking out three batters in one and two thirds innings. USC moved into a tie for first place r % fekM Kg^i HB USC's Brian Currie winds up against Virgi ic lAfin nnnfoi IO Will liUIIIU ibilities for r cad tennis coach Kent "There is no ai ig to the NCAA Tour- _ .4, >n't bother. t83ITIS, it S ju it you'll get May i2, thinks should j oach said. "It's going lit lee does when they e final slot for the before the tourne ire coming off last the season with a where both squads with her in the r ship in the two-year gone, this signifii infprcnrf nbu " The Lady Gar ;hips, ihc Gamecocks, slump that made e fashion with all nine Metros; instead, I s ? winning their first round to whip th iaw USC lose all three In the semifina osition in singles, giv- beat 8-1 earlier ir i those positions. championship m; t the wall after the se- record in the spri I. "I was beginning to semifinals. 6 i??v viiiii v vv/aupvia" d us, that could really THE POSS ' blowout early as he Gamecocks needed ches, capturing tl 3 play. After USC had suspended, as U5 enior Ricardo Acioly, Freshman Riu ida State's Scott Bless- Fla., was named a narrow two points ships, finising thi Now comes tht with a team total of 42 decisions by NO sville came in a distant ths to the respect While the wor spring, the men h letro coaches' favorite at 2 p.m. to finisl :ock head coach Arlo will be about th 1 signs of being seeded month, though, he coaches chose the OF TIIK 16 sf lirili'V I'VCII tin- linnri' llmi IS li'j! a month earliei in ihc (iamecocks I ouisiana and V x going iimo piay Willi going to posl-sc;i id a conccrned I Ik ins ts use with the Hokies in the Northern Division of the Metro Conference. The two teams, both 10-5, play again tonight in HAiiKlnhpoHnr hnoinninn at f\ n m u UUUU1VIIVUUVI UV5llllllllg 41 U p.Ill, I < kWKKtm {> inia Tech last night at Sarge Frye Field. rence titles, JCAA play ..A A!- A_ -I . . uxomanc way 10 cnoose me at-iarge st whoever that particular board * ]o at that particular time." Kent Demars USC men's tennis coach y. Reault, a freshman starter, was lost late in i foot injury. "We squeezed out the 5-4 win lumber four singles slot, and now with her :antly weakens our doubles as well as singles necocks showed no signs of the late-season for a three-match losing streak going into the JSC won all 18 sets played in the quarterfinal e Lady Bearcats 9-0. Is, USC defeated Virginia Tech, a team they i the season, 7-2, to advance into Saturday's atch against Tulane ? a team with a 28-4 ng and a 6-3 whipping of Florida State in the IBILITY of a close match turned into a the Lady Gamecocks won all six singles matie Metro title 6-0. The doubles matches were SC had already clinched the championship, i Winebarger, a native of Satellite Beach, Most Outstanding Player of the champion- * e season with a singles mark of 31-3. : hard part. Both men and women must await \A committees to determine the at-large berive championships. nen have completed dual-meet play for the ave a match today, hosting Georgia Southern i out the regular season. The main discussion e avenues USC can take into Athens next mts given to ton ins nationwide, DeMars can e already been determined, lor the final slot, are in the hum with (':ilil"nriiia fslnrilwa^f liami, each of which has their own ease tor ison play. ( See "Tennis," page 18