University of South Carolina Libraries
Sports H v.---i:HV g|||griy-r^-?.| i --r- fe . "";>L,:I^~;Iv.VHF oHV^B ---. 1| jjjjP" 'tgy"J~:: !;.!r .;^''riT^fe. i-:--"_- 40 SI" ' If SHS " I: B '' M 1' - IB RAY GROf Head coach Mark Berson exorts his team at the start of Clemson yesterday. Loss to Clemsoi By TRACY MIXSON Managing editor At first, they hoped for a national championship. Then it was merely a spot among the Top 20 with a trip to a major bowl. After a few losses, it turned into a quest for a minor bowl bid and a strueele for a winnino r**nr*rA But by late Saturday afternoon, all the Gamecocks wanted was a chance to forget a season of frustration and pain. Following a 10-2 finish in 1984, USC's football team was expected to contend for the national title and was ranked among the country's elite in preseason polls. ^ ?. * 'ji *" W - \ kl fcV '... . ' m n BP! l ? -a _ '.>.^7 I - HHB 4 ^HT ;v _KHSj|^|E| Keith James' injury late in the game was part of a disapp Poor foul shootim H By GREGG LASKY jumper with two Sports editor the half and m USC head basketball coach Bill throws. Foster's youthful, new-look Poor foul sh< basketball team didn't start their Gamecocks prove* season as they had planned, los- made just 17 of 2 ing to Wisconsin 68-65 Friday at the game and 10 ( Carolina Coliseum. cond half. i nc uamecocks were in con- With the excep trol early, jumping out to a 29-19 Dozier, who rnad lead on a Michael Foster jump free throws, all C shot with 7:38 left in the first trouble making th half. But Wisconsin cut USC's "The free throw lead to 37-34 when Foster fouled as much as anyl Tom Molaski on a 20-foot said. They (Wis Soccer Continued L'l\ m?bbcd on the muddy field by Hn 1^5 ^'s delirious teammates and hundreds of Carolina fans who made I Sunday's victory ? recorded as a 1-0 final ? makes USC the tjgg|? Southern Region champion and sets up a meeting with American University, winners of the MidAtlantic Region, in the third round of the NCAA playoffs. The Gamecocks are three vicH tories away from a national | championship. : j Nearly 7,000 soccer fans 1 assembled at Clemson's Riggs Sa Field for the 10th meeting bet ween the two bitter rivals, and, H with the season on the line, both B teams fought desperately to net the goal that would make the difference in the tightly-marked defensive struggle. - H But a spectacular save by Clemson fullback Bernard Gray, . excellent goalkecping on both ends of the field and suffocating - - - Bk defense by both teams prevented g|^ the goal from being scored. After m 110 minutes of desperate play, the match was decided on penalty __ SglfP kicks. Both teams had their share of Hj| near misses. With 23:15 gone, Danny Ratcliff beat Tiger keeper IBERG/The Gamecock Chris Dudley to a back pass overtime .gainst ^out 15 Va;ds in fron' of ,hc Clemson goal. n ends season c * But Saturday's 24-17 loss to archrival Clemson capped off perhaps the Gamecocks' most disappointing season for a final 5-6 record. Tiger running back Kenny Flowers rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns^ while the defense took advantage of two Gamecock fumbles and an interception to lead Clemson over USC. Down 14-3 in the second half, the Tigers rallied to tic the score at 14 just before halftime on a field goal and touchdown with a two-point conversion. USC took the ball at the start of the second half, but promptly gave it up on a fumble by Kent Hagood on the Gamecocks' 25-yard line. Six plays later, quarterback Rodney Williams hit Flowers up WB3BBS l3SB SflP^iisS x# Jr /; Mt^'^ ointing season opener for USC j costly in Gamec seconds left in eight for eight in the end, and ade both free we're making one for three. I thought we had a great chance if | noting by the we step up to the line and shoot J costly, as they like we've been shooting ? about < ,9 foul shots in 75 or 76 percent, which we've 1 3f 18 in the se- been shooting in scrimmages." Wisconsin controlled the tem po in the second half as guard I >tion of Terry Rick Olson, who finished with 16 I le six of eight points, ignited the Badgers with ] iamecocks had two key steals ? one a crucial ! eir foul shots. three-point play on a breakaway s really hurt us for which Foster was called for a t thing," Foster blocking foul. That gave Wiscon- I iconsin) made sin a 66-63 lead with 1:13 left and 1 from page 1. ' Dudley threw himself at j Ratcliff's feet and partially ' * blocked the shot, but the ball ,lA^?. m,j /-fl rolled on towards the empty goal for what seemed to be a sure vAm goal. But as the Carolina fans celebrated, Gray motored after -4^^ . I. _ U-ll ' ' inv: uan ana kickco it clear just as vw.- < On it reached the goal-line. teHbt Then with Clemson attacking JBj straight up the middle, striker Bruce Murray headed a ball forward to teammate to Dick I.an- ffl dgren in the Gamecock penalty ?mT|I area. Landgren headed Murray's jPjBftAH11! pass toward the USC goal. The ball looked to pass just under the _ jj net's crossbar, but Gamecock keeper Warren Lipka timed his leap perfectly and pushed the ball over the top for a Clemson corner USC head coach Mark Berson commended his team. j&aOTj ?1? s _r .? i 111 prouu 01 me worK mis tryfr team has done to get this far, and I'm convinccd, with the way they're playing that they can go even farther," he said. ^ Assistant coach Trevor Adair recalled the final penalty kick that assured USC the win. "1 remember that last penalty (kick) going in and, the keeper going the other way," he said. "Everybody played really, really well ? everybody gave a hundred percent. I'm just really proud of ? ? ... Jhem " Goalkeeper Warrc ing the shootout. J I ^? x ii iiusiraiiun to the middle for the game-winning touchdown. In the fourth quarter, USC faced fourth down on the Tigers' four-yard line, and Gamecock head coach Joe Morrison elected to go for a field goal. But Scott Hagler, who earlier kicked a career-best 54-yarder, missed the attempt, and the Tigers turned their next possession into a field goal of their own for the game's final margin. "The snap was a little low, but that's no excuse," Hagler said. "1 take full blame for not making it. We were hoping to draw them offsides on the play and get a first down, but when that didn't happen, we decided to kick it anyway. There was no reason > why 1 shouldn't have made a kick from that short " Staff writer I ball team opened expectations Fr | defeanng^ou^ sieDS>5?-i'l^K'Wffl$0B A11 - A m e r i c Brantley Southei /J|PR$ Gamecocks with rebounds, start hopes to be her ? injury free. Another first i H iseum Friday nigl ning of highly Parker's college < Parker, wh - ] shooting guard, i i points, four rebc ^"jr~ j cheering fans fro mond Academy. | Head coach N ?nei second year pleased with sev the Lady Gamea "1 thought it \ game," Wilson fense was smo tinuous, and 01 justed well. We needed to do." On the other h sec room for imp "I would like t the court faster little sooner to t said. But overall, ments were posit ?nv ivciuvi 111 j/ U guard Mindy B _ 8 _ _ _ shooting of South OCKS lOSS The seniors wc players needed though. Wilson p iced the game for the Badgers. 10-member bench Terry Dozier led USC with 16 in eight points ani points, and Linwood Moye had and gave the star 13. The Badgers were led by casional breather. Dlson and guard Shelton Smith "These people I with 16 apiece. are definitely goi play," Wilson sai Wisconsin shot just 47 percent clad fr? for the game but shot 12 for 15 The Lady Game from the foul line. USC shot 44 ponent is the percent from the field and only Nevada at Las Ve 59 percent from the foul line. big game at UI The Gamecocks face UNLV ladies are rankei onight in Las Vegas and return Women's Basketl lome Wednesday to play vice Preseason To Maryland-Eastern Shore. In order fo ~>T-"3^g -^? t mm "'' jV'iv *< ? wllp m "s&gfg 88B Lggfftji - . vfc t^H p*< .^*,^^ffliM^RIHKii^SWroT^HBBflS5BflHBI I RAY GRONBERG/Tto Gamecock l_ ? ;_?. ? 111 Lipua waicnes as a teammate attempts a penalty kick durr Gamecocks out. "I really don't think Clctnson beat us ? we beat ourselves," Haglcr continued. "Turnovers really ? hurt us, and they were able to take advantage of them." Morrison agreed. "We knew whoever made the least mistakes would win the game, and that's what happened," he said. "That turnover in the second half really hurt us. They scored the touchdown, and that put us behind for the rest of the game. -we also used a couple of timeouts on defense in the second half that we would have liked to have Sm "Football," p?f? 7. ^ 5amecocks defeat Bulldogs in opener I Gamecocks to keep up with UNLV and the many other Top mecock basket- 20 teams USC will face this year, a season of high Wilson said teamwork will be a iday night by necessity, on defense especially, Carolina State because this year's team does not have thf* arm cnnn nf 1or? ? ?. - ... v; 1 IUJI JTWCXK 3. a candidate "We're not taking up a whole s led the Lady lot of room," Wilson said. 28 points and 12 Therefore, the Lady ing what she Gamecocks will have to work as a best season ever team to keep their defense strong. The Lady Gamecocks will also it Carolina Col- have to call on teamwork in the it was the begin- rebounding department, as they touted Martha are not as tall as UNLV across :areer. the board. o started at :ontributed four tunds MBHflHBHBHHHflHHI m nearby Ham- G - | anrv Wilcrvn at USC, was l _ 7 _ j aspects of - v-;' | )cks" victory. a good first vV^j "Our oth and con- ^Hj^^Hj^pj^gSj^r & j| jr defense S did what we ^ and, Wilson did ft "*h oail_up ^ 1 four rebounds pll-Jlf ting five an oc(the substitutes) T ing to have to d, and she was -cucrs ucm opUniversity of gas tonight in a NJLV. UNLV's d 16th in the RAY GfiO*SERGm? Immmtk jail News Ser- . ... . _ ? . . p 20 Poll. USCt M,ntfV Bailee tad ?4|fct gft r the L.ady assittt S.C. Stall w |