Alton Telegraph Mizzou Illinois Game

Sports

SECTION IE TELEGRAPH lursday, December 23, 1993

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issouri wins Shootout

bord Erratic FT shooting spells defeat for Illini By MARK PIERCE Telegraph sports writer

STEVE PORTER

ST. LOUIS — Missouri and Illinois saved the best for last. In the final Braggin' Rights game to be played at the St. Lou's Arena, the Tigers and Fight.ng Illini sent the Old Barn out in style. Mizzou emerged from the triple-overtime thriller with a 108-107 victory Wednesday night. Next year's game will be held in the new Kiel Center, but the games at the Arena won't soon be forgotten. Illinois won nine of .the 13 contests at the site, but Missouri has won the last three. Wednesday's game had more ups and downs than any roller coaster ride, keeping the 18,273 fans on the edge of hysteria most of the night. Missouri held a 13point lead in the second half, only to watch the Illini reel off a 26-4 run. But Illinois (6-2) was disastrous at the free throw line late in the second half and throughout the overtimes, missing 16 free throw attempts after halftime. The Tigers (6-1) rallied from seven points down in the final minute of regulation and five points down in the closing minute of the first overtime to tie the game. Illinois freshman guard Kiwane Garris, who led all scorers with 31 points, had a chance to put it away at the end of the second overtime. But with' no time on the clock and the score tied, Garris missed two free throws amidst the din of screaming fans. With the momentum swinging their way, the Tigers sank clutch free throws in the third OT and held off a late Illinois charge. "This game seemed like four games," Missouri senior guard Lament Frazier said.'"That was one of the best games I've been in."

Nothing can top this one Spme moments explain life. Others define it The Illinois-Missouri Braggin' Rights basketball game Wednesday night at the St. Louis Arena did a little bit of both. It showed the larger than life world of college basketball. And it's a wonderful life. Who needs the NBA when you can produce a game like the Illini and Tigers played? Simply put, it was the most amazing game I've ever seen — in any sport. The drama, tension and pace were indescribable. An array of superlatives wouldn't cfover it. Missouri 108, Illinois 107. In a three-hour, triple overtime before 18,273 emotionally-charged fans at the border. You may never see anything like it again. Certainly you won't at The Arena. The Illini and Tigers are scheduled to play next year's game at the new Kiel Center, site .of the old Kiel Auditorium. "I've never been in a game like ; this one," said Missouri center Jevon Crudup, who carried the • Tigers on his back much of the game. Crudup scored 22 points before he fouled out. "It'll probably go down in Missouri history as one of the school's greatest games." ;, Clearly, it was the longest one. Missouri's Norm Stewart has never previously coached in a triple overtime game. Lou Henson of Illinois recalled being in a four-overtime game once. L "The way this game played out, it seems like more than one loss," Henson said. . Yet it was a major defeat for favored Illinois (6-2). Missouri (6-1) frittered away a 13-point lead in the second half, but the Illini were just as wasteful. They had a seven-point advantage (75-68) with 72 seconds left in regulation play and a five-point bulge (86-81) with 43 seconds remaining in the second overtime. Mostly, it was poor free throwing shooting that . hampered them, but the Illini • defense also sagged. Missouri hit a trio of 3-pointers in the last 62 seconds of regulation time to prolong Illinois' agony. Missouri also had five players foul out of the game, yet the Illini couldn't take control of things. The Tigers had something left in their tank. "You can't feel tired in a game like this," said Mi'zzou's Melvin Booker (21 points and 13 assists). "You just have to keep going." .'Illinois wishes it could have gotten in gear quicker. "We need to come out and play at the beginning of the game like we did in the second half," said Illinois sophomore Richard Keene, a guard from Collinsville. "I think we came out a little slow because some of the guys didn't know what to expect from the Arena and this kind of atmosphere." You could feel the electricity generating between the players and the fans, an emotionally-drained Keene said. "It might be the greatest game I've ever played in. Your emotions are so high. It's like playing in a conference game or NCAA game," he said. It wasn't for the faint of heart. Stewart stalked the sidelines like a caged Tiger. He took off • his coat. He stomped his feet. He threw his elbows into the air when he thought the officials missed fouls. Afterward, the competitive juices were still flowing. "I feel good," he said. ; "Sometimes things used to get tough and ugly when Lou and I D See PORTER, Page C-3

'This Is home. Maybe It's real close to the other side, but It's still Missouri/ ; — Norm Stewart, Missouri coach It was the first triple oveftirrip game in Missouri history. ' "It's great to win the last pn,e in this building," Missouri coach Norm Stewart said. "It's a great ballgame every year. The people really look forward to it." But while those adorned in, black and gold were celebrating, Illinois coach Lou Hensop and his crew were a bit more sqniber. ',.''"/,'!. "When you have a chance;,to slam the door, you've got to'do it," Henson said. "Maybe! ti\M, will make us a stronger team.*' Missouri came away from the first half with a 42-38 ! lead, thanks in great part to the,t IBpoint performance of senior Jevon Crudup. The 6-foot-9 center finished the game with k team-high 22 points. "Coming into the game, we' knew how good Crudup"'.. Was",!' Henson said. "He's a horse and he killed us." , ,' The Tigers came out smoking in the second half, stretching the; lead to 61-48 with 11:47 to, play before a television timeout helped stop Illinois' bleeding. Sophomore guard Richard Keene was the catalyst for;/an impressive Illini comeba.ck, sinking a pair of 3-pointers after the timeout and kicking/off,.a 26-4 run over the next 10 minutes. Junior Shelly Clark and senior Deon Thomas scored six points apiece during the sp^ni Frazier countered with ,a ~

D See ILLINI, Page 6-3 °i j'-i •-•<-..

Tigers get extra effort from their reserve By STEVE PORTER Telegraph sports editor

ST. LOUIS - The benchmark of Missouri's one-point triple overtime win Wednesday against Illinois was the Tigers' bench. It brought Mizzou reserve strength. "When you get in a game like that," said Missouri center Jevon Crudup, "you hope that your bench can help you out. That's what it did." The Tigers needed a life-support system from some corner Wednesday because five players fouled out against Illinois. Yet reserves such as Mario Finner, Jason Sutherland and freshman Derek Grimm of Mor-

Booker said. in getting Alton's Larry Smith to Teammate Lament Frazier, play at the U of I. who scored 20 points, said, "My Nagy's primary concern these hat's off to those guys who came days is working with the Illini off the bench. They stuck togeth- front line, particularly Deon er in overtime and that's why we Thomas and Shelly Clark. He won the game." also coordinates Illinois summer basketball camp. nan U of I assistant coach Dick D D D Nagy pays special attention to Jerseyville's Derek Dunham, a the SIUE scores. senior at Missouri, hasn't played Nagy's son, Scott, is a first- yet this season. Dunham, a year assistant coach at Southern 6-foot-7, 247-pound forward, Illinois University at Edwards- dressed for Wednesday's game, ville. The Cougars will take a 6-3 but didn't see any action. record into next week's High He has played in only 26 Desert Classic in Las Vegas. games, covering 85 minutes, durDick Nagy, an assistant coach ing his career at Mizzou. Dunat Illinois since 1979, stalks ham has scored just 38 points in Southwestern Illinois for talent- three years, including three ed players. He was instrumental points last season.

Game Notes ton stepped in and kept the Tigers clawing away at the Illini.: "We were playing the sick and wounded," quipped Missouri coach Norm Stewart. "The women and children would have come in next for us." He didn't have to dig that deeply. Finner scored five points before he fouled out. Sutherland, another freshman, added six points, while Grimm contributed five points and made all three of his free throws. "Jason and Derek really came through for us, especially in that last overtime," Mizzou's Melvin

Oilers hike after By PAT HUTCHISON

Telegraph sporta writer

WOOD RIVER -.With one diving stop, Nathan Karlas batted away any hopes the Waterloo Bulldogs woujd have of winning at Memorial Gymnasium. * '• Waterloo had, one last possession in the final nine seconds of Wednesday night's nonconference boys basket-, ball game. But the Oilers Mike Pryor stripped the ball loose from the Buljdogis. As the ball rolle4 toward the scorers' table, $ar» las, a 6-foot senior forward, sprawled after it and nicked it towards the far end of the court as time ran out to preserve a 52-51 victory, "He went to the basket well, and how about the last play of the game?" EA-WR coach ie,e Davis said, ''I can't ever remember seeing^ pjay J|ke that It was a totally hepdj-up play by a 17*ye«*!¥oW kid, H! doe_$n't know hinds give,, up,'? also scorfefle Pp]nt4

Obviously, he hasn't fitted squarely into the Tigers' plans.; Dunham returned to the1 Missouri basketball team this 'sea^ son after spending much of lait year as a tight end on the football team. ' . ;' Dunham is one of thre§! rjji-. nois players on the Missouri poster. The others are junior fqr!ward Mario Finner of Chicago (Wendell Phillips) and Grimm.. All of the 12 players on the Illini roster are home staters. Starter Richard Keene is, from Collinsville. Reserves Tom Michael (Carlyle) and :Steye Roth (Belleville East) also,have Southwestern Illinois ties. D See NOTES,

to 5-4 Sanders signs hugt tit 1

son, thjeri missed two, straight front ends of ' one-and-bdnus qhances in the last minute. .After .-^Waterloo's , Jeremey Gregspn .rebounded on the second miss, Bulldogs cpach Rick JCeefe called a( timeout, "We wanted Brian (Hoff-, man) to penetrate," Keefe said, "and either dish it off or go in," But the Oilers defense prevented the Bulldogs from even getting a shot in the 'last sec-' ends of a game in which the Oilers trailed most of the way before coming back in the third quarter, •• 4 '

Prep Basketball

for the,Oilers, who realised one of their preseason goal?by winning their fifth game of the •season.. EA-WR takes a 5-4 recqrd into the holiday break after winning five games al,l of last season, "Our goal was to, get five wins by Christmas," Pavis said, "But we can't think all of , a sudden we're done improving., We've got to understand team? are going to prepare Carder for us now," '- * Not that Wednesday's, |ame was, an, easy one. The Oilers scored, what proved .to be the Waterloo Jed, J441, at the winning points on a 3-point -play by Tys
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contract with Detroit DETROIT (AP) - Barry Sanders' knee injury may have been the key to the four-year, $17.2 million deal he signed with the Detroit Lions. "I believe the injury was a blessing in disguise because it didn't jeopardize his career but it let the Lions see just how important he is to the offense," agent Lament Smith said Wednesday. "Sometimes it's difficult to see what you have until it's gone." The Lions have won just once since Sanders sprained his knee Thanksgiving Day, and their playoff hopes have been hampered by the slump. The contract signed Wednesday makes Sanders the highestpaid running back in the league, topping the four-year, $13.6 million deal Emmitt Smith signed with Dallas. It also makes him the third-highest paid player overall, behind San Francisco's Steve Young — who makes a reported $4.9 million a year and Denver's John Elway, who gets a reported $4.7 million. "We're obviously pleased that we've been able to reach this agreement," Lions vice presi-

More NFL, C-4 dent Michael Huyghue said!! "Barry is an important part of our team, and this ensures "that' one of our best offensive, weapons is in place for the next four seasons." ' . y:-;';';. ;! Smith said he always assume^' that Sanders, 25, would be th"e league's highest-paid backr H$ wanted to make sure he vis's among the top-paid players, t "He's more than a running back," Smith said. "He's the focus of the Detroit Lionsj' offense, the player they build the team around. And hfj accounts for about 40 percent of the Detroit Lions offense." : Smith said the negotiating process had been slow. Bijt Sanders' injury, Thursday^ deadline for extending contracts so they won't count against nefct year's salary cap and the-televjsion contracts announced ov$r the past week sped the'proces|, "The Lions could no longer say they couldn't afford to pay him that kind of money," Shiigh said. " "*,