Corvallis Gazette-Times from Corvallis, Oregon • 11

Goretfv-TrfiiM Pfcotoi by Tom Worr Oregon's Barry Walker hits the floor as Ray Blume (22) of Oregon State maneuvers with the basketball. Mark Radford (30) of Oregon State knocks the ball away from Oregon's Kelvin Small (50). Ducks OSU Reno vs. nip (Continued from page I) Alcorn State (37-0) and the team with the poorest record It Indiana (11-12). Oregon State hasn't been In a postseason tournament since 1975, when it went to the Mideast reglonalsof the NCAA.

The Beavers defeated Middle Tennessee 7847, then lost to top-ranked Indiana 81-71 and to Central Michigan 8847. The last time OSU had a postseason playoff game at Gill Coliseum was 1962, when it-defeated Seattle 69-65 In the first round of the NCAA playoffs. OSU has been in postseason play eight times in Its history. It has a 21-10 record In postseason games. The Beavers have never defeated Nevada-Reno, losing 75-74 In Reno in 1975 and 53-51 In Corvallis in 1977.

Reno is a running, gunning team. "They like to run at every opportunity. They're very loose team as far as getting up and down the floor," said OSU assisant coach Dave Leach. "They run a pattern on offense, but there's a lot of one-on-one stuff at the end, and they obviously try to get the ball to Jones." Jones 6-10 Edgar Jones, an honorable mention 1l-American who averaged 16.4 points per game. Nevada-Reno also starts 6-0 Mike Gray (23 5 points per game), 6-3 Johnny High (16 9), 4 Mike Stallings (5.2) and 6-5 Mike Longoro (5.1).

i The Beavers will gather as much information as possible from coaches whose teams have played against Nevada-Reno, although they cannot talk to Jack Avlna of Portland, whose team is also in the WCAC. "A lot of conferences have a clause in their rules that a coach can't give out information on another team In their conference," said i V- V. yy I New Mexico is really tough at home and Texas A has a good ball club," said Leach. "That will be a good game." New Mexico has 17,150 seats. "I can't imagine why the NIT would want to play there." Leach said, chuckling.

Tickets for Wednesday's game will go on sale at the OSU athletic department ticket office at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Student tickets will go on sale at 8:30 a.m. at the Memorial Union building. All seats are reserved.

Tickets are 87. and 84 for OSU students and students high school age and under. The NIT will receive 20 percent of the gross Income from Wednesday night's game. After expenses have been covered. OSU and Nevada-Reno will split the remainder of the revenues.

A sellout would be worth about 860.000, sa id Hat Cowan, director of public relations and promotions for the OSU athletic department. He estimates that OSU's share of the gate could be 810,000 to $15,000. If Oregon State should win its first two games, its opponent is undetermined. Carlesimo said. After two rounds there will be six teams left In the tournament.

The NIT will then draw lots. Two teams will receive byes to the semifinals in New York and the other four teams will play off for the two remaining spots In the semifinals. Carlsimo said Washington State "was very much in the picture" for an NIT invitation until its loss Saturday night at Arizona. He said Portland and Seattle teams that had hoped to be selected were not given strong consideration because Nevada-Reno had already been selected from the WCAC. "I think we have a great field," said Carlesimo.

"If you anaylyze most of these teams, for the most part they played extremely well the last half of the season." He referred to Alcorn State and Northeast Louisiana both small schools" from Louisiana as "Cinderalla teams, schools that haven't played a major college schedule but have players the pros are very interested in." Gill Coliseum was selected as the site of Wednesday's game because OSU has averag-. ed 9.503 fans per game this season and has had 20 consecutive sellouts. The Beavers have an 11-1 record at home this year, losing only to UCLA, 6543. OSU's best season at Gill Coliseum was 1964, when the Beavers were 12-0 at home. OSU was 12-1 at home in 1962, 14-3 in 1959, 11-1 in 1958 and 9-1 in 1966.

(Continued from page i) because Small came up oh me, and he's a good jumper," said Radford. "It was just natural to dump it off. It's just one of those things. He couldn't find the handle." Except for a 2-2 tie, Oregon State had led the entire game until Oregon's Rob Closs tied the score at 37-37 with two free throws with 10:38 remaining and Walker made a driving layup for a 39-37 lead with 9:22 left. Bill McShane's 15-foot jumper tied the score at 39-39.

and Tony Martin made a layup to tie it at 41-41 with 7:40 left. A free throw by PhiLBamer gave a 42-41 lead, then Dwayne Allen's basket on a goal-tending call against Small regained the lead for OSU. Blume made a free throw with 6:49 left, extending the Beavers' lead to 44-42, but Barner hit a 17-footer from the top of the key to tie the score 44-44 with 5:45 left The Beavers turned the ball over and the Ducks missed a shot, and it was then that OSU called timeout. After IVi minutes of careful ball-handling. Radford and Johnson then missed connections, and Walker wound up winning the game for the Ducks.

"We wanted Walker to penetrate, although he did it a litter earlier than we preferred." said Haney. "He stuck his first shot, and I'd have been a whole lot happier if he'd made the second one, but we won, so I'm happy with the one he got." Allen reached in on Walker because he thought the 6-1 guard had a clear path to the basket for. a layup. "I didn't know I had help," said Allen. "Tony (Martin) had blocked him off, and he would have had to have charged into Tony.

I wouldn't have had to foul him. I didn't think he was going to penetrate that quick, and when he went by me. all I could do was reach. I just barely touched him." "We knew what they were going to do, but our defense on the ball was very poor at that point," said Miller. Oregon State had defeated Oregon 85-58 and 85-62 earlier this season.

"I don't really know what to say," said was a struggle all the way a fiercely-fought game. We couln't forget that a couple months ago they'd had a good time at our -expense, and a win like this certainly points our basketball program in the right direction." Oregon ended its season 12-15. OSU is 18-9. 'They played much better than they played in the first two contests," Miller said. "They jrere much better tonight than they were in December." Johnson shot 4-for-5 and scoredeight points in the first half, but he had three fouls at that time and had played only eight minutes.

"We took Johnson away from them in the second half," said Haney. "We didn't let them get the ball to him. Our defense in the second half was far superior to our defense in the first half. We weren't pressuring the pass in to Johnson in the first half." In essence, the Ducks put three players on Johnson in the Second half. Small was guarding Johnson, and in the first half the Ducks sagged a man off of Allen to protect against Johnson.

In the second half they sagged off one more man the one who guarded Martin or Julius Allen. "We dropped back and gave their forward an open shot from out there," said Haney. "They took two shots and hit one. and that certainly didn't hurt us as much as Johnson could have." Johnson analyzed it differently. "They didn't play any tougher defense than anybody else on me." he said.

"A lot of times I'd break open and we didn't read it right away. But the main thing is that I didn't play very many minutes. That's the main thing. Tonight it was back to those, phantom foul calls again." 1 Leacn. am me most important wing is nut what they do, but what we do.

The majority of our preparation will be on our game, to see if we get some of our kinks ironed out and get the ol' basketball flowing again." If Oregon State wins, it will play either New Mexico or Texas A on March 12 or 13. said Peter A. Carlesimo, chairman of the NIT. Texas A 4 plays at New Mexico on Thursday. Dwayne Allen (52) of Oregon State and Rob Closs (44) of Oregon scram ble for a loose ball.

II New Mexico wins mat game, uie vou-Reno winner will play at New Mexico, said Carlesimo. If Texas A it wins. It will play at Corvallis or at Rend, Carlesimo said. "That game (Texas A 4 vs. New Mexico) ought to be a real barn-burner because The NIT pairings Flint Round St Joseph's 119-10) at Ohio State IT- March 9 Tentative dalrt 101 Alcorn State iZl-to at Mississippi Marclll State (19-8) Northeast Louisiana at Rhode Island 1 20-8 1 at Maryland (18- Mid-American runner-up at Purdue Virginia H8-9.

(n) 101 09-71 Nevada-Reno at Oregon State St. Bonaventure U9-8' at Alabama Ilwlial "I'-lraTTerasTech flS-10r- (lj.9, 119.101 Holy Crass H7-10) at Dayton (18-9) Texas A4M 122-81 at New Mexico 1 19- Wagner (21-81 at Old Dominion (21-1) Clemson 117-91 at Kentuckv (19-11) 91 title Bruins win NCAA The pairings Beaver box OREGoSi STATE (44) mp fg ft a st to tp 38 1-4 3-4 0 I 14 0 5 Radford 15 1-2 0-0 0 2 4 0 2 2 Johnson ...22 S-7 1-3 4 0 4 0 i 13 Allen II 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 2 McShime 18 2-4 0-0 4 1 2 0 2 4 Stoutt 0-5 2-2 1 1 1 1 2 2 D.Allen v38 I 0 3 3, 2 I Martin 28 34 14 2 0 4 I 0 7 Smith 18 0-2 0-0 0 0' 0 0' 1 0 Totals 200 17-36 10-16 15 7 20 13 15 44 center Kurt Nimphius pumped in a career-high 28 points 21 in the first half to pace Arizona State to an easy 77-59 victory over Washlngtpn. At Tucson, John Smith's 17 second-half points rallied Arizona to a 78-72 victory over Washington State. The Wildcats end their first Pac-10 season 10-8 In league play and 16-11 overall. Washington State dropped to 9-8 and 17-9.

At Whittier, Chico Furtado's driving layup with 16 seconds gave Chaminade University of HaWali a 78-77 victorjrover Whittier College for the NCAA Division III tournament championship. The Silverswords now advance to Division III quarter-finals. In consolation guard Daryl Westmoreland's 28 politts, paced Humboldt State to a 95-91 win over William Penn College of Iowa. At Anaheim, Ron Cornelius added 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds Saturday' night to lead the University of the Pacific to an 82-73 Pacific Coast Athletic Association Conference championship over Utah State. At Seattle, Clint Richardson and Jawann Oldham each added 27 points to pace Seattle University to a 101-84 West Coast Athletic Conference victory over Portland.

Paclflc-ll Coafe react I pet. ocu i Southern Cat 14 4 .778 1 OREGON STATE II 7 .111 I Aritona 7- I Washington Slat I .529 10 .411 Oregon 7 11 I Stanford I II .333 Washington 333 California 4 14 .222 11 Saturday'! Retails Oregon 45, Oregon SUM 44 Arliona 71, Washington Stat 71 Arizona Stat 77, Washington Southern California California 14 UCLA Stanford 71 Today'! Gam Waihlngton SUU at Arliona Slat By The Associated Press Third-ranked UCLA, Paclflc-10 Conference champion, has been seeded No. 1 in the NCAA West Regional, while crosstown rival and league runner-up Southern California received an at-large berth. The Bruins clinched their 13th straight conference title Saturday with a 99-71 victory over Stanford. The Trojans finished second after trouncing California 86-64.

In other Pac-10 ac.tion, at Tempe, OREGON (45) mp fg ft a st to tp Barner 30 4-9 1-J 1 0 1 1 I Lyon 12 1-3 0-0 10 1 0 1 2 Walker 25 2-2 1-2 1 2 4 0 i 5 Murrey .30 0-3 0-0 0 1 0 0 2 0 Clark 18 1-2 4-1 I I 4 0 16. Closs 24 4-4 0 4 3 2 2 I Small 30 J4 0-2 7 1 3 I Hartshorn 29 3-5 34 I 1 3 2 4 I Totals 200 16-32 13-21 21 12 18" 6 19 45 SECOND ROUND East Regional March II At Providence. R.I. Rutgers 121-8) vs Georgetown, (2MI Connecticut (21-71 vs. Syracuse 125-3) March 11 At Raleigh.

N.C lona-Penn winner vs. N. Carolina (23- 5 Temple-St. John's winner vs. Duke (2271 Mideast Regional March II At Rloomlngton, Ind Uiuisiana St (22 Si vs Appalachian St (2.1-51 Iowa (20-71 vs.

Toledo (20-7) or Central Michigan 119-71 March' II At Murtrecshoro. Tenn. Tennessee-K Kentucky winner vs -Notre Dame (23-5 1 winner vs Miclupin By The Associated Presi FIRST ROUND March I East Regional At Raleigh. N.C, St. John's (18-101 vs.

Temple (25 S) lona (2J-51 vs. Penn 121-5) Mideast Regional At Murlreesboro, Ten. Detroit 122-5) vs. Ulnar 122-8)' Tennessee 120-11) vs. Kentucky IJ1-7) Midwest Regional At l-awrcnce, Kan, Virginia Teoh (21 8) vs, Jacksonville (19101 Weher St (24 81 vs.

New Mexico St. 122-8) West Regional At l.o Angelea tllnh (20-91 vs, Pcpperdlne 121-9), Southern Oil 119 8) vs Utah St. 1 19-llll St. (21-SI Midwest Regional March 18 At Dallas Louisville (23-7) vs. South Alabama (20-61 1 Texas (2I-7) vs.

Oklahoma (20-9) March 11 At Lawrence, Kan. Jacksonville-Virginia Tech winner vs. Indiana St 129-0) Weber St-New Mexico St. winner vs. Arkansas' (23-4) West Regional March 10 At Tucson.

Arli. Miniuette (21-8I vs. Pacific (18-11) San Francisco (211) vs. Rrigham Young (20-7) March II At I.01 Angeles Southern J'al l'tah SI. winner vs.

DcPanl (22-41 I Pcpperdine winner vs. ITI.A OREGON STATE 28 11-44 ,..24 21-45 Team rebounds Oregon State 2, Oregon I. Technical, fouls None, Officials Robert Herrold, Bob Garibaldi, Richard Ballesteros. Attendance 10,000..