Sports
Wednesday, February 28, 1996 Page 8
Derek Samson
Coach offers
another side
of NU sports
After a winter filled with sports
headlines like “Huskers lose eighth
straight” and “Team boycotts prac
tice,” it is refreshing to sec the job
done by the Nebraska softbal 1 team,
especially Coach Rhonda Revelle.
Revelle, in her fourth season as
the Cornhuskcr skipper, inherited a
program in 1993 that hadn’t fin
ished in the upper half of the Big
Eight since 1989.
She struggled through her first
two years, posting an 18-23 record
in 1993 and a 25-33 mark in 1994.
But last year, it all started to
come together.
“When you start a program,”
Rcvellc said, “it takes three or four
years to get your system in, your
staff meshed and a program that
really feels like it’s yours.
“These last couple of years, it’s
turned into a program where the
goals and visions arc shared by
everyone, instead of being some
thing 1 just brought to the table.”
Aftera 15-1 fall in 1994,Revelle
said she knew the Huskers were
about to turn the comer. |
That happened last spring when
Nebraska completely turned things
around with a 43-20 finish.
“Last spring, we knew we were
getting better,” Revelle said. “But
the success was so new, and it was
kind of like cement that was just
poured. We had a lot of highs and
lows.”
So far in this young season, the
Huskers have reached many more
highs than lows. Nebraska jumped
out to a 7-1 start after its sweejf) of
Creighton on Saturday afternoon in
Omaha.
we must remain consistent in
what we do,” she said. “We can’t
hang on to a loss too long, and;we
can’t gloat over a win too long. We
have to take it one game at a time.”
Revelle knows what it takes to
win at Nebraska. As a pitcher from
1981 -83, she was a part of the 1982
squad that was the first Nebraska
team to ever win the Big Eight and
qualify for the College World Se
ries.
She is still in Nebraska’s record
books, ranking among the top 10 in
career strikeouts, shutouts, saves,
complete games and eamed-run av
erage.
As a player, Revelle knew what
it took to get Nebraska softball on
the map for the first time in school
history.
Now, as a coach, she is helping
Nebraska climb back on that map.
“We’re trying to build some tra
dition,” she said. “We don’t want
this to be a fluky thing. We need to
build year-to-year success.”
So far, Revelle has found the
key to rebuilding a successful pro
gram. Maybe now she could let
some other coaches in on the secret
to her success.
Samson Is a sealor news-editorial
major and a Dally Nebraskan sports
coinmalst
Huskers finish lone month at CU
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
The Nebraska basketball team has
one last chance to pick up a win in
February.
That final opportunity comes to
night at 8 when the Comhuskers travel
to Boulder, Colo., to play Colorado at
the Coors Events Center.
Despite losingeight straight games,
Nebraska, 15-12 overall and 3-9 in the
Big Eight, is one game in front of the
last-place Buffaloes. A win over Gdo
rado tonight would keep Nebraska from
finishing in the cellar for the first time
since 1960.
Colorado, 8-16 and 2-10, enters the
game on a four-game losing streak.
The Buffaloes last won on Feb. 10,
when they defeated Missouri-Kansas
City 84-55.
If the Huskers can’t stop their skid,
they will have gone an entire month
without winning for the first time since
January 1963. Nebraska’s last win was
Jan. 24, a 77-58 win over Missouri.
“What we have to do is put two
halves of basketball together,” Ne
braska coach Danny Nec said. “Keys
to the game would be not to beat our
selves, to keep our confidence, work*
the ball and turn down that first quick
shot.”
Nee said Venson Hamilton, Ber
nard Gamer and Mikki Moore needed
to play well in the post. Hamilton,
Garner and Moore have combined to
average 27.2 points and 18.2 rebounds
per game over the Huskers’ last three
contests.
Hamilton made his first career start
Sunday against Oklahoma and scored
four points in the 80-76 overtime loss.
Moore came off the bench to score a
career-high 17 points and grab 10 re
bounds. Nee said Hamilton would start
again tonight.
Colorado is led by freshman
Chauncey Billups and juniors Mack
Tuck and Martice Moore. The trio is
averaging 50.8 of Colorado’s 77.1
points per game.
“We have to find a way of control
ling and guarding them,” Nec said. “If
we play good defense on them, that’s
the key. Everything else should take
care of itself.”
In the two teams’ first meeting this
■ m ■ ■■ j%g m . Coors Event Center
Basketball Starters
Nebraska (15-12,3-9) HL Wt Class PPG RPG
G Tyronn Lue 6-0 165 Fr. 8.7 3.0
G Jaron Boone 6-6 195 Sr. 14.5 2.7
F Erick Strickland 6-3 210 Sr. 14.7 4.8
F Bernard Gamer 6-7 225 Jr. 10.7 6.4
C Venson Hamilton 6-9 220 Fr. 6.3 50
Colorado (8-16,2-10)
G Chauncey Billups 6-3 191 Fr 18.5 6.3
G Mack Tuck G6 190 Jr. 17.2 5 2
F Martice Moore 6-8 234 Jr. 151 7.7
F Greg Jenson 6-7 210 Jr. 4.3 3.2
C Dennis Griffin 6-9 247 Jr. 2.2 2.6
year, Nebraska beat Colorado 79-74
in the Huskers’ conference opener on
Jan 10.
But now the Buffaloes have a new
coach in Ricardo Patton. Patton took
over when Joe Harrington resigned
Jan. 16 following Colorado’s 82-80
overtime loss to Southern Utah. The
Buffs are 3-7 under Patton.
Sophomore forward Ted Kritza, the
BulTs’ fifth-leading scorer, hurt his
left shoulder Feb. 19,. leaving Colo
rado with only eight players available
for tonight’s game.
Tourney game worries Beck
By Mike Kiuck
Senior Reporter
Having won 12 consecutive
games against your first-round op
ponent in the women’s Big Eight
basketball tournament would thrill
any coach.
But after the initial excitement
of learning the Comhuskers were
going to play Missouri in the first
round of the Big Eight Tourna
ment, Nebraska coach Angela Beck
said she soon felt ill.
The fourth-seeded Huskers, who
arc 18-8 overall and 8-6 in confer
ence play, will face Missouri, 15
11 and 6-8, at noon Saturday in the
first game of the Big Eight Tourna
ment at the Bicentennial Center in
Salina, Kan.
The Huskers notched their 11th
and 12 th consecutive victories over
the Tigers this season with a 73-68
overtime win in Columbia, Mo., on
Jan. 19, and then a 92-72 victory in
Lincoln on Feb. 18.
i uon t tninK it matters wno you
play,” Beck said. “I was happy be
cause we had beaten them several
times and had a lot of success against
them. But you are always worried
about that first time.”
The Huskers know they can’t
take Missouri lightly, Beck said. In
1994, the Tigers won the confer
ence tournament after finishing
regular-season play with a 9-16
record.
The game is important for the
Huskers’ NCAA Tournament
hopes. A loss in the first round
probably would knock the Huskers
out of tournament consideration,
Beck said.
“We have a lot of things riding
on this game,” Beck said. “It’s the
biggest game that we have had all
year. It’s the biggest game ever in
our history. We really need to win
this one. If we can get into the
semifinals, we have a legitimate
shot at getting into the NCAA Tour
nament.”
If the Huskers are able to defeat
Missouri and win the tournament,
Beck said, they probably would play
host to an NCAA first-round game.
The winner of the Ncbraska-Mis
souri game will face the winner of
Sunday’s 2 p.m. game between Kan
sas and Kansas State.
“We put ourselves in a really
good position,” Beck said. “Now, •
we just have to have the focus and
mentality to go in there and Win the
Travis Heying/DN
Nebraska freshman forward Cori McDill attempts a shot
last Friday during the Huskers’ 72-69 win over Iowa
State. Nebraska has won three straight games heading
into the Big Eight Tournament.
first-round game and do as well as
we possibly can in the tournament.”
The Huskers are entering the
tournament in good shape both
physically and mentally, Beck said.
Having won three games in a row
for the first time since December
also has given the Huskers momen
tum, she said.
Nebraska defeated Colorado 83
75 in double overtime on Feb. 14,
Missouri on Feb. 18 and Iowa State
on Feb. 23.
“I really can’t ask for a better
scenario than what we have right
now,” Beck said. “Our attitude is
tremendously good. The kids are
still having fun playing. They have
a lot of inner drive.
“We are are at an all-time high
emotionally, and our enthusiasm is
as good as you could ever want
going ihto the Big Eight Tourna
ment.”
The only thing hindering the
Huskers right now is experience,
Beck said. In her 10 years as
Nebraska’s coach, the Huskers have
won only six Big Eight Tourna
ment games.
Buffaloes
storm court
with Patton
By MikeKluck . > ..v
Senior Reporter
When Ricardo Patton took over
head coaching responsibilities for the
Colorado basketball team last month,
he brought a style
that reminded many
Colorado fans of
another famous
Patton — Army
Gen. George
Patton.
After former
Buffalo coach Joe
■■iimi _mm Harrington s im
Patton promptu resigna
tion on Jan. 16, Patton was named the
interim head coach.
Before his first game; he ordered
his players to spend the night on the
floor of the Coors Event Center to
protect their homecourt advantage.
Although Colorado lost 80-78 to
Kansas, the young Bu ffaloes have used
Patton’s new style to their advantage.
But heading into tonight’s game
against Nebraska, the Buffs are strug
gling to field a full team.
Since the beginning of the season,
junior Fred Edmonds and sophomore
Leroy Carter have been declared aca
demically ineligible. Freshmen De
von Gilchrist and Charles Thompson
arc sitting out as redshirts and Ted
Kritza, Martice Moore and Matt Daniel
have missed time because of injuries.
“Our team has responded well,”
Patton said. “We just have to go out
and continue to play hard and give
ourselves a chance to win.
“Tonight’s game will be a battle of
two teams who are trying to escape the
cellar, and the winner will be deter
mined by the team that plays the hard
est.”
Colorado Athletic Director Bill
Marolt said he would wait until the
end of the season to make a decision
on next year’s coach. Patton, who is a
candidate, said he wasn’t letting, the
changes affect him this season.
Patton has received the support of
his players, who said he should be the
new head coach.
“I just really appreciate what they
have done for me,’’Patton said. “These
are just guys who enjoy working hard
and know good things are going to
happen to them.”
