Press-Republican—Friday,jV\ay 30,1986
23
Bird -soars while Rockets fizzle
By FREDERICK WATERMAN pointer of the game for a 73-56
UPI Sports Writer
lead as the sellout crowd of
^BOSTON (DPI)
R r r f B i r d , , Z I 4 j 9 i r 5 s i d ^ * steamyi Boston
one day after being named Most Garden started chanting "MVP,
Valuable Player for the third MVP."
straight season, scored 31 points
The Rockets were outscored
to power the Boston Celtics to a
117-95 victory over the Houston
Rockets Thursday night and a
2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
DETROIT (UPI) Billy
Boston, recording its 40th consecutive home triumph, won its Sims, the leading ground gainer
seventh straight post-season in Detroit Lions history, apgame and succesfully defended parently will retire because of a
its home-court advantage. The right knee injury that has forced
best-of-seven series shifts to him to miss most of the last two
Houston for Game 3 Sunday seasons.
Sims has filed a claim to colafternoon.
Bird hit on 12 of 19 shots from lect on a $2 million insurance
the floor and netted three 3- policy he took out with Lloyd's of
pointers. Boston's other for- London in the event he was physward, Kevin McHale, used his
inside moves to hit on 9 of 14 Memphis State put
shots and 25 points.
MISSION, Kan. (UPI) - FolThe Celtics, seeking their 16th
NBA title, held a 31-30 lead after lowing an investigation into
one quarter and took the lead for Memphis State University's figood in the second, outscoring nancial aid practices, the NCAA
Houston 29-20 when the Rockets Thursday administered the
school a two-year probation and
shot just 32 percent.
Bird scored 13 points in the ordered it to return money its
second quarter on a variety of basketball team earned in
jumpers, a 3-pointer and con- championship tournaments.
NCAA officials said.
verted all 4 free-throw attempts.
The investigation — based on
Leading 60-50 entering the
third quarter. Boston used a 9-0 an audit by the State University
run to take control. Bird finished and Comunity College System of
the run at 7:23 with his third 3- Tennessee — covered a four-
34-19 in
also scored 10 in the quarter on a
Akeem
collection nf spin moves and two
point* in the first half, wns held—foul shots
The Celtics gradually expandto 2 points in the third quarter by
McHale, a member of the NBA's ed their lead to 27 points, taking
All-Defensive first team, who a 98-71 advantage-** 10:13 of the
fourth quarter on a Jerry
Sichting 12-foot jumper.
Boston effectively boxed out
the larger Rockets and frequentically unable to play football.
ly had second and third opportunities
off the offensive boards.
If the claim is paid, the Lions
They
also
stymied Houston's
will not be bound to pay the $2.25
defense
with
brisk ball movemillion Sims is owed on the
ment
that
often
had all five
five-year contract he signed with
Celtics
touching
the
ball in the
the NFL team in 1983.
same play.
"It's the sort of thing, we were
The Rockets' Ralph Sampson
all hoping he'd get well." Lions missed part of the second
general manager Russ Thomas quarter when he received a cut
said Thursday.
under his left eye and was given
five stitches.
The Rockets, seeking their
on probation
first NBA championship, were
year period and indicated that led in scoring by Olajuwon with
about 60 athletes were given 21 points, only 4 in the second
more than $58,000 above what half. Sampson had 18, just 3 in
they were allowed in financial the second half.
assistance under NCAA rules.
Boston, which has defeated the
In addition to the two-year
Rockets
in all four games this
censure, the men's basketball
season,
received
18 points from
team is prohibited from parDennis
Johnson
a n d s 15 from
ticipating in the 1987 NCAA
Division I Men's Basketball Danny Ainge.
Championship tournament or
The Celtics, who hit 23 of 24
any other post-season com- foul shots, improved their
petiton for the 1986-87 school season mark to 80-16 and are 13-1
year.
in the playoffs this year.
Lions' Sims to retire
Ashley looks to catch on with 49ers
n
i
Championship effort
Thursday's Mountain & Valley Athletic ConferenceSoftball championship game brought out the best
from Elizabethtown and Chazy. The Lions won the
championship^ thanks in part to the efforts of lefthanded shortstop Heidi Duso. The Elizabethtown
player has her eye on a late throw, trying to get
Chazy's Lori Lafave running into second. (P-R staff
photo by Dave Paczak)
E'town girls AAV AC
softball champions
ELIZABETHTOWN — How sweet is was in Elizabethtown
Thursday afternoon.
Coach Nancy Bassett's Elizabethtown softball team edged
past Chazy by a 15-14 comeback margin to win the Mountain &
Valley Athletic Conference championship.
The Lions, losers only once this season with Chazy taking a 7-6
victory, improved their record to 12-1 heading into the Section
Seven, Class D playoffs this weekend.
After the thrilling came. Bassett treated her players to ice
cream cones, adding more sweetness to the victory in the
playoff between MVAC division champs. "It was quite a game,
quite a game," the Elizabethtown coach said of the dramatics.
The Lions never led in the game until the bottom of the seventh inning against their MVAC rivals. Chazy led by early
margins of 4-0, 9-5 and then 14-9 entering the final frame. E'town
pulled off the improbable rally with key hits by Tracy St. Denim, Crystal Washburn, Heidi Duso, Vicky Rand, Cindy Dubay
and Kelly Reed.
Lisa Karcher, the winning pitcher, capped the comeback with
an RBI single off losing pitcher Audra Mazdzer.
The Eagles were unbeaten until earlier this week when Lake
Placid spoiled Chazy's chances for an undefeated MVAC regular
season slate. Chazy takes a 10-2 mark into the sectionals.
Elizabeth town's Washburn, a senior, had a big game with
three hits and four RBI. After Chazy jumped out to a 4-0 lead in
the first inning, Washburn keyed the first of several comebacks
with a two-run homer. Then in the fourth inning, Washburn
crashed another long blast, driving in two runs, but she was
thrown out at the plate trying to stretch a triple into a homer.
Lion freshman Heidi Duso added three big hits for the winners
and Karcher had four hits.
For Chazy. Aleena Farbotko had three hits including a homer.
Teammates Lori Lafave (four hits) and Solano (three hits) also
had good days at the plate.
7
ByBOBGOETZ
Sports Editor
PLATTSBURGH — The San
Francisco 49ers won't have to
worry about Glen Ashley's
power of concentration, or his
will to succeed.
The tight end prospect passed
on both counts last month at
Northwestern Oklahoma State in
Alva.
"Imagine, one day I'm taking
four finals; the next day I'm
supposed to be in San Francisco
(at the 49ers' mini-camp). I
wanted to be out there so bad I
had alH could do to concentrate
(on the exams)," related the
Massena native, with a slight
grin, "but I made it. I passed all
my courses."
Ashley's good fortune continued straight through the
mini-camp. In three days, he
impressed the 49ers enough with
his size (6-3, 250) and good hands
to earn a contract. He will report
with the rest of the rookies to the
49ers' camp at Stanford University in mid-July.
"What can we say? This has
been his dream and we're really
happy for him," said his father,
Glen Ashley, Sr., vice president
and district manager for Marine
Midland in Plattsburgh.
His mother, Jane, works at
Kriff s Department Store while
Karen, one of Glen's three
sisters, is a basketball standout
at Beekmantown Central.
Young Glen, following in the
footsteps of his father and uncle,
Dick, was a two-sport star at
Massena Central, graduating in
1982. He had his heart set on
playing football for Syracuse
University. But when the Orange
lost interest. Ashley chose Northwestern Oklahoma State, taking the same route another
North Country footbaihstandout,
Brian Sochia of St. Lawrence
Central, traveled on his way to a
pro career with the Houston
Oilers.
It didn't take long for Ashley
to discover the hazards of the
road, however. More than once,
he thought seriously of abandoning his boyhood dream of playing college football and returning to Massena.
"It (Oklahoma) was a lot different than I thought," laughed
Ashley, looking back at those
dark days of his freshman year.
"It took a lot to get use to the
place. It was flat and dry. And
the heat. Those 117 degrees with
full pads. The first year, I
couldn't wait for football to end;
I was counting the days."
But with a will, Ashley soon
found the way. It wasn't long before the " Y a n k e e " from
Massena was being touted as a
pro prospect. Last December,
the 22-year-old Ashley signed
with an agent, former Patriots
and SMU Coach Ron Meyer. A
month later, he received an invitation to the National Football
League's combine camp in New
Orleans, Feb. 10-12.
"It -(the combine camp) is
pretty intense. There were 302
players invited and all of the
scouts and personnel director
were there." Ashley explained.
"We went through eight hours of
physical and mentral exams, by
each team. And then the next
two days, we worked out in the
dome."
Ashley left New Orleans with a
good feeling. "They (the scouts
told me I would go (in the draft)
in the 11th or 12th roundr he
recalled.
The 49ers even called the week
before the draft to inquire about
Ashley's health, but to his disappointment, no one called on draft
day.
"I don't know what happened.
But after the draft, my agent
was talking with the Saints,
Chiefs and Bills. Then, the 49ers
called (on April 8) and a week
later. I was at their mini-camp."
Ashley isn't apt to forget.the„
experienced mini-camp.
"It was something. Almost
everyone was there; veterans
and rookies. I learned more
about my position in two days
than I had in two years." he
revealed. "I had to go one on one
with the veterans linebackers. I
learned in a hurry that you can't
beat them on speed because
they're twice as fast as you are.
It's all in movements."
When Ashley returns to the
49ers in July, he will be one of
five tight ends in camp. The veterans, Russ Francis and John
Frank, are virtual locks, leaving
Vanderbilt's Jim Popp, Joe
Jones of Virginia Tech and
Ashley to fight it out for the third
spot on the roster.
"I want to go in with a positive
attitude," Ashley said. "If you
have any doubts at all, show any
hesitation, they'll pick it up right
away.".
Weighty challenge
Glen Ashley works out in weight room at PSUC
Field House with help of former Plattsburgh State
hockey player Steve Bester. Ashley has signed a
contract with the San Francisco 49ers. ( P R photo)
PHS claims Division I title asNCCS ousts AuSable
AuSABLE FORKS — Even
Pat Parrow's power display
couldn't save AuSable Valley
Thursday afternoon.
The Patriots, who committed
eight errors in their first 14
PHS, a 8-3 winner over
Beekmantown. closed out the
regular season at 13-3 while
Gary Finney's Patriots, who had
the best season in the school's
history, ended up at 12-4. The
gam»c
w » r » guilty-—©f
ft*e» Ceugawi whe ha%»» played
Thursday and opportunistic Nor- spoiler role down the stretch,
theastern Clinton took advan- improved their record to 5-10.
tage on the way to an 11-7 win.
Parrow belted two homers and
helping Plattsburgh High mm added a triple off the top of the
the D i v i s i o n 1 c r o w n in fence to lead the Patriots. Brian
Cbampiam vaiiey Atnieuc con- Douglas had an outstanding
ference baseball.
game by going four-for-four in a
:h
1
1
i
double, Jim Tavernia's RBI hit,
an error and a balk.
Hca
m] m ) - .. • .
The Vikings loaded the bases
AaSabai Valley
»
i« J " :J J
in
the bottom of the seventh, but
Pcafcr? aa6 fpu—•> Kodra Tboma* <•>
Frtnym
<t) n i B ZHm&m* WP- Pefte? LP T t e n u Hit P
came
up empty.
2 J » P P*mw
ItCCS 11. *tfaa>r Vattrj 7
Mounties escape Moriah
MAI
m im • - . * 2
PORT HENRY — Give Moriah ion
mx C, and Wrvmm Mitcbeii
Boavfe Urrtrt <4
(J) mmC Cuftain V P ftr*ert LP
ftovc^ZB
credit following Wednesday
a f t e r n o o n ' s 2*** l o s s t o
NAC wins wild one
Ticonderoga.
ELLENBURG — Jamie
Vikings,
a The
tot ofwinless
character.
ga»cshowing
Mount—Labarge, Del Carter and Tern
Assumption a run for its life be- Scon all rapped homers as Norfore the Mounties scored three thern Adirondack improved its
runs in the seventh to escape record to 12-3 with a 14-13
with a J-l victory. The Mounties triumph over upset-minded
improved their season mark to Saranac.
The Bobcats, gearing for Fri11-4. s e t t i n g up F r i d a y s
day's
key game with Mount
showdown for the Division II tiIf YIACS AGO THIS WEEK:
Assumption, scored nine runs in
tle
with
12-3
Northern
AdironCharlie O'Neil c o m e s up big in rel lef as M o n a h stuns first- |
the second inning. In fact a*l the
dack
place P e r u . 4-3
The Vikings held a 3-0 \e*d scoring m the contest was done
*• YEAtS AGO THIS WEEK:
through six after scoring a run in the first four innings.
Mistakes a r e a d i m e and a dozen as Plattsburgh High and 1
Jamie Labarge had three hits
in the third on a wa*k to Kerry
St John's combine for 24 e r r o r s m a '•* H o m e t victoryand three runs scored whi.e
LeCiair
and
singles
by
Tim
J* YEAtS AGO THIS W f « :
Dennis Labarge Carter. Stacy
Hargett and Eddie Cook
Mark Stow s three-hitter .eads the way as Saranac c i n c h e s |
Dominic and Scott a.'. added twe
The
combined
pitching
of
Todd
the Clinton County League t;:.e *:th a ',4-3 rout of Chazv
Mitche.i and Kevin Rowe stood hits apiece Carter ar.d Sect:
410 YEAtS AGO THIS WEEK:
up until the seventh inning when drove ;r. three r*r>s eazr. whi.e
McCorry whiffs \2 :n r e .:ef as Da nnerr.ora posis a S-4 win 1
the Mounties scored three times Dominic r^d a tr.p.e and Der.r.is
over Rouses Point in 10 :n:iings
•
on a wa^k to i;m R;vers. Randy Labarge two RBI
Brown. 5 icev RBI hst-and-rur.
Steve Baiter Nea. Keysor
1 Flashback
1
1
1
1
1
1
losing effort.
Doug Beebe led the Chiefs with
two hits each.
KACl4.S*rmMCl3
S«:>MC
; * « » • -
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•
5
NAC
2K m
t ~ .« J3 4
Bouaqur: MM! Myi**s DMBIWC J ~abarf* 2 and
Carter VP- J Labarft LP BouaQwet H* J
Labara» Carter Soott 3B- D o n one Parliament 2B-
Hornets defeat Eagles
PLATTSBURGH - Winning
pitcher John Stewart and Matt
Sames combined for a two-hitter
and 17 strikeouts as Plattsburgh
JfcgJt won the Division I crown
with an S-3 wm over Beekmantown.
Richie Collins had two hits and
three RBI. including a two-run
homer in the fifth and a RBI
single in the first. Steve Sullivan
added a homer, becoming the
ninth Hornet regu*ar to hit a
home nin this season
t i-«
UL
•
5
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„•*«. * - t C .
Redskins edge Indians
SARANAC LAKE — Sarana:
La*e scored tw- r-r.> .". the f.ft.-.
:nnm£ ar.d *.-.-.r.£ p.tcher SeaPr.e.ar. -race tr.err >ta r.d -p a*
Recskms *e*g
win.
Phelan, who tossed a threehitter, fanned three and walked
five. The Redskins, who closed
out their- regular season at 9-7,
scored their runs on an error,
Brian McCarthy's sacrifice
bunt, Craig Cunts single. Scott
Robertson's RBI hit and -Steve
Friuell's two-out RBI single.
Par*.
•
Saraaa* Lafcr
Aafrrmr a«£ & Srpwr. Pbeiaa a»d
- •
3
2
* «
T n t t e m leads Tt
TICONDEROGA — Mark
Trudeau. who homered three
times on Wednesday, hit a
homer in first time up Thursday
and tossed a four-hitter to lead
Ticonderoga to a 10-1 win over
St John's. Both teams ended the
reguiar season with "-9 marks.
Mike Graney added a two-run
homer and Charge Perkins a
solo shot for the Sentinels, who
rapped out :; nits in the contest.
Graney Sean Connery and John
St Andrew? a., r.ad two hits
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