4/Wednesday, Decembers,1984/THE BLUE BANNER
(lAC
Attitude makes the difference
Staff photo by Sylvia Hawkins
IMC^ B0UJ)06 G8B6 JGMBS
thiiAs attdLtode Is the
naBB of the gane.
By Anne Snuffer
Attitude. It's an
eight-letter word that
means a lot' to UNCA Ju
nior basketball player
Greg Jones.
That’s what his game is
all about, and he*s the
first to admit it.
'*You have to have a lot
of heart aiid a good atti
tude about basketball.
That's what makes it ex
citing," he said.
Since the sixth grade,
Jones has worlced on iixa
attitude and his game. "I
like the action. I start
ed on 1117 high school team
as point guard, and
worked my way up,*’ he
added.
Working his way up
meant starting on the
team of Hillsborough Com
munity College in Tampa,
Florida, his home town.
From there, the Bull
dogs recruited him to
play as a junior transfer
student.
Jones takes his posi
tion of point guard ser
iously. "I dictate the
tenqx^ of the game. If I
get erratic on the court,
the whole team will get
that way," he said.
Jones feels it*s "just
part of his job as a part
of the team" to control
the team's plays.
Coach Jerry Green said
Jones is an excellent
leader. "He does a good
job of directing the team
and handling the ball a-
gainst pressure," he
said.
Green feels Jones has
"an outstanding attitude
not only towards school,
but also towards basket
ball."
Green said Jones is the
only player the Bulldogs
ever signed without Green
seeing him play first.
"I saw him play on film
and Assistant Coach Mike
Sams saw him play in per
son. Coach Sams highly
recommended him," said
Green.
His first priority
isn't to see how many
points he can score. "I
don't mind giving up 20
points a game to somebody
else, as long as we win,"
Jones added.
Jones said his game
strategy consists of tak
ing one step at a time
and "playing as hard as I
can."
He eft joys getting out
on the court and working
with the team, and he
Bulldogs sting Hornets
By Joan Sterk
The Bulldog men's bas
ketball team overcame the
Hornets' delay offense
to defeat the University
of North Carolina at
Greensboro 68—49 Monday
night at Justice Gym.
Coach Jerry Green said
the Hornets "were holding
the ball using a very dis
ciplined offense."
It wasn't until 10 min
utes into the game that
UNCA applied effective
defense, breaking the
Hornets' strategy of
holding the ball.
"We doubled up on them
at the 10-minute mark
which forced 14 turnovers
in the first half," Green
said. He credited UNC
Greensboro with being
"very well coached and
pla3^ng smart."
Coach Green felt the de
layed offense was good
strategy. He said the Hor
nets played "like they
wanted a 40-point ball-
game, but we applied de
fensive pressure and
played our game."
The Bulldogs didn't let
the Hornets score for the
last five minutes of the
first half and pulled
ahead from 15-16 to a
half-time lead of 26-16.
The Bulldogs also took
advantage of free shots in
the first half, hitting
100 percent from the free
throw line. The Hornets
never went to the line in
the first half.
"Jeff Jones had an ex
cellent first half," said
Green. Jones had 12 points
in the first half, finish
ing with a game high 16
points.
feels like this year's
team J.s a tightly knit
group.
"We do a lot of things
off the court together.
10 of the players in
Moore Dorm got together
and painted the hall and
laid down new carpet.
That really helped us to
get to know each other,"
he said.
Jones faces each prac
tice with the same type
of attitude he has in a
game. "I like to work
hard in practice. I'd
rather work hard and hurt
in practice than be down
in a game. I just think
about how practice will
help me in the long run."
His attitude also gives
him confidence about what
he does off the court. "I
take pride in my school-
work, and I really try
hard," he added.
As for next year, Jones
said he's "pretty sure
he'll play" for the Bull
dogs. As for his future,
Jones doesn't know what
he'll do with his major
in business administra
tion. "I don't want to
think about work right
now," he said.
For the time being,
Jones is content to think
only about school, bas
ketball, and his atti
tude. "Attitude is the
key to it all. You've got
to want it from the in
side before you get on
the court and put it cill
together," he added.
The Bulldogs were in
control of the second
half, eventually building
a 23-point lead with over
three minutes remaining.
Seniors Dwayne Winston
and Tom Haus each scored
seven points in the second
half, finishing with 11
and 12 points respective
ly-
Every member on the team
got to play in this 19-
point victory. Coach Green
said he was pleased with
the way the team played.
"It was a balanced sec
ond half and a lot of peo
ple who don't see a lot of
playing time played very
well," Green said. "They
were very unselfish and
played together as a
team."
The win brought UNCA to
a 5-2 record, while UNC
UNCA’S BDUJDOGS M&NiGBD to give the sting to the HC
Greensboro Hornets in Monday's g^nm* at Justice
The BoUdogiB had to overcoae a too^ delay offense in
order to defeat them* staff photo by Caroline Brown