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SPORTS
THURSDAY MARCH 28, 1996
Women’s Final Four offers compelling scenarios
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Women’s college basketball
takes center stage in Charlotte
this weekend.
The NCAA Final Four fea
tures the nation’s heavy
weights in Stanford vs.
Georgia and Connecticut vs.
Tennessee Friday at Charlotte
Davis not
quite Eric
the Red
By Joe Kay
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PLANT CI'TY, Fla. - From
the uniform number to the red
high-tops, he looks like the
Eric Davis that led the
Cinciimati Reds to a World
Series championship.
Back after two years in
retirement, he still slaps his
glove on his thigh before mak
ing a catch, still attacks pitch
es with that looping swing,
stiU runs balls down so effort
lessly with those long strides.
As far as Davis is concerned,
that's where the similarities
end. Appearances
aside, he's not the
same player he
was just a few
years ago, and
^he's doing all
be can to
aake people
realize it.
“I'll never get
4 j back to where
jaSX I was," he said
firmly. “When I did that, I was
22, 23 years old. But that does
n't mean I can't be successful.
That's the way I approach it.
“I mean, every time some
one's seen me, they think
about the things I've done and
they say, “Well, he wants to get
back.' If I don't get back to
that, am I a failime? Why do I
have to go back and reach that
plateau? I can come back and
set my own plateau."
Davis is partly responsible
for those high expectations.
His last two weeks of training
camp have assured him a spot
on the team and started every
one around him wondering
what he's got left at age 33.
There are moments when he
looks like the old Eric Davis,
who was one of the most splen
did players in the game. He
can still nm down fly balls in
the gaps, still steal bases, still
present a triple threat with his
hitting, running and fielding.
Then there are times when
he looks, well, a little off. He
has lost at least a step on the
basepaths, he goes to right
field more often, and he does
n't get that explosive Jump
when stealing.
“It might take a year to get
the rust off. Who knows?"
Davis said. “There will be
some good days and some ups
and downs. It's already an up-
and-down game when you
don't take a year off. By taking
See DAVIS page 12B
Coliseum. Connecticut-
Tennessee starts at 7 p.m.
Friday, with Stanford-Georgia
tipping off at 9:30 p.m. Both
games will be televised by
ESPN, with the championship
game Saturday.
The teams are familiar with
each other as repeaters from
last year’s semifinals. There
are enough plots to stock a
novel. For starters:
• Can Stanford (29-2) win for
interim coach Amy Tucker,
who is running things while
Tara VanDerveer leads the
U.S. Olympic team? The
Cardinal have a Pac-10-record
23-game winning streak going,
due in large measure to some
of the best depth in the land. •
Connecticut, which completed
an unbeaten season last year
with the championship, will be
out to make it two in a row.
The Huskies (34-3) have the
memories of the ‘95-96 team to
live up to, but have plenty of
weapons starting with 6-7
junior Kara Walters. If UConn
wins, it’ll be the first repeat
winner since Southen Cal (led
by TBS basketball analyst
Cheryl Miller) in 1983-84.
• The Southeastern
Conference’s basketball domi-
Gotta Run
'4^'
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Demetrius Campbell (39) Is expected to help Johnson C. Smith improve a ground game that
averaged 1.8 yards a carry in 1995.
Ground game key for JCSU
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
D emetrius Campbell
is looking for some
guys who won't mind
helping him move ahead.
The Johnson C. Smith run
ning back is expected to help
boost a pedestrian ground
attack that averaged 1.8
yards per carry in 1995. For
the (Lolden Bulls (2-8 in last
season) to improve those
numbers, the senior will need
help from an offensive line
that returns four starters.
“I feel like if the offensive
line works hard, everything's
going to be all right,” he said.
"If the offensive line can pro
duce, I can produce.”
Campbell was the lone
bright spot in Smith's rushing
attack last season with 525
yards on 113 carries and two
touchdowns. The junior col
lege transfer ran for more
than 100 yards in his first
game, then hurt his ankle,
which limited his effective
ness. “Right now, Demetrius
will be a very big key to it,"
Smith coach Daryl McNeill
See SMITH page 12B
nance of the college game.
Georgia (27-4) and Tennessee
(30-4) are making another
Final Four appearance.
Southern Mississippi and
Kentucky have teams in the
men’s Final Four.
• Tiffani Johnson’s home
coming. ’The former Garinger
High product and high school
All-America is an important
part of the Volunteers, but the
star player label goes to fresh
man sensation Chamique
Holdsclaw. Still, it makes for
interesting drama when
Johnson takes the floor in
front of family and friends.
The Vols have one of the
nation’s top backcourt
tandems in Michelle
Marciniak and Latina Davis,
who have helped Tennessee to
a 13-game winning streak.
Minutemen on
time for first
Final Four
By Paul Newberry
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA - Edgar Paaila
couldn't wait to show his coach
the stat sheet. He pointed to a
line that ended with “18.”
Massachusetts coach John
CaUpari thought that meant
points. Padilla quickly set him
straight: 18 was the number of
minutes played by
Georgetown's Wctor Page, the
man Padilla had been
assigned to guard.
When it came to points, Page
had a big zero.
“That's the way this team is,”
said Calipari, whose team is
on its way to the Final Four for
the first time in large part
because of its unselfish atti
tude.
“When our guys pick up the
stat sheet, the first thing they
look at is what their guy
scored. They don't look at their
See UMASS Page 12B
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Massachusetts center Marcus
Camby leads the Minutemen
Into the Final Four. It’s UMass’
first trip to the men’s national
semifinals.
S.C. State tops final
Division I black
college hoop poll
By Herbet L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
S.C. State's men's basketball team has won postseason honors.
The Bulldogs finished first in the final rankings of America
Sports Network's poll of Division I historically black college
teams, and coach Cy Alexander was named coach
of the year.
S.C. State (22-8), the ME/iC champion, gath
ered 11 first-place votes and 79 points to win the
top spot. SWAC champion Mississippi Valley
State (22-7) was second with eight first-place
4 votes and 76 points. Both teams made the NCAA
Lv playoffs.
Coppin State of the MEAC was third in the bal
loting with 71 points, while Jackson State of the
MEAC was fourth and 'Ifennessee State of the
Ohio Valley Conference was fifth.
In the tightest results ever for coach of the year,
Alexander received 77 points to edge past
Princeton's Pete Carril (75) and Arkansas' Nolan Richardson with
74. All three led their teams into the NCAA tournament.
S.C. State (22-8) tied for the MEAC regular season champi
onship, then won the conference tournament to advance to the
national playoffs. The Bulldogs were unbeaten in 13 home games
and won 18 of their last 21 regular season games before claiming
the tournament. S.C. State lost to Kansas 92-54 in the first round
of the NCAA tournament.
Alexander
Barber-Scotia’s Abram shows versatility on track
PHOTCVPAUL WILLIAMS III
Abram
By Clarence Thomas Jr.
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
CONCORD — Amid the
financial woes and other nega
tive perceptions of Barber-
Scotia College lies a glimmer
of hope named Angela Abram.
The junior track star is one of
the National Athletic
Intercollegiate Association's
best, and Barber-Scotia's pride
and joy. Abram is anxious to
prove that her freshman year
was no fluke by getting All-
American numbers in her
junior season. During her ini
tial season, she finished first
in the EIAC in the 3,000 and
the 1,500 and was named team
MVP by her coaches and team
mates.
The Sabers did not compete
last season due to budgetary
problems, but are off to a good
start this year. They finished
third on two different occa
sions and first-year coach
Frank Hyland feels Abram,
who was named team captain
at the start of the season,
helped make a difference.
“We have the quality athletes
and Angela is one of them,” he
bragged. “She's very versitile
and she's always up to doing
what I ask her. Her willing
ness to run in the 3,000, 1,500
and 800 individual races this
year is a testament to the kind
of person Abram is."
Abram’s teammates, James
Bryant III, said her dedication
and tenacity boosts the entire
team. "I'm in spired by her," he
said. "When I feel like slowing
down, she gives me a lift."
“Angela has a good personal
ity and good leadership abili
ties,” Hyland said. “A lot of her
teammates really look up to
her."
To hear the Fairmont, N.C.,
native speak, one would not
think that she is one of the
Barber-Scotia's most impor
tant people. “I'm always trying
to do the best I can do,” she
said.
Abram’s track
indicative of this attitude. She
started running at 13 in a fit
ness class and eventually
ended up at Johnson and
Wales University in
Providence, R.I. It was there
that she decided to return
south. She then became the
target of some heavy recruit
ing efforts. Livingstone, N.C.
Central and St. Augustine’s,
the 1995 NCAA Division II
tradr champions, were among
career is See ABRAM page 12B