Stars flourish, Seniors finish off Harris Stowe

By Mark Brockett - Sports Reporter

In the final home game of the regular season, the UIS women’s basketball team had one thing in mind: victory. After playing 40 minutes of solid basketball, that’s exactly what they achieved as the team defeated Harris Stowe State College 81-56.
After starting out slow on offense, the Stars were able to explode due to great defensive pressure, forcing 27 turnovers. They also shot 47.4 percent in the second half, which improved their sub-par number of 30 percent in the first half.
Sophomore Keyria Rodgers had 4 three-point field goals in the first half and tallied 2 more in the second half, which helped her finish with a game-high 20 points.
This was the last game for the seniors here at UIS. The Stars saw their senior core put up solid numbers in their last game. Chikayla Moss had 16 points and three assists to lead the seniors. Also, Ashley Barton had 13 points and 8 rebounds and Zabrina Harper scored 12 points with 8 rebounds. Kelly Beyer had 7 points with 6 of them coming from three-point land. Kayla Burton contributed on both sides of the ball with two points and two blocks. LaToya Jackson had four points and five rebounds.
With the win, the Stars improve their overall record to 7-18 and 3-8 in the American Midwest Conference. With the final three regular season games on the road, including a game at Columbia last Saturday, a game at McKendree on Tuesday and the season ender at MoBap this Saturday, the Stars will more than likely be seeded 7th in the AMC tournament.

Bearcat defense stifles Stars, 72-54

By Jason Stuebe - Sports Editor

The UIS men’s return to .500 in conference play was short lived, as the Stars began a tough week of play against conference foe and probable championship contender McKendree, losing 72-54.
The first time the two teams met was a tad closer, leading some to believe that the Stars had a chance, especially with Bearcat stud forward Mike Strobbe out for the rest of the season thanks to a blown knee.
Despite a solid showing by the UIS Blue Crew, who traveled by charter bus to Lebanon, such wasn’t the case.
The Stars best shot came halfway through the first half as they got as close to 17-15. After that, it was all McKendree, with their defense holding the Stars to only 35.7 percent shooting in the second half.
Leading the way for the Stars was Che Jordan who nailed 17 points, while Collin Crull and Curtis Collins each posted 12 points.
What was most concerning was the three-point shooting. Just one game removed from a record setting game a week earlier, the Stars shot a remarkably low 8.3 percent from outside the arc.
The Stars fell to 8-18 overall and 4-5 in the AMC heading into last Saturday’s game against another championship contender in Columbia.

Knee deep in a pool of sports issue

By Mark Brockett - Sports Reporter

It has been a while since we’ve had so many issues surrounding the sports world at the same time. Whether you are avid follower of all sports or just a distant follower, it’s hard to escape from each day’s events. I’ve found the time to try and put all of it into perspective.
CANSECO: We knew it was only a matter of time until one of baseball’s former greats would try and cash in on the steroids debate. Jose Canseco stepped up to the proverbial plate and tried to take several players down with him all for the almighty dollar.
Perhaps the biggest name in his new best selling book is future hall of famer Mark McGwire. McGwire, along with former Chicago Cub and present Baltimore Oriole Sammy Sosa, changed the game and injected new life into a stagnant Major League Baseball.
Being former teammates in Oakland with McGwire, Canseco has numerous people in doubt of his sentiments, yet those same people can’t look away. McGwire was one of the biggest athletes in sports during the latter portion of his career. However, it hadn’t always been that way as he came into his rookie season looking like a bag of bones. It truly is a stimulating debate that unfortunately leaves us with a bad taste in our mouths.
In my eyes, yes, Canseco is in this solely for financial purposes. But, with each passing interview and statement made reiterating his previous points, it becomes harder and harder to doubt him. Then again, at one time I believed Pete Rose didn’t gamble on baseball. We’re all allowed a mistake or two in our lifetime.
NHL: In case you didn’t know, there hasn’t been any professional hockey played here in the States since last June. An issue that tries to change with each passing day and yet it all stays the same. The owners feel the need for a salary cap and the players feel the need to disagree. This is just the tip of the iceberg in naming the several problems that they have.
They are so lost on everything that they couldn’t stick to their own guns about a deadline to cancel the season and when they finally did, they had second thoughts to bring it back. It was the best thing in the world for the NHL that they didn’t try to play this year as it would have been a slap in the face of every single living and breathing hockey fan on the planet. They need to go back to the drawing board and find a system that makes sense.
NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Can you smell it? March Madness is almost upon us. And if last week’s results were any indication, we are in for a real treat this year. Three of the top four teams in the nation were upset, including Kansas, the No. 2 team in the nation at that time, TWICE. This is the time of the year to be hitting your stride if you want to be a contender come tournament time. Teams that I see doing that right now are Arizona, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and of course, Illinois. I do believe, however, that the undefeated Illini will lose to Ohio State in the last regular season game of the year at Columbus. It just seems like a tough match-up for them and they didn’t play well the last time they played there last season. The head coach of the Buckeyes, Thad Matta, has his team playing with a purpose despite being denied the opportunity to play in the tournament due to infractions of NCAA rules and regulations made by the football team. I bleed orange much like so many others on this campus, but I know a trap game when I see it. This will prove to be the game that leads Illinois to the NCAA title this season.
MIRACLE ON ICE: Last Sunday was the 25th anniversary of the 1980 U.S Olympic hockey team’s upset of the heavily favored Russian team. This proved to be one of, if not the single most significant and influential sports victory of all time. This was America finally defeating the Soviet Union in the eyes of many. With such heroes as Michael Eurizzione and Jim Kraig, the young, inexperienced and overmatched American team put on a display of heart, guts and determination that coaches and players so often dream about. These players never made it big or became stars in the NHL, but their win will transcend the test of time and nobody can ever take that away from them. Disney’s “Miracle” would most certainly be a great way to commemorate this victory this year and I highly recommend it to those who haven’t seen the movie. Take care and thanks for reading.

Stuebe’s Sporting Goods
The juice is loose

By Jason Stuebe - Sports Editor

In what was supposed to be a slow week in the world of sports (outside of my obligatory mention of the 47th running of the Daytona 500), an out-of-work and out-of-touch Jose Canseco kept sports writers and pundits burning the midnight oil with the release of his book “Juiced.”
The book, in which he admits using steroids while playing baseball, is not just damning to him, but it also names names, some of which are among the biggest in the MLB.
Some might herald Canseco as a whistleblower, finally shedding light on a very dark corner in the annals of major league ball. However, others contend that he is nothing more than a gold digger looking to make it out of a financial rut. I would tend to concur with the latter of the two.
To be a whistleblower, you generally have to meet several criteria, among them being credibility and the action of shedding light on something not already known. Fact of the matter is that Canseco lacks credibility for reasons about to be mentioned and it has not been a secret that steroid use ran rampant through the ‘90s.
Canseco is out for money. Period. And to top it all off, he doesn’t care who he damages to get it. Every claim he makes is enveloped in an ulterior motive, whether it be money or immortality. The book will give him the money and the media is giving him more than 15 minutes of fame.
It is now clear that Canseco made millions off of steroid use while playing baseball and now he is double dipping trying to make millions off of steroid use again this time talking about it. Here is a guy who is on the outside looking in. It’s been reported that he owes thousands of dollars in back taxes and even has his own World Series ring for sale on his personal website. Sound like a guy with nothing to lose and everything to gain by throwing around a soap opera’s worth of drama?
You bet.
The problem I have with Canseco is not necessarily embedded in him naming names but in his proof, of which he has little. Are we seriously supposed to take this slime ball’s word? I guess it is possible that he is telling the truth, but is it really probable?
Whether or not he is being honest is left up to powers higher than us, but when his most common answer is either “I injected them” or “I have a pretty good feeling,” plenty of holes are left in his arguments.
There’s no doubt that steroids have been a problem. Hell, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to hypothesize that Barry Bonds is more juiced than a Florida orange but those are just hypotheses. Canseco is selling them as fact.
While I’d like to think that this whole fiasco will ultimately do some good in the end – by way of scaring the bejesus out of everyone even thinking of using steroids – the damage it has caused to not only individual players but to the game itself will remain to be seen until opening day.
Oh and by the way, this past weekend, this column became an award-winning column. Now, I’m not here to brag about that, but rather share it with you, the readers. Without you, I’d be a senseless babbling egomaniac simply blowing hot air; then again even with you I’m a senseless babbling egomaniac simply blowing hot air. Thanks for helping make this what it is and as always, Go Stars!

UIS Campus Recreational Sports Celebrates
National Recreational Sports & Fitness Day

By Stacey Liles

The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association will be celebrating its 55th National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day on February 22. Under NIRSA’s establishment, this day was created to help promote recreational sports, fitness and wellness, as well as the founding day of NIRSA.
Dr. William Wasson organized 22 African-American men and women that were intramural directors from 11 historically black colleges. The first conference was held at Dillard University in New Orleans. These participants formed the National Intramural Association (NIA). The association became the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) in 1975.
Since then, NIRSA has experienced exceptional growth now inhabiting about 4,000 members and being represented on more than 700 campuses and universities. NIRSA is also part of U.S. military installations, in public park and recreation departments, correctional facilities, not-for-profit organizations and private enterprises. UIS is an institutional member of the NIRSA.
This year, UIS Campus Recreational Sports plans to celebrate NIRSA and the National Recreational Sports & Fitness Day by playing Platform Tennis. If you are not familiar with the game of tennis, no need to worry. You can use this opportunity to learn how to play since Platform Tennis is very similar to regular tennis. It is very easy to learn and to play. The game is played on a court outdoors and is ideal for a winter sport. This court is made to be skid-resistant and has a heating element in it so ice and snow will not be a concern.
Scoring, as well as the rest of the rules is the same as tennis except: only one serve is allowed in doubles play, and the ball may be played off the 12-foot-high screens that enclose the court.
Although NIRSA celebrates its founding day on February 22, we are going to hold our Platform Tennis outing on Sunday, February 27, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Washington Park. Transportation will be provided if needed with the van leaving from the Fitness Center at 1:40 p.m. All equipment is provided but you must come dressed to play. Dress for outdoor temperatures and wear tennis shoes.
You can sign up individually in the Campus Rec Sports Office anytime before 1:00 p.m. Friday, February 25, and it will be free! Make sure to present your valid i-card and you’re good to go! For all non-rec center members and non-UIS people there will be a $5 fee.
Come celebrate National Recreational Sports & Fitness Day with us and learn some new skills while having fun!

Snapshots

Men’s Basketball
UIS vs. Columbia (Columbia, Mo.)

Another game and another tough loss for the Stars last Saturday, this time falling to the Cougars of Columbia College 69-52, dropping the Stars to 8-19 overall and 4-6 in the AMC.
The game was never really all that close as Columbia roared to a relentless lead and held the Stars scoreless for over nine minutes of play in the first half, taking a 41-21 lead into the locker rooms.
While the Stars did manage to outscore Columbia in the second half 31-28, it simply proved to be too little too late.
The Stars were led by Antonio Puckett with 16 points and Che Jordan with 11. While the scoring percentage was a dismal 36.5 percent from the field compared to Columbia’s 51 percent shooting, the Stars did manage to out rebound the hefty team 36-30.
The Stars return home this Thursday to face Williams Baptist College for Senior Night with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

AMC Conference Standings
McKendree 8-2
Columbia 8-2
Missouri Baptist 8-1
Williams Baptist 4-6
UI-Springfield 4-6
Harris Stowe 1-9
Hannibal LaGrange 1-8

Women’s Basketball
UIS vs. Columbia (Columbia, Mo.)
The Cougars of Columbia ripped UIS a new one in the second half, spanking the Stars 97-65 last Saturday.
UIS kept it somewhat close in the first half against the sole leader in the AMC heading to the locker rooms with 42-30 on the board. Any chance to make a run in the second half was squashed, however, by a tough Cougar defense which held the Stars to making only 13 field goals in the second half.
The Stars were led by freshman LaTrice Nettles with 20 points, while Ashley Barton notched a 17-point, eight rebound performance.
The Stars now look to close out their season at Missouri Baptist this Saturday and are staring at a 7th seed in the AMC tournament.

AMC Conference Standings
Columbia 11-0
McKendree 10-1
Hannibal LaGrange 6-5
William Woods 6-5
Missouri Baptist 5-6
UI-Springfield 3-9
Williams Baptist 3-8
Harris Stowe 0-11

Men’s Tennis
The UIS men’s tennis squad crushed the Bees of St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa, to open their 2005 spring assault with an 8-1 win.
In single’s competition, UIS #1 Alim Mambetov fought an early 2-5 deficit to win 11 straight games en route to defeating Steve Etheridge 7-5, 6-0. Other action featured UIS’s Eric Cromer dropping a close one to John Miniter, while UIS’s Bladimir Hernandez, Esteban Czwan, Mauricio Lora, Gerard Sabb and Ryan O’Toole all defeated their respective opponents.
In double’s action, the tandem of Mambetov and Czwan led the Stars dropping Ambrose’s Etheridge and Miniter 9-7. Cromer/Hernandez and Lora/Sabb also won in their bouts 9-7 and 8-4, respectively.
The Stars next match will be on March 11 against Lindenwood University.

Women’s Tennis
Everyone’s favorite ladies of the green court have been ranked #26 in the NAIA preseason poll.
Last year, the Stars fell in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament to the Cobras of Virginia College and finished up #19 in the nation and first in Region V.
The Stars open up their season looking to defend their title and improve their tournament performance on March 11 in St. Charles, Mo., against Lindenwood University.

Women’s Softball
With a week to go before the season-opener, the queens of the diamond suffered a minor setback as senior fielder Rebekah Bandy injured her left knee in practice last Friday. No word yet on the severity of the injury, as MRI scans have yet to be analyzed as of press time.

Upcoming Game
Thursday 2/24/05
Men’s Basketball
Senior Night
UIS Assembly Closet 6:00 p.m.

Stars flourish, Seniors finish off Harris Stowe

Bearcat defense stifles Stars, 72-54

Knee deep in a pool of sports issue

Stuebe’s Sporting Goods

Coaches vs. Cancer makes it more than just a game

Snapshots