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HONOLULU (AP) - It looked like time, and the miracles, had run out on Chaminade University.The small NAIA college in Hawaii knocked off then-No.12 Louisville on Saturday in what has become its customary Christmastime upset of a nationally-ranked NCAA opponent and had hoped for two in a row Tuesday against No. 4 Southern . Methodist.But Tuesday, the scoreboard clock showed no time remaining, the Mustangs were leading, 70-69, and SMU guard Carl Wright was holding on to a rebound of a blocked Silversword shot. However, there was also a whistle from referee Sam Delos Reyes who spotted Wright’s foot on the baseline.That proved to be the miracle Chaminade was looking: for as the host Silverswords used a 20-foot “prayer” shot by senior guard Keith Whitney with a fraction of a second left to defeat previously unbeaten SMU, 71-70, and win their own Western Airlines Chaminade Basketball Classic.In the day’s first game, No. 17 Oklahoma muscled past 20th-ranked Louisville, 90-72, for the consolation crown.“I let it go as soon as I touched it,” said Whitney, who finished with 21points, 19 coming in the second half. I wanted to sort it up to the basket ... I knew it was going in when it bounced and then everyone came running at me.”Whitney hit the fallaway shot with three Mustangs towering over him, and was not tne first choice for the inbounds pass.“He was our fourth choice,” said Chaminade coach Merv Lopes. “Our last option was to Keith.”For backcourt partner Mark Rodrigues, who inbounded the ball, Whitney was his only option. “They wanted me to go inside Dut I started thinking that it would take time for an inside shot,” said Rodrigues, whose buzzer shot Saturday proved the difference against Louisville. “I only thought of getting it to Keith because ,1 knew ne could put it up quickly. I thought our only chance was from the outside.”“Nice baseline shot,” said SMU coach Dave Bliss. “The referees were right all the way. The buzzer must go off. You have to play until that buzzer goes off because you don’t know how much time is left.The Mustangs appeared to have the game won when Wright blocked Rodrigues from behind with nine seconds left. The ball was batted around under the basket until Wright finally grabbed it with timeapparently expired. The horn had not sounded, and referees argued successfully with the Mutfang players, fans and coaches that a portion of the final second remained. ■The court was cleared of fans and ayers in order to give thelverswords (me final possession. ■SMU’s Jon Koncak, named the classic’s Most Valuable Player, hit a basket with 12 seconds remaining toSBve the Mustangs their 70-69 lead in■e seesaw battle. , .| It was Chaminade’s fourth upset over a nationally ranked NCAA opponent in the past three yews foe tne Honolulu college with anenrollment of 1,070.Ranked eighth in the NAIA this year, the Silverswords have upset Louisville the past two years and shocked then1 No. 1 Virginia in 1982.Whitney finished with a team-high 21 points, followed by Tony Randolph’s 14 and Rodrigues’ 13. For SMU, Koncak finished with 24, while Wrignt and Larry Davis added 17 apiece.Chaminade Improved to 11-4, SMU fell to 9-1.Also named to the all-tournament team with Koncak were Rodrigues and Whitney of Chaminade, SMU a Wright, Wayman Tisdale of Oklahoma and Louisville’s Billy Thompson.
Newspaper Details
Corbin Times Tribune
Corbin, Kentucky, US
Wed, Dec 26, 1984
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Sante B.
WV, USA 01 Nov 2019
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