Upstaging upstarts
Freshmen excel at Missouri's Midnight Madness
Posted: Monday October 19, 1998 08:52 PM
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Norm Stewart: "We have basketball practice to show off our team, and 5,000 people show up. You know you've got the support. This is why this is a great place to play." AP |
COLUMBIA, Missouri (AP) -- They may be the new kids on the block, but it was the freshmen who were setting the example for Missouri's veterans.
Clarence Gilbert triumphed in the 3-point shooting contest, scoring 18 points with about 5,000 fans looking on during Midnight Madness. Another newcomer, Keyon Dooling, won the slam-dunk contest with two baskets.
If that was not enough, it looked as if the all-freshmen Gold team was going to claim the first intrasquad game. But junior Jeff Hafer saved it for the Black team by hitting two free throws with .4 seconds remaining to make it 29-29.
The freshmen's initial thoughts about the Hearnes Center atmosphere early Saturday remained a mystery, however, because Missouri coach Norm Stewart declared the players off-limits to the media after the scrimmage.
"You all do what I'm going to do and try and forget that scrimmage," Stewart told reporters. "That's why coaches hate to have players play on their own. It's absolutely awful."
While the crowd didn't have much to cheer about during the ragged scrimmage, it went crazy for Dooling's powerful slam dunks in the contest at halftime.
Dooling and Gilbert were high school teammates in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While Dooling only scored four points Saturday, Gilbert picked up the slack with 12 points to lead the Gold team.
Senior John Woods led the Black team with nine points. Junior Albert White had eight points and 10 rebounds.
While his team's play didn't satisfy Stewart, the fan support did.
"It's a great way to start off the season," Stewart said. "We have basketball practice to show off our team, and 5,000 people show up. You know you've got the support. This is why this is a great place to play."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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