B2 THE TIMES Sports Saturday, March 30, 2019 SOFTBALL

Photos by Ernest A. Brown Davies Tech’s Taylor Kent (top left) makes contact with a pitch from Tolman hurler Hannah Coken (top right) during Friday afternoon’s non-league contest in Lincoln.

NCAA TOURNAMENT Texas Tech’s coach spends life on edge, as an underdog By EDDIE PELLS 2016. “I get up every day, surround belong, and that’s just me,” Beard would have no compunction about around as much as he has is bound Associated Press myself with winners. Every day I said. “How I keep those players being like (or Knight, for to encounter a few of those seniors feel like I’m an underdog.” feeling the same way, it’s just who that matter), who got called out last along the way. ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chris He’ll be one again on Saturday, we are. We’ve got really good play- week for his very public berating of “You bust your ass for four years, Beard burst onto the scene at the when third-seeded Texas Tech faces ers, but we don’t have any McDon- freshman Aaron Henry during the then your senior year, a coaching NCAA Tournament three years ago No. 1 Gonzaga with a trip to the Fi- ald’s All-Americans. We don’t have Spartans’ first-round win over Brad- change happens, and all of a sud- with a splint on his hand, a chip on nal Four on the line. anybody on our team that has been ley. den, some new guy comes in, and his shoulder and a nagging thought But the math is changing. given anything.” And yet, for all his talk about he’s talking about building it,” that all but guaranteed he would Yes, Gonzaga has two NBA-cal- Since nothing comes easy, Beard tough love, Beard’s most viral mo- Beard said last year, the day before never get outworked: Guys like him iber big men in and has built a team that cedes ground ment so far this tournament came Texas Tech fell to Villanova in the only get one chance. , along with the very unwillingly. when he stopped a team meeting Elite Eight. “I mean, ain’t got time The hand has healed. The chip nation’s top-scoring offense and a At the most basic level, the key and brought tears to the eyes of his to build it.” — it’s as big as ever. As for that coach who has taken the exact op- to a Texas Tech defense that has al- Italian-born guard, Davide Moretti, It may lend some insight into the thought — well, even though he’s posite career path as Beard. Over lowed more than 65 points in only whose family was waiting in the biggest blemish on Beard’s resume. taken Texas Tech to the brink of the the past 30 years, Mark Few has nine of 35 its games is clogging the back of the room after flying in from Earlier this week, he declined to go Final Four for the second straight been at exactly one school. middle and giving teams — most Italy to watch him play. into details about his hiring in 2016 year, chances are it will never really But Texas Tech has one NBA-cal- of them presumably with more of- “When I first got here, he just at Texas Tech, which came only go away. iber big man of its own — Jarrett fensive talent than Beard could ever made me feel included and confi- 19 days after he had left Arkansas Beard comes from the Bob Culver, who could’ve gone a lot of dream of — only bad choices: Work dent right away,” said Matt Mooney, Little-Rock to take an open job at Knight coaching tree, which helps places, but chose to stay close to the ball to the baseline and try to a graduate transfer from South Da- UNLV. explain how he broke his hand home, to try to build something with make something happen from those kota who arrived for this season. It was certainly not his proud- during a halftime fight with a lock- Beard in Lubbock — along with the tiny slivers of space, or take your “He talked me up a little bit in front est moment, but clearly, Beard felt er room grease board when he was nation’s most stifling defense. chances driving the lane and paying of the guys, and he’s real good at Texas Tech — a place with more coaching Arkansas-Little Rock to Beard’s career path, it turns out, the price. putting guys in the right positions money in a bigger conference, the tournament, and an eventual up- is working out, too. Over the same Asked how the players make and making you feel like you’re part and where he had previously been set of Purdue, in 2016. 30 years Few has been at Gonza- the system work, Culver said they of the team right away.” an assistant for Knight — offered Yet the story of this 46-year-old ga, Beard has wound through 12 have to, lest they “have to deal with In Beard’s world, the team is a an opportunity to do bigger things hoops coach in a hurry is not one spots (13 if you count the 19 days Coach Adams” — assistant coach family — but as everyone knows, more quickly. of uncontrolled rage, a la Knight in at UNLV — more on that later), Mark Adams is the team’s defensive basketball families operate in one- Regardless of the reason, it takes his worst moments, but rather, one sweeping gym floors, taping ankles guru. year cycles; that specific group only a certain kind of guy to leave Las about the lessons of life, and coach- and writing game plans at Incarnate What, pray tell, does “dealing gets one chance to do big things to- Vegas for Lubbock: Perhaps, the ing, that get learned when nothing Word, Fort Scott Community Col- with Coach Adams” mean? gether. kind of guy who thinks he’ll only comes for free. lege, Seminole State and a handful Beard interrupted: “I think it’s the It’s why Beard always feels get one chance. “I wasn’t a great player, I don’t of other outposts where 737 jet ser- same thing that happened at Michi- bad for seniors who get stuck on “We’ve got a chip on our shoul- have a famous grandfather,” Beard vice is not available. gan State, and it’s called coaching.” programs going through coach- der,” Beard said. “We weren’t sup- said, in explaining his ethos back in “I’m always trying to act like I The message there is that Beard ing changes. A coach who moves posed to be here.” Guy shoots through slump to lead No. 1 Cavaliers By JERRY BREWER he is one of the few players Coach Tony open on a mostly guarded team. tournament performance, ranks just ahead The Wasghington Post Bennett has ever allowed to experiment so He represents the humanity - the joy, the of them at No. 3. If both teams play their frequently on offense. regret, the goofiness - of a Virginia pro- best, this game should look like something LOUISVILLE — Kyle Guy isn’t just a “You’ve got to give Kyle freedom,” gram built on stodgy excellence. During right between Purdue’s 99-94 overtime good shooter. Most of the time, his jump- Bennett said, “because he’s a moment this arduous Elite Eight run, the Cavaliers thriller against Tennessee on Thursday er is so pure that, if your life depended on away from getting it rolling.” have yet to play consistently at their nor- night and Virginia’s 53-49, cover-your- a college player making a deep bucket, His latest moment is overdue, however. mal, dominant level, but they’re winning eyes slog against Oregon. A final score you’d be wise to beg that he take the shot. Long overdue. The NCAA tournament has on experience, defense and poise. If they in the 70s, perhaps? Unless Guy is right, Earlier this season, he made 11 con- reduced Guy to a dude who must do other want to beat Purdue in the South Region Virginia will have to strain to produce that secutive 3-pointers. They weren’t during things to compensate for his broken J. He’s final on Saturday night and advance to the much offense. warmups, either. They came in real games, in a major shooting slump, which is unfor- Final Four, they’re going to need to find In three tournament games, Guy is av- against tall men dedicated to disturbing tunate because otherwise Guy has been a their offense. It would help a great deal if eraging only 7.3 points, about half his nor- his rhythm. For the season, the Virginia tremendous ambassador for people dealing Guy found his shot. mal output. He is shooting 21 percent from guard is shooting 42.7 percent from long with anxiety and an honest spokesman pro- Purdue is more than capable of execut- the field; he has missed 30 of 38 shots. He distance, which ranks among the top 15 viding insight into the Cavaliers’ long and ing against an elite defense. The Boiler- has missed 23 of his 26 3-pointers. He had marksmen in Division I . difficult pursuit of redemption. Guy makes makers rank fourth in the nation in offen- missed 17 straight 3-pointers before hitting Guy is the free spirit on a serious team, and Virginia easier to embrace because he’s so sive efficiency. Virginia, despite its wobbly a couple against Oregon.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NCAA TOURNAMENT GLANCE NCAA Tournament Glance Regional Championship Regional Championship 3), 9:57 p.m. Texas Tech 63, Michigan 44 Saturday, April 6 By The Associated Press Sunday, March 31 Saturday, March 30 Regional Championship Regional Championship East champion vs. West champion All Times EDT Michigan State (31-6) vs. winner of Purdue (26-9) vs. Virginia (32-3), Sunday, March 31 Saturday, March 30 South champion vs. Midwest cham- EAST REGIONAL Duke-Virginia Tech, TBA 8:49 p.m. Auburn (29-9) vs. Kentucky-Hous- Gonzaga (33-3) vs. Texas Tech (29- pion Washington ton winner, TBA 6), 6:09 p.m. National Championship Regional Semifinals SOUTH REGIONAL MIDWEST REGIONAL Monday, April 8 Friday, March 29 Regional Semifinals Regional Semifinals WEST REGIONAL FINAL FOUR Semifinal winners Michigan State 80, LSU 63 Thursday, March 28 Friday, March 29 Regional Semifinals At U.S. Bank Stadium Duke (31-5) vs. Virginia Tech (26- Purdue 99, Tennessee 94, OT Auburn 97, North Carolina 80 Thursday, March 28 Minneapolis 8), 9:39 p.m. Virginia 53, Oregon 49 Kentucky (29-6) vs. Houston (33- Gonzaga 72, Florida State 58 National Semifinals BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES Radio Shack with 19 points and Mike Robin Cordeiro, Carl Zawaka, Neal Therault, Mike well-skilled athlete who led the Clippers in March 30 swished 10 for the losers. Martin and Brain Handrigan. The champs are scoring (9.8 ppg), Heather Spellman of See- coached by Ed Cordeiro. konk, a strong rebounder who also handled 1971 Mike Reeder connected for four Pictured among the Pee Wee’s are the ball well for a forward and averaged 9.6 baskets late in the opening period 1981 the Blarney Stone skaters after cap- 1991 Michele Peluso of Bishop Feehan, a ppg, Tolman’s Stephany Clyburn, a forward to give the Pawtucket Boys’ Club staff mem- turing the Pawtucket Youth Hockey Asso- “quick” center, who was sixth in the with nice low-post moves who scored at a bers a lead they never relinquished as they ciation crown over Langley’s Laundry. The area in scoring with 14.2 ppg and snared 10 10.9 ppg pace, and Linda Moran of Central defeated the Boys’ Club Radio Shack quin- team members are Tom Hayes, Scott Rug- rebounds a game, heads the Evening Times’ Falls, fourth in area scoring (14.5 ppg) and tet for the eighth straight year. Reeder led all gerio, Steve Isabel, Pat Roy, Brian Cordeiro, All-Area Girls Basketball Team’s second unit. tied for ninth in treys with 12. scorers with 26 points and got help from Don Jeff Furtado, Steve Jermani, Chris Raposa, Rounding out the Second Team are Cumber- Twohig with 20, Tom McGrath 19 and Mike Ted Parker, John Parker, Mike Bishop, Mike land’s Liz Lynch, a smooth forward and a — By BILL MULHOLLAND Webb 10. Paul Sawyer was high man for the