COLLEGE DIVISION NOTEBOOK / MARTIN BECK : Concordia’s Alaska Trip Positive Despite Defeats

The start was cold and disappointing, but Concordia women’s basketball Coach Dave Wolter says the trip to Alaska was worth it.

The Eagles lost four games--two each to Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks--but gained experience and something intangible.

“I think it did such positive things to our team,” Wolter said. “This was a close, hard-working team already, and this took them to a new level. They’re winners--it bothered them that they lost four games.”

Since then, the Eagles have won six consecutive games. At 5 tonight in Irvine, the Eagles will try to extend their streak against one of Concordia’s sister institutions, Concordia (Ore.), in their second Eagle Classic game. Concordia (Texas) and Concordia (Ill.) will play in the 7 p.m. game.

The round-robin tournament concludes Saturday.

Thursday’s 88-56 victory over Concordia (Ill.) was the Eagles’ first game in nine days, and Wolter says his team, which includes nine players who are either freshmen or sophomores, is ready to get going.

“From Christmas on, the longest gap we have between games is three days,” Wolter said. “That will be fun. That will keep us rolling right along. One thing a young team needs to do is play games.”

Junior Angela Sather, a transfer from Pima (Ariz.) Community College is the team’s leading scorer (20 points), and sophomores Kristin Weddick and Heather Carll and freshman point guard Dinah Shah also have been impressive.

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Not party time: Because Chapman isn’t affiliated with a conference and there are only a few NCAA Division III independents in the west, Panther basketball coaches must sometimes take games when they can.

Last season, the men’s team played Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on New Year’s Eve; this season, women’s Coach Mary Hegarty scheduled a home game with Randolph-Macon (Va.) on New Year’s Day.

“I kind of get the feeling our team is not too wild, but I may have altered some of their entertainment plans,” Hegarty said.

The Panthers will be beginning a crucial part of their season. After playing Randolph-Macon (6-0) and Wisconsin Stout (7-0) Tuesday, they will play in the Redlands tournament later in the week. All games, especially those against Division III opponents, are important, after Chapman’s 4-4 start.

“We’re going to have to do a lot better than that on the backside to make the playoffs,” Hegarty said.

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The Chapman men’s team also has some key games coming up. The Panthers (6-3) play Babson (Mass.) in the first round of the Whittier tournament Friday at 6 p.m. Whittier and Hartwick (N.Y.) play in the other first-round game. The winners play at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Chapman won the tournament last season.

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Before the national anthem is played at Southern California College basketball games, a prayer is given. Typically, the prayer is short and nondescript.

On Dec. 19, Edwin R. Westbrook, an attorney and assistant to SCC President Wayne Kraiss, was asked to give the pregame blessing.

His prayer is worth repeating:

“Heavenly father, we ask you to bless your children at play. We do not ask for favoritism. We do not ask for victory for ourselves and defeat for our friends. We do not seek your intervention in the border-line calls and the bounces of the ball. Keep us from praying piously and then talking trash, we pray.

“We thank you for the skill and preparation of the players, coaches and especially the referees--without whom all of us fine Christians could not even complete a simple game such as this without bloodshed. We ask the game be hotly contested and warmly remembered by all in attendance--host and visitor.

“Spare the contestants from injury we pray, and the spectators from embarrassing themselves and their school.

“We ask these things in the name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at this holy season.”

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College Note

Three Chapman football players were named Division III All-Americans. Junior running back Darnell Morgan and senior kick returner Oscar Ford were second-team selections, and senior offensive guard Kelly Akridge was a third-team pick.