European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stalls and stripes Friday april 1,1988 Connecticut wins first nit Crown new Vokk a Piil Gamble scored a scion High 25 Points and combined with tale George 10 Lead a second half surge Hiil carried Connecticut to a 72-67 Victory out Ohio stale and ils firm National invitation tournament Lille wednesday night. The huskies. 20-14, who were making their seventh appearance in the nit had never before reached the semifinals. Ohio stale 10-13, which won the nit in 1986, was making ils third trip to the final four in four appearances. Jay quran gave tile buckeyes Itier largest Lead 36-30, Wilh a 3-Poinler at he 15 21 Mark but at Hal Point con no Licul took Over. Gamble who had five 3-Pointcrs in Hie game and George scored Ciet Points each during a 29-12 spun in the Cut to id. Giving Connecticut a 59-48 Lead with 4 j 5 left. Clit Robinson the huskies lending scorer with an in to fill average Wen to the Bench with his fourth toil with 15 43 remaining and did not return to the game until there was Only 4 14 left. He fouled out with 2 51 to go finishing with five Points. The acc pointers by Tony White and James Bradley in the final minute got Ohio state As close As 68-65 with 37 seconds left. Bui Steve Pikiell. Whose 3 Pointer with 7 38 left put Connecticut ahead to stay and Murray Williams hit two free throws each to keep the huskies rangers Fop Chicago in playoff bid by the Assod nerf press Chicago Kelly Kisio capped a three goal barrage in the first period As inc new York rang ers beat the Chicago Blackhawk 4-3 in the nil wednesday night and took a two Point Edge for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Patrick division the rangers winning for the finl rime on i Imago stadium ice  since december 1983, move ahead of Idle Pittsburgh Wilh 79 Points with just two game remain ing in the regular season. The pen. Gums have Ihrck games left. Troy Murray s 55-Foo  45 seconds into the final period Hud i rimmed the rangers advantage to one goal but they Heldon to win fur the 11th time in their last 17 outings 11-5-1. The Blac Hawks win less Inch Cir last seven contests 0-6-1scored the first goal of the game on Steve Larmer s 41st goal of the season bul Lucien Deblois Don Malo nay and Kisio connected to give the rangers a 3-1 first period advantage. Chicago s Denis Savard with pair of assist became the club s second All Lime assist Leader 530passing Bobby Hull s 549. The Blackhawk struck at inc 1 07 Mark of the opening period when Larmer banged in his own rebound from the right face off Cir Cle. The rangers retaliated just Over two minutes later when Debloi rifled in a shot from Point blink Range for his ninth score then waited 10 minutes to break the tie when Paloncy poked in Bis Lith goal of the year after taking a pass from Jan Erixon. With less than two minutes remaining in the period. Kisio scored for inc 25ih Lime after Tak ing Rookie Brian Mectch s 40-Foqi Paw. New York increased its Lead lo4-1 Lead Early in he second period while enjoying a Man advantage when ult Dahlen deflected in mar cel Dionne s i 5-foot sup hoi. Other games in late games wednesday. Edmonton Defeated Minnesota 6-3 and los Angeles turned Back Cal Gary 9-7. In control. Burton led Ohio slate Wilh 16 Points and while had is i of them in the second half. George scored 14 Points and Williams 13 for Connecticut. Connecticut led 27-25 at a inic de spite going 7 40 with Only two Points. The huskies led in with 13 53 Leflon the first of Gamble s three 3-pointers in the half. Before Gamble hit another 3-Pointer Wilh 6 13 to go Ohio slate had Oul scored the huskies 14-1 for an 18-13 advantage. Buckeyes Point guard Curtis Wilson had iwo 3-pointers and eight Points during Ohio stale s rally. Gamble s third Long Range Basket with 1 35 a Cal regained the Lead for Connecticut 25-22. Earlier wednesday Pat Durham s a yup at the Buzzer ended a rally from a13-Point deficit and gave Colorado stale a ss-s7 Victory Over Boston College in the third place game. Durham scored seven of i 17 Points in the final 41 seconds As the rams who finished inc season 22-13, look advantage of poor free throw shooting by bos Ion College 18-15. The eagles missed the first shot of of four 1-and-l situation sin the final 1 30. David Turcotte led Colorado stale with 20 Points and Dana Damn scored 15 of his 20 in the second half Tor Boston College. Carr helps Hawks end pistons Home Streak by the audited Frew Pontiac Mich. Antoine car threw the Atlanta Hawks playbook out the window and improvised for a game winning Shoi. Carr s Only Field goal of the second half from four feet Over Bill Laim ctr with three seconds left wednesday night lifted the Hawks to a 103-102 Aba Vic tory Over Detroit snapping the pistons club record Home court winning streak3\ 18 games. Carr said the Hawks plan was to have Dominique Wilkins. Atlanta s leading scorer who averages 31.5 Points per game take the final shot. I looked for Nique bul Dennis Rodman had him covered like a Glove Carr said. I knew the time was Licking Down and we had to do  Carr said Atlanta coach Mike Fralc to had instructed the Hawks to take some thing other than a perimeter jump shot Wilh inc game on the line. I tried to Lake it Down Low said Carr who backed limb car from Nearine free throw line before taking the shot i went to my Little Post up  Ball had a Little Bounce on it and luckily it went  Carr a former Detroit first round draft Choice finished with seven Points. Detroit managed Only a one handed off balance Shol from the right Wing by Joe Dumars after can put Atlanta ahead. It was either or they could have Given it to me or Joe Isiah Thomas who scored 35 Points said of Detroit final attempt. I was kind of hoping to eel it but i feel just As confident Wilh Joe having  Thomas scored 22 Points in the Sec Ond half As the pistons Central division Lead Over the second place Hawks was Cut to three games before a crowd of47.692 at the Pontiac Silver dome the third largest regular season crowd in league history celtics 117, rocket 110 Boston Larry Bird had 35 Points and the Boston celtics outscored hous ton 13-2, after the rockets had Cut bos ton s Lead to one Point Early in the fourth Quarter. The rockets playing without injured enter Akem Olajuwon had Cut a 90-81 deficit to 90-87 at the end of the third Quarter. When Cedric Mai will got the first Basket of the fourth Quarter the Lead was Down to one. But a Field Goat by Danny Ainge and two by Jim Pau on nude the score 96-89 with 9 39 left. Purvis Short hit iwo free throw for Houston but Boston got the next seven Points five by Fred Roberts to comple teits run and take a 103-91 Lead ils biggest of Aba Roundup Antoine can1hits winning Basket the game Wilh 727 to go. The closest the rockets came after Hal was seven Points at 113-106 with 2 05 to go and 115 Iob with 1 25 left Ainge had 22 Points and Roberts added 16 for Boston which trailed 63-60 at halftime but came on to win for the11 in time in 13 games. Substitute Forward Buck Johnson led Houston with 111 Points Joe Barry car Roll who started because Olajuwon hat a drained right knee had 17, Robert Reid s Basket 1 16 into the third Quarter had Given Houston its big test Lead 67-62. Then Boston went on an 18-4 run led by Aings s eight Points Togo ahead 80-71 with 6 22 left in the third Quarter. Robert Parish s Layup off an offensive rebound had Given Boston the Lead for Good 73-71, with 7 47 remaining in the third period. Parish had missed the pre Vious thire games Wilh a strained right knee Cine Len 107, balled 96 Landover my. Larry Nance scored 22 Points and Cleveland after squandering almost All of a 21-Poinl half time Lead held off Washington. Ron Harper Brad Daugherty and de Curry each added 18 Point � Cleveland maintained ils hold on the seventh of eight playoff spots in the Eastern conference. Down 64-43 at Luh time and 77-69 after three quarters the bullets continued their comeback with a 15-8 run inthe opening 4 51 of the final Quarter pulling within 86-84 on a Layup by Tyrone  then hit a Short jumper and Harper added a Layup and one of two free throws and the Cavaliers led 9j-8h.after a rebound Basket by Bernard King Del Curry hit a 3-Poinler with 3 03 to play pulling Cleveland up 96-90. Washington never got closer than four Points inc rest of the Way. Jeff Malone had 20 Points o Lead the bullets who Tost for the fifth Lime in seven games Cleveland made 28 of 47 shots 60 percent in the finl half and forced the bullets Ina 12 turnovers. Washington shot is for 41 44 percent in the first half. 76cnlh backs 10�philadelphia Charles Berkley scored 33 Points and grabbed 14 re Bounds and four other 76m scored in double figures As Philadelphia Defeated Milwaukee the Victory kept the mixer in the eighth place in the Nee for a playoff spot in the Eastern conference in games ahead of Washington and two game i front of new York. Bulls Iii clippers 94 los Angeles Michael Jordan scored 36 Point and Dave Conin added a season High 21 As Chicago Defeated the los Angeles Clipper the bulls who spotted lot Angeles the first nine paints of the game opened a 59-38 Lead Wilh 1 49 left in the second Quarter. Jordan keyed a 26-6 run Wilh 12 Points iwo of them on one of his trademark slam dunks after be stole a pus in the backcourt and raced the length of the court unchallenged. The Victory was the bulb 41st in 70 games this season giving them one More win than a year ago. In also put them 12 Garnet Over .500 this late in the season for the first Lime since 1974-75, when they finished with a 47-35 record and lulled As far As the playoff  last place clippers playing before their third sellout crowd of the season were led by Reserve Mike Woodson with 16 Points. Sum 113, we Trofi 10s Phoenix aril. Eddie Johnson scored 22 Points Craig Hodges added 19and Mark West got 18 As Phoenix Sci a lopsided finl half to beat Golden state. Armon Gilliam had 16 Points 10 inthe fim period 10 put Phoenix ahead to slay 31-25. The suns used runs of 8-0 and 8-2 Latlip the second Quarter for a 66-46 half time Lead