European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 21,1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 College basketball Duke women undefeated like Guys Durham . Not they exist in the Shadow of the top ranked men s basketball program in the nation. Because of a rash of preseason injuries they have played thus far using Only eight scholarship athletes. To practice with a full complement of Post players they regularly enlist the services of a male team manager. Yet. Eight games into the season the Duke women s basketball Cam is undefeated and ranked in the National polls. Coming off a final four appearance in 1988, the Duke men arc also undefeated 6-0 and have been ranked no. I in every poll thus far this season. By contrast a key injury last season sent the Duke women into a 5-11 Tail pm after a 12-0 Start and a season that began with great expectations ended in frustration. After two starters graduated most experts this season picked Duke to finish at the Bottom of the competitive eight team Atlantic coast conference. Before the season started the coaching staff decided that at this Point if we could be .500 we would be really successful said coach Debbie Leonard who is in her 12th year a Duke. Instead her 20lh-Rankcd Blue devils captured three Early tournaments along the Way defeating a ranked opponent James Madison on a 3-Point Bas Ket by Leigh Morgan a guard. Smaller slower and certainly fewer in number than most rivals the Blue devils compensate with Good perimeter shooting 47.3 percent accuracy from3-Point rang Strong defense and an opportunistic attack featuring sue a Arncel. There has to be sheer will and desire for us to win because if it s not there we re not going to win said Harnott Duke s leading scorer 21.3 Points game and rebound or 9.6. For us to be ranked Means More to me this Yea than it Ever could last  any notion that the Duke women might like the men be Able to overpower opponents quickly vanished almost on the eve of the first practice. First Leonard Learned that Katie Meier a senior guard whose injury devastated the 88 squad would not be Able to return to action for another year. Then Monica Kost injured her knee in a pickup game and was lost for the season and Brittany James a walk on Forward underwent ovarian sur Gery and was sidelined. I did t talk there for about seven Days Leon Ard said. My mom was starting to say prayers forme. No one knew who was going to be  Traci Williams a Sophomore guard was ineligible until last sunday under academic guidelines at Duke although she was eligible by National collegiate athletic association standards this left Leonard s squad with eight players. The first thing we had to do was find enough players to practice she said. Two walk on guards were added after responding to advertisements in the school newspaper. A dearth of Post players also resulted in daily participation in practice by Harold Bost a work study student in his second year As a team  frequently guards the 6-foot-4-Inch Harnott compensating for a two Inch height disadvantage with Long arms and Good leaping ability. After gaining a full complement of players Leon Ard installed a perimeter oriented offence similar to that employed at Providence College by Rick i Itin before he became coach of the new York kicks. Eight games into the season. Duke already has made nearly As Many 3-Poinlers As it did in 28 game last season. That outside prowess creates operating room inside for Harriett the most valuable player in each of the three tournaments Duke has won. Battle Zillini overcome Missouri  St. Louis Al Kenny Battle scored 28 Points including the go ahead foul shots with 26 seconds left and no. 5 Illinois overcame an 18-Point deficit to beat no. 10 Missouri 87-84. It was the Only game on monday night involving top 20 teams. Baltic got 19 Points in the second half and his two free throws gave the Zillini an 85-84 Lead. Missouri made a bad pass trying to set up for a final shot and Illinois Larry Smith got a Layup at the Buzzer. Illinois 8-0, trailed 39-21 with 4 16 left in the first half. But a 22-4 burst made it 43-All and Marcus Liberty s 3 Point shot gave Illinois its first Lead at 54-52. Missouri then rallied three times from five Point deficits. Doug Smith s Dunk put the tigers ahead 84-83 with 1 04 remaining. An Arena crowd of 18,561, the most Ever to watch an Illinois Missouri game saw the Zillini win for the sixth straight time in the  series. Mis Souri fell to 9-3 on the year. Lowell Hamilton scored 21 Points for Illinois before fouling out with 2 53 left. Byron Irvin scored 26 for Missouri Smith had 16 and Lee Coward 15. Missouri although slowed by a tight ening of Illinois defense shot 57 per cent. Illinois enjoyed a 61-56 advantage after Liberty scored following a turnover. The Zillini later led 70-65 with 7 15 remaining and 78-73 with 4 25 to go. Kenny Battle Crimson tide looks to Crock army s Wishbone army quarterbacks Bryan Mcwilliams 9 and Mark Mooney work out in Elpaso s Sun bowl stadium monday. B Isolde Lewis Elpaso Texas a the mariachis and mexi can style dancers who greeted the teams at the Airport arc gone. Now it s Lime for army and Alabama to concentrate on football As they prepare for saturday Sun bowl. "1 want to practice football army coach Jiyoung said just after his team arrived sunday. I m sure they the players have other things in mind. Bui we re going to have an intense team when we go out there for the Sun  Alabama 8-3, is a 14-Poinl favorite Over army 9-2, in the Sun bowl. But Crimson tide coach Bill Curry does t think the Point spread Means much. They re very disciplined Curry said of inc army learn. Well have to be at our Bucsi and very disciplined to do  Curry expressed admiration for the Rigours of Mili tary academics and said football practice and games Are the most fun they  they play with enthusiasm and they la Knock your head off Wilh intensity he said of the cadets. There s nothing that can match a Lough disciplined Well coached military  the Crimson tide Hopes it docs have the antidote for a disciplined army team linebacker Derrick Thomas. Thomas probably won t gel Many chances to sack army quarterback Bryan Mcwilliams. Army runs a Wishbone and averages just 49 Yards passing each game. But the cadets average 357 Yards on inc ground. You always have to be concerned with a team that runs the Wishbone Thomas said. We be played against option Wishbone teams All year and i think with discipline Well con linux to do  army could almost be said to have a Home Field advantage because of Elpaso s fort Bliss. Many of the20,000 soldiers stationed there arc exp cried to attend inc game. You certainly Hope it la be a Home Field advantage because we re unbeaten Al Home this year Youn said. The cadets were third in Rushing in the nation this season they Are led by Mike Mayweather who gained 1,002 Yards on 174 carries Wilh nine touchdowns