European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Geilenkirche wins in Csc Small units Ramstein West Germany Greg Stamps pumped in a game High 26 Points to Lead the Geilen Kirchen panthers to an 89-70 Vic tory Over the Buchel bandits Fri Day and the Continental sports conference Small units basketball championship. The panthers completed a 5-0 sweep through the five Day Dou ble elimination event which Fea tured 17 teams. The panthers went on a 15-2 tear to break a 2-2 tie with the tired bandits who played seven games in five Days and won five of them. Geilenkirche s Tony Jones nailed three 3-pointers during the Streak. Buchel never recovered from the run and trailed 43-29 atthe half. Buchel never got closer than 11points the rest of the Way. Stamps the panthers 6-foot-6 Center also grabbed a game-high21 rebounds. Jones pumped in 23 Points while von Anderson and . Mar shall scored 18 Points and 16points, respectively. Leading the bandits attack were Ryan Gates and Rodney Brockwell with 20 Points each. Darryl Diggs added 11 and Michael Reddic finished with 10. Both teams advanced to the Safe Small units basketball championship at Sembach a West Germany Jan. 26-29. Two teams from the Mediterranean and . Sports conferences also will compete in the Safe eliminations. Tournament officials did not name an All tournament team. Saturday january 14,1989 Girardelli captures first Ever downhill the stars and stripes Page 25 kit Buhel Austria up Austri an born Marc Girardelli who skis for Luxembourg scored the first downhill Victory of his world cup career Friday when he won the opening event of a downhill Dou ble on the Hahnenkamp course Girardelli clocked 2 minutes 1.25 seconds to push Michael Mair of Italy into second place. Roman Rupp a Little known austrian caused a mild sensation when he came from Start number 43 to Register third Best time 2 02 74 hate Stria Trio Peter Wirnsberger Helmut Hoe Flehner and Leonhard Stock who had cleaned up continually in the training runs were All Way off the Pace on a Tricky course where Choice of mate rial became the most important Factor the 3 500-meter track had been hard and icy before an overnight covering flight Snow slowed it Down by almost 3 seconds from the near record training times  registered earlier in the week. Officials sent Down five racers from the Back of the pack to flatten Down the course but even so those who Drew High Start numbers were handicapped by the slower conditions. It was a Sweet Victory indeed for Girar Delli who was refused acceptance by the austrian National team As a teen Ager and who chose to ski for tiny Luxembourg rather than give up his career As a ski racer. I have never won a world cup Down Hill before and it could t be better to win Here at kit Buhe Girardelli said. I have always said if i win one i would like it to be either Here or in St. Anton near Girardelli s Birthplace in Western Austria for the tall hefty Michael Mair second place was a real Surprise. The 26-year-old italian must always be considered a Poten tial downhill Winner especially on a fast course but he Shook his head in disbelief As he swooped into the finish area and saw his time on the scoreboard. The 25-year-old Rupp started 43rd and zipped Down to score his Best Ever result in a world cup. Rupp had barely managed to qualify for the downhill in training and like other late starters benefited from improved conditions. A .  o Victory in wins second Grin Elwald Switzerland a defending Champion Michela Figini of Switzerland won her second world cup downhill ski race in 24 hours defeating Carole Merle of France Friday by More than a half second. Maria Walliser of Switzerland was third in the race Down the new Tough to chugged course at 3,046 meters the longest on the women s circuit. Figini 22, was ahead at All intermediate clocking to finish in 1 minute 55.32 seconds a half second faster than her winning time of thursday on the same course. Merle was clocked in Thomas taking shot at England by Rob Gloster Hemel Hempstead England a the Hyst end a7 of 64,000 fans celebrating the winning shot of the 1987 Mcaa basketball tournament no longer rings in the ears of Daryl Thomas. The taunts and curses of Indiana University coach Bob Knight have faded in his memory. So too have the childhood scenes of death drugs and violence in Chicago housing project. Less than 22 months after flicking a pass to Keith smart for the jump shot that gave Indiana the Mcaa me Over Syracuse at the cavernous super dome Thomas is performing to polite applause at the tiny Taco rum sports Centre in this sleepy Community ate railway stops North of London. Thomas the 6-foot-7 Center of the Hemel Hempstead and Watford royals was the most valuable player last Yea Larj the semipro English league averaging 32 Points and 10 rebounds a game. Despite missing most of this season and being weakened by illness he is averaging More than 15 Points a game and is an All Star. It s a really big change but it s one that is Good for me. I needed to go out and find my game again and do some of be things i could t do offensively at Indiana said i Nomas one of a group of americans in the league. I Jove it Over Here. I like the culture. It s an expert said the 23-year-old, who earns More than3a Uoo per season. Some of his teammates Are not even paid a salary. Performing in the English league where the level of p a often resembles american High school action also my As alive Thomas fading chances of playing in then a. He made it to the final Cut this year with the expansion Miami heat one year after an unsuccessful attempt to join the Sacramento Kings. If the Aba s there for Meit s there he said linking ahead to a tryout with the expansion Minne Sota Fimber wolves next fall. It s a drear i but i m no going to keep chasing it  1 55.89. It was the 13th downhill Victory in the five year career of Figini the 1984 olympic Champion and Winner of the Overall world cup in 1988, when she dethroned Walliser. It also was the 12th straight Victory for the Swiss women this season. There have been 14 races. Vreni Schneider the slalom specialist who has won nine races to build a Mas Sive Overall world cup Lead did not compete. She suffered from a slight cold Early this week and said she wanted to concentrate on the super a Competition and the special slalom scheduled this weekend. Figini s top form makes her the favor Ite in the downhill event at the world Alpine ski championships later this month in Vail Colo. She widened her Lead Over Walliser in the downhill standings and edged Merle to move to third place in the Overall rankings behind Schneider and Austria s Ulrike Maier another slalom specialist. But Merle after a slow Start also showed impressive strength picking up spectacularly in the technically demand ing midsection. In his Indiana heyday Daryl Thomas 24 Felt it under the boards and heard it on the sideline from Bobby Knight. A Thomas has had to adjust to the More physical style of play in Europe and the generally Low Quality of officiating As Well As to textbook coaches who have Learned from books and film instead of on court experience. The difference in the noise level at games also is shocking. Instead of 17,259 screaming Hoosier fans at Assembly Hall in Bloomington ind., Thomas now is cheered by a few Hundred neighbors and friends. I miss the excitement a great Deal. Those Days Are Over. But i enjoy what i m doing he said. I be had the excitement i won the National championship. Nowt s the Laid Back european Type of  life in the quiet Middle class Community of Hemel Hempstead is far More comfortable than his childhood in the Robert Taylor Homes on the South Side of Chicago. I remember growing up in the projects. I remember death in the projects the violence and drugs people sleeping in the Halls prostitution he said. Thomas is Content with his accomplishments and in bothered by questions about whether he has lived up to his potential. He went to the same High school As Aba Star Isiah Thomas no relation and followed him to Indi Ana where Knight ridiculed Daryl As an underachiever. You can always wonder maybe i could be some where else he said. But there Are a lot of players who Are a lot better than me and Aren t doing anything now l m on a nine month vacation in England playing the game i love