European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 10, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 34 the stars and stripes sports wednesday March 10,1993hilltoppers grab Mcaa berth by the associated press Western Kentucky just wanted to make sure. The Hill toppers earned an automatic bid to the Mcaa tournament rather than wait to find out if they had enough for an at Large berth. They did what no Sun Belt conference team did All season a beat no. 13 new Orleans 72-63 monday night in the league s championship game at Biloxi miss. Darnell Mcc paced the Hill toppers with 18 Points while Ervin Johnson led the privateers with 22. Quot we showed that we deserve to be in win or lose. This team has answered every Quot Challenge Quot Western Kentucky coach Ralph Willard said. New Orleans 26-3 went 18-0 in the conference regular season was on a 13-game winning Streak and had virtually already assured itself of an Mcaa bid with the outstanding record and no. 24 Power rating according to one of the services used by the selection committee. Western Kentucky 24-5 was second to the Priva leers in the conference and its Only two losses in the last 16 games were to new Orleans. The bid is the first for Western Kentucky since 1987, and it was one of five schools to Clinch a spot in the tournament monday night bringing the total number of qualifiers to 13 with 17 conference titles still at stake. East Carolina became the lowest seed to Ever win the colonial athletic association tournament with a 54-49 Victory Over James Madison. Southern Illinois beat Illinois state 70-59 in the Missouri Valley title game. Manhattan ended a 35-year drought Between bids by beating Niagara 68-67 for the metro Atlantic athletic conference championship. Santa Clara ended  a two year run As West coast conference champions with a 73-63 Victory. Colonial athletic association East Carolina 54, Dames Madison 49 a the pirates go to their second Over Mcaa Tournai College basketball ment this year time with a losing record. East Carolina 13-16 was the league tourneys seventh seed and had Only been to the Mcaa in 1972. At Richmond va., top seeded James Madison 21-8 was within two Points with 39 seconds  Atlantic athletic conference Manhattan 68, Niagara 67 at Albany n.y., the jaspers 23-6 bounced Back from a crushing one Point defeat in last years title game to win by the same margin. They were Down 65 58 with five minutes left and did t take the Lead until Chris Williams made the second of two free throws with 2.6 seconds to play. Keith Bullock the conference player of the year led Manhattan with 30 Points and 15 rebounds. Ron Robinson led Niagara 23-6 with 19  Valley conference Southern Illinois 70, Illinois state 59. At St. Louis the Salukis went on a 27-6 run Midway through the first half and then cruised to the second bid in school history the other coming in 1977. Chris Lowery led Southern Illinois with 14 Points while Marcus Timmons had 11 Points and 13 rebounds Mike Vandegarde led Illinois state 19-10 with 16  coast conference Santa Clara 73, Pepperdine 63 the Broncos 18-11 had been picked last in preseason conference polls and finished third in the regular season. At san Francisco they ended Erdine a two year run As tournament Champion As freshman y ended Peppy Hampton As to Steve Nash scored 20 of his season High 23 Points in the second  Char made a school record 13 3-pointers. Damin Broncos keep Elway Happy with 4-year, Denver apr hey it s not just that new $5 Mil lion a year contract Broncos quarterback John Elway has in his pocket that makes him Happy today. Elway is delighted with the easier atmosphere in the organization since Wade Phillips took Over As head coach. Elway led Denver to the super bowl three times but never won. The quarterbacks new four year pact Worth a retried 520 million was announced by Broncos owner at Bowlen on monday. That puts Elway out in front of a Miami dolphins quarterback Dan Marinous $4.4 Mil Ion a year pact. Marino had been considered the highest paid nil player based of the five year $22 million contract that went into effect last season. Elway hinted he might have walked if Phillips had not replaced Dan Reeves As head coach in january. Quot that was something 1 would have had to evaluate and take a look at a he said. Quot when you look at what s going on now with the Steps the organization is taking to improve our football team. I think its exciting. Try. Also signed Minnesota offensive tackle Brian Habib. Last week the Broncos signed free agent left tackle Don Maggs. They give the Broncos More bulk on the offensive Tine Maggs is 6-foot-5 and 296 pounds Habib 6-7 and 299 pounds. Quot for so Long it seemed like we were just stale and never tried to improve ourselves. I think we re really Takin million pact Steps this year which is real exciting a Elway said. So is his annual pay that jumped from $2.1 a year to $5 million. Elway a agent Marvin Demoff who also represents Marino said he Cut Elway a Quot Marino like Deal. Quot i m prejudiced but i think they re the two Best players in the league. Period. I be never tried to distinguish Between them a Demoff said. Quot this contract places John among the top in the nil salary Structure of quarterbacks a said Broncos owner Bowlen. A a the contract Wilt take the 32-year-old Elway through 1996, his 14th year with Denver. Acquired in a Trade with the Cults in 1983, Elway has been the Broncos starter since 1984. He has led Denver to three victories in four acc championship games five acc Western division titles and six playoff berths. Known As a pressure situation player Elway has engineered 31 fourth Quarter game saving drives in his career. And he is arguably the strongest armed quarterback in the league completing 45 passes of 50 or More Yards. But he has never won the super bowl. His three a it Arances All were lopsided Denver defeats a a 39-20 Oss to the new York giants in 1987 a 42-10 defeat by Washington in 1988, and a 55-10 loss to the san Francisco 49ers in 1990. Elway 96-57-1 As a starter last year became the 15th quarterback in nil history to pass for 30,000 career Yards or More his career totals include 30,216 passing Yards and 2,282 Yards Rushing and he holds or is tied for 19 regular season team records. Lopez had 20 Points for the Waves 22-7the leagues regular season champions for the third straight . 15 Iowa 56, Northwestern 50 the Hawk eyes 20-8, 9-7 big ten beat Northwestern at Home for the 27th consecutive time. They had to overcome their worst first half of the season and a combined 7-for-26 shooting Effort from leading scorers Acie Earl and  Bartles. Iowa led by Wade looking lips 13 Points used a 17-6 run to take a 43-34 Lead with 8 21 left and the wildcats 818,314 never got closer than five the rest of the  semifinals Atlantic 10 no. 20 Massachusetts 76, Rhode Island 50 the minutemen 22-6 will get to defend their conference title at Home. At Philadelphia Louis Roe had 24 Points and nine rebounds As they handed Rhode Island 18-10 its worst loss of the season. Abdul Fox had 14 Points for the rams who were out rebounded 51-25. Massachusetts will play Host to Temple 17-10which beat St. Josephus 71-60 in the other semifinal on thursday  conference Illinois Chicago 17-14 beat regular season Champion Cleveland state 22-6 96-68 in one semifinal and Wright state 19-9 beat Valparaiso 12-16 82-72 in the other. Neither team in tuesday nights title game has Ever been to the Mcaa  Atlantic Drexel 22-6 earned the right to Host wednesday night s title game with a 91-80 Victory Over Hartford 14-14which was led by Vin bakery a 33 Points and 12 rebounds. Delaware 21-7which won the league last season will travel to Philadelphia after beating northeastern 20-8 84-61. Denver Abjohn Elway Speaks at press conference to announce contract that win make him highest paid in nil Verbeek led whalers Knock off Nordques again Quebec a the Hartford whalers just about out of playoff Contention in the Adams division still have some things left to prove. Pat Verbeek scored his 30ih and 31st goals of the season and assisted on another by Andrew Cassels As the whalers upset the Quebec Nordques 4-2 in the Only nil game played monday night. It was the second Lime in nine Days that the whalers stunned the Nordques who were trying to move within two Points of the Montreal canadians for the Overall Lead in the standings. It was the whalers third straight Victory. A Quot we Haven to won three straight games since the end of training Camp a whalers coach Paul Holmgren said. Quot there a a positive attitude among All the players right now. A kf1 rc0u?i if ases a cored from the Edge of the left face off Circle a a a k of Haden Dednis 3 0uebec p0wer goals before Verbeek connected on the Power play Early in the Middle period. Quot we just happen to play Well against Quebec a Cassels said. The Nordques who Poulshot Hartford 30-17, including 8-2 in the third period in their previous Victory the whalers made a Strong comeback bid starting with erased a three goal disadvantage. This Valeri Kamensky a goal Midway through time they moved into a 3-0 Lead by the the second period. 1 44 Mark of the second period. He beat Sean Burke with a wrist shot with 12 seconds left in the period Mats Sundin made it 3-2 with his 35th goal. But Verbeek provided Hartford with some insurance rifling a slap shot beyond goal tender Stephane Fiset at 6 00 of the third period. The Nordques who have the most productive Power play in the league were 0 for 7 with a Man advantage