European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 34 the stars and stripes sports thursday february 17,1994 i or a Kentucky Down by 31, wins co Ege basketball s biggest comeback tops leu by the associated press Baton Rouge la. Trailing by 31 Points with 15 minutes left to play Kentucky coach Rick Pitino had his doubts. Point guard Travis Ford never did. Ford called the Lith ranked wildcats together during a timeout on tuesday night and ordered them to rally. They responded with the biggest comeback in College basketball history beating leu 99-95. I pulled everyone together and i said we re Down 31 and we re not leaving this building without a win. We re going to win this game no matter what. I la stay Here All night " recalled Ford who had 10 Points and 12 assists. And everyone just looked at me and everyone was so positive. And everyone said you re right and everyone stepped up their  College basketball the comeback broke a record set on dec. 30, 1950, when Duke rallied from a 56-27 halftime deficit to beat Tulane 74 72. When it went to 36, we just wanted to make it respectable and not lose our Confidence Pitino said. I told them during a timeout it s not going Well for us everything s going Well for them. All you can do is show your character i said i Don t know if we can win this thing but i know we can give every ounce that we have in us and we kept making steals and steals and steals and then we started to shoot the basketball  Kentucky scored the last nine Points of the game taking a 96-95 Lead their first since it was 1-0 on Walter Mccarty s 3-Poihter with 19 seconds left. Mccarty had 23 Points for Kentucky 19-5, 8-3 Southeastern conference which had lost two straight and dropped from no. 4 to no. 11 in the associated press College basketball rankings. Freshman Ronnie Henderson hit eight 3-pointers and scored 36 Points for leu 11-10, 5-7. Clarence Ceasar added 32 for the tigers but leu missed 11 free throws in the last 12 minutes Brandon Titus finished 3 for 9 to help Ken Tucky s rally. Meanwhile the wildcats shot almost exclusively 3-pointers, hitting 12 of 23 in the second half to rally from a 68-37 Defi Cit. The loss was especially heartbreaking for the tigers because it followed a 28 Point loss to an Auburn team that had t won an Sec game All season. Also on tuesday night it was not a Good night to be a top 10 team visiting Philadelphia. Third ranked Connecticut was beaten by Villanova while no. 10 Massachusetts was knocked off across town by St. Joseph s. Both games came Down to the final seconds. Villanova won on a 3-Pointer with two seconds left and St. Joseph s prevailed on a free throw with .2 seconds to play. Eric Eberz s 3-Pointer with Villanova Down two was the Winner for the wild cats who have won five in a Row. It was the highest ranked team they have beaten in 9-year-old Dupont Pavilion. St. Joseph s winning Point came on a free throw by Kevin Connor a 55 percent free throw shooter. He missed the second on purpose and fans stormed the court just As they did on the other Side of town. In other games involving ranked teams tuesday night it was no. 14 Syracuse 79, Providence 74, and no. 22 Marquette 55, Virginia tech 48. % i x Fyk x a the Sharp crack of Bat on Ball Seldom heard As Jordan starts work Michael Jordan loses his Cap As he runs to first during batting practice tuesday. A by Ben Walker Sarasota Fla. A they came to see if Michael Jordan can hit. They heard the answer. He can to at least no yet Seldom did the Sharp crack of Jordan Sbat Echo through Low Slung de Smith stadium. Instead there were mostly dul thuds the sound Mushy softballs make. Using a right handed swing that looked More manufactured than natural Jordan hit nearly 100 balls and Only one Man aged to Roll across the crushed seashell warning track and reach the Fence. There were plenty of popups lots of weak flys and a Bunch of balls beat into the dirt. Still after his first outdoor workout that outsiders were allowed to observe the newest Chicago White sox Rookie and the world s greatest basketball player was satisfied. After All this is Why they have Spring training. You have to be patient. I think it going to be gradual improvement for me he said. The last thing i want to Beis a sideshow. I have to work on my hitting every Day. I know there Are things i need to do keeping my butt in keeping my Headon the Ball quickening my Bat he said. The White sox do not plan to Rush him. Manager Gene lament said he expects Jordan who has signed a class aaa contract to play in an  March 3. Us until now the 6-foot-6 outfielder wearing no. 45 worked out behind guarded Gates. The White sox did t want his presence to disrupt Camp when pitchers and catchers report wednesday so they opened Jordan s two hour session for 250 reporters. The most watched baseball practice since to Jackson worked out on the Damefield last Spring with an artificial hip ended with Jordan and lament sitting in chairs on the first base dugout answering questions. Starting thursday any fan can walk in and watch. Some snuck in Early and others sprawled belly Down behind the Chain Fence in left peering through a two foot opening beneath the Florida lottery1 billboard. Jordan looked Good enough in the Field and was speedy during the . Facing batting practice Pitcher Mik Maziarka and bullpen coach roly dear Mas Jordan showed a typical White sox swing chopping Down and letting go with the top hand on the follow through. That s the style liked by some loathed by others taught by batting coach Walt Hriniak. That s the first time i be seen him hit Hriniak said. There Are a lot of Good things. His swing could be a Little Shorter. That would give him the Bat Speed he  he needs More than that offered for Mer University of Miami coach Ron Fra ser one of the game s great teachers. He s not very explosive. The Ball does t jump off his Bat. He swings the Bat instead of throwing the Bat Fraser said. He has a canned swing an organizational  Jordan has t played baseball since his senior year of High school. No one doubts his hard work now but the question is whether Jordan who turns 31 on thurs Day can hit. While most batters swing at anything in the Spring Jordan took about one Quarter or the pitches from Maziarka a left hander and Dearmas a righty who mixed in breaking balls. Several pitches Jordan watched were strikes. This is the time of year when pitchers Are supposed to be ahead of the hitters although that s not supposed to include batting practice pitchers. I be been Given the Correct fundamentals it s just a matter of getting the fundamentals Down he said. When Jordan finished White sox Reg ulars Dan Pasqua and Ron Karkovice took turns in the Cage. They hit several balls squarely and Pasqua pulled som Over the Fence. Hriniak however does t project Jor Dan As a a Power hitter. Remember he was out homered 1-0 by actor Tom sell Eck in a celebrity contest at last summer Sall Star game. While in Sarasota Jordan makes $700 per week expense Money. Hell make 5850 a month during the season if he s in the minors and the major league mini mum of $109,000 if he s with Chicago. I m not too adjusted to Royalty that in t ride a bus he said adding with a file As Long As it s a luxury  smile