Ranked teams hot in tourney

Friday, Jan. 2, 1998 | 10:13 a.m.

SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Thursday was a day for ranked teams as four top 20 teams won their opening games in the 3rd Las Vegas Junior College Invitational being played through Saturday at Durango High School.

No. 2 Indian Hills Community College defeated Odessa College 74-56, No. 5 Dixie College trounced the New Mexico Military Institute 118-63, No. 11 Utah Valley State College slipped past Yavapai College 76-74 and No. 20 Casper College squeezed out a 103-100 victory over Southwest Missouri State.

Indian Hills CC, from Ottumwa, Iowa, are 9-0 and have won 43 straight games. The Warriors were led by the 28-point performance by 6-7 Pete Mickeal. Mickeal had a perfect shooting game, making all 12 of his field goal attempts and all four of his free throws.

The defending junior college national champions meet Yavapai College (6-4) at 4 p.m. Friday at Durango.

Utah Valley State, Orem, Utah had all they could handle from Yavapai as 5-9 freshman guard Jordan Mulford scored 17 points to help the Wolverines win in the final seconds.

Casper College, of Casper, Wyo., could run past SWMS but won the free throw shooting contest at the end of the game. The lead changed hands a dozen times and 6-3 freshman guard Rory Jones poured in 30 points to lead the Thunderbirds.

Eric Holmes poured in 29 points as the Rebels ran their record to 14-0 in the trouncing of NMMI, which fell to 4-7 for the season. Dixie is averaging nearly 106 points per game, highest in the nation among junior colleges.

Utah Valley State meets Odessa College at 2 p.m. Friday with SWMS and NMMI playing at 6 p.m. The final game of the second day of action will pit No. 5 Dixie College against No. 20 Casper College at 8 p.m.