Texas Tech University Athletics
Big 12 All-Stars Open Tour With Easy Win
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
August 8, 1998
STEVENAGE, England - The Big 12 All-Star Basketball Team got solid play from its three big men, while four players came off the bench to score in double figures in a 116-72 win over the Steveange Rebels All-Stars on Friday in the first game of the squads European tour.
Texas center Chris Mihm scored 12 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked seven shots and Nebraska center Venson Hamilton also notched a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Kansas center Eric Chenowith scored 17 points to lead all Big 12 scorers.
The first-ever Big 12 All-Star squad also got solid help from the bench as Colorado guard Kenny Price hit four three-pointers en route to 16 points. Oklahoma State guard Adrian Peterson scored 12 points for the Big 12 team in a reserve role.
Considering the team arrived in England just over 24 hours before the game, Big 12 Coach James Dickey was happy with the win. Although his team outrebounded Stevenage by an incredible 83-27, Dickey asked for more improvement from his team rebounding the basketball.
"We are happy with the win," said Dickey, who will be in his eighth season at Texas Tech next year. "It gave us an idea of what it's like to play a game on a foreign court. I thought our players did a nice job. Two areas we must improve on, one we've got to be stronger with the basketball. It is a physical game over here. We've got to do a better job on the defensive boards."
The Big 12 shot 57.5 percent from the floor and 44.0 percent from three-point range. However, the Rebels All-Stars were limited to 27.5 percent overall and 34.6 from beyond the arc.
The Big 12 squad, playing the first of three consecutive games in the Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, won its first game of the six-game European tour that will take the 11-man squad to England, Belgium, Germany and France. On Saturday, the Big 12 All-Stars will play the Budweiser League's Manchester Giants, considered to be the best team in the country.
"The Manchester team is probably the best team in all of England," Dickey said. "It certainly is a big challenge we are looking forward to. Our players will understand having one game under our belts that they will need to get ready because the competition is going to get stronger."
Dwayne Martin, the only American on the Stevenage squad, scored a game-high 24 points thanks in a large part to 11 free throws. Bryan Balser hit four three-pointers, scoring 20 points for the Rebels.
"They are extremely athletic, extremely big," Balser said of the Big 12 team. "They are well coaches. In particular, I like the off guards. The big men ar just huge. We just couldn't compete with that today. They dominate the boards at both ends of the floor and we couldn't stop them from getting any shot they wanted in the paint."
The Big 12 All-Stars hit 11 three-pointers in the victory. With the Big 12 down 8-7 early in the first half, Price keyed a 23-5 run with three straight baskets, including two three-pointers.
"I got to sit down for a while and watch guys play," Price said. "I got the feel of everything, the atmosphere. Once I got used to what we were up against, I just went in and played."
Price, a 6-4 guards from Springfield, Mo., averaged a team-high 14.5 points last season and led the Big 12 in three-point percentage (42.1) and treys made (3.3). He was honored as the league's newcomer of the year by the conference coaches.
"The transition coming here is a real hard one to make," Price said. "It's tough with the eight-hour flight, trying to stay up all day to make sure your nights are the way they should be and getting enough sleep. It's been a good trip so far and I'm looking forward to the rest of it."
The Stevenage Rebels All-Stars cut the Big 12 lead to 41-29 with less than five minutes remaining in the first period. However, the Big 12 All-Stars outscored their English counterparts 20-11 the rest of the way to hold a 61-40 advantage at halftime. In the second half, the Big 12 team outscored the Rebels 28-6 over the first nine minutes.
NOTES: The team toured Cambridge Friday morning, which included a boat trip through the city. The squad visits London again on Saturday...Dickey started Kansas' Eric Chenowith, Missouri's Jeff Hafer, Oklahoma's Michael Johnson, Baylor's Jamie Kendrick, and Iowa State's Martin Rancik...Dr. James Burke, Texas Tech's team doctor, is also accompanying the Big 12 All-Stars. Burke was reared in England near Liverpool before moving to the United States.
BIG 12 CONFERENCE ALL-STARS 116, STEVENAGE REBELS ALL-STARS 72 BIG 12: Jamie Kenrick 4-5 0-2 8, Martin Rancik 5-8 2-2 14, Eric Chenowith 8-11 1-2 17, Jeff Hafer 3-7 0-0 7, Michael Johnson 0-1 0-1 0, Rayford Young 2-4 1-1 5, Venson Hamilton 6-8 4-4 16, Kenny Price 6-14 0-0, Shawn Rhodes 3-7 0-0 8, Chris Mihm 4-7 5-9 13, Adrian Peterson 5-8 0-0 12, TOTALS 46-80 13-22 116.
STEVENAGE: Balser 7-21 2-2 20, Prescott 2-6 0-0 4, Gooch 0-2 0-2 0, Martin 5-10 11-14 24, Pwsland 1-23 4-6 6, Collins 2-4 0-0 5, Clarkson 1-1 0-0 3, Lavaud 2-6 1-3 5, Attewell 2-7 1-1 5. TOTALS 22-80 18-28 72.
HALFTIME - Big 12 61, Stevenage 40. 3-Point FGs Big 12 11-25 (Kendrick 0-1, Rancik 2-5, Hafer 1-2, Young 0-1, Price 4-9, Rhodes 2-4, Peterson 2-3), Stevenage 9-26 (Balser 4-9, Prescott 0-1, Gooch 0-2, Martin 3-6, Powsland 0-3, Collins 1-2, Clarkson 1-1, Lavaud 0-1, Attewell 0-1). Fouled out - none. Rebounds - Big 12 83 (Mihm 14). Stevenage 27 (Martin, Attewell 5). Assists - Big 12 25 (Young 6), Stevenage 7 (Powsland, Lavaud 2). Total fouls - Big 12 26, Stevenage 15. Technical - none. Attendance - 500.
