UNLV didn't letits sympathy for the Lions get in the way of business. Was Alabamashaken up by Gathers's death? "Aww, man," said Tide forward RobertHorry. Loyola prevailed, even though the CrimsonTide-surely the best-coached team in the tournament courtesy of Wimp ("Iwas named that before anybody knew what one was") Sanderson-outshot andoutrebounded the Lions and slowed their high-powered, 122-points-per-gameoffense to a virtual crawl. Meanwhile, theLions needed their previously unrecognized poise and patience to fend offAlabama 62-60 in the other semi.
"Other teamskeep it to basketball," Loyola's Chris Knight observed."Vegas is like, "Where's your mother? I think she's in my room.'They're dirtier.
A circle ofUNLV players surrounded McCurdy as the teams filed to the locker rooms theyweren't singing I Love Paris in the Springtime either. Which, sureenough, the Rebs nearly did after Ball State's Mike Spicer short-armed a lobpass in the lane as the Cards' final bid for the upset disappeared. "They get to a pointwhere they want to bust me in the mouth." The colloquial Card stated his philosophy: "I try to putthem to the test with my talking," McCurdy said. In an earlier round, McCurdy had yapped somuch at Oregon State's major-mouth, Gary Payton, that Payton had requested helpfrom the referee. The Rebels, who barely escaped BallState 69-67 in one semifinal, were called "thugs" by Cardinals coachDick Hunsaker, who apparently didn't appreciate his own trash-talker, ParisMcCurdy, being taunted in return. Neither UNLV norLoyola made it to their reunion easily. "But I know I did the right thing for them." "I may have made a technical mistake,"he said. He considered asking his players if they wanted toview the tape, but he never did. "There was some great stuff," Westheadsaid, his eyes moistening. The day beforethe final, Westhead reviewed a tape of his team's earlier loss to the Rebs atUNLV. We all know, when this is over we are going to have to face Hank'sdeath again-and there won't be the games to fall back on." Measuring his words, Westhead said, "Basketball is theeasy part. In addition tospeaking of the emotional surge driving his team, Loyola coach Paul Westheadacknowledged a terrible group fear, not so much of losing in the tournament butof finishing it. Hank had to die for us to come intothe light." Suddenly they were celebrities-Bo Kimble andJeff Fryer shooting three-pointers on The Arsenio Hall Show-but, said guard TomPeabody, "for all the wrong reasons.
So it was thatpathos pervaded the West Regional, where Gathers's brave, brokenheartedteammates pressed on without him.
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