Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY
January 17, 2002
Vol. 109, No. 86 | Athens, Georgia
Partly cloudy.
High 61 | Low 46 | Friday 56
ONLINE: www.redandblack.com
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1 9 8 0*
GETTING DOWN
TO BUSINESS
>• Preview the State of
the University address.
PAGE 3
Bulldogs Feel the Heat
ALLEN SULLIVAN | The Red t Black
▲ Suspended players junior Tony Cole, left, and sophomore Stephen Thomas, right, watch the Alabama game from the
bench with teammate Ryan Peavy. Cole and Thomas are involved in an alleged student rape case that took place in
McWhorter Hall Monday night.
Team suffers close loss to the Tide
By GENTRY ESTES
gestes@randb.com
A sad day for the Georgia men’s bas
ketball team got worse Wednesday
night.
Starting center Steve Thomas and
reserve point guard Tony Cole watched
in plain clothes as the No. 20 Bulldogs
fell to No. 16 Alabama 77-72 in front of a
sell-out crowd at Stegeman Coliseum.
Bulldog coach Jim Harrick decided
three hours before tip-off to suspend
the two Bulldogs targeted in a
University police investigation of a
Monday night rape allegation at
McWhorter Hall.
“It’s bothered us the last couple of
days,” Harrick said of the controversy.
“It’s been very emotional.”
In Thomas’ absence, Jonas Hayes
started at center and posted a double
double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Forward Chris Daniels did the same
with 12 and 12.
ii
“(The investigation has) bothered
us the last couple of days. It’s
been very emotional. ”
JIM HARRICK
Men’s Basketball Coach
But the off-court distraction made a
difference on the court in the final min
utes of Wednesday’s loss. All five
starters saw more than 30 minutes, as
Harrick used only nine players and
didn’t substitute after halftime until the
result had been decided.
Tired Bulldog (14-3, 3-1 SEC) legs
helped Alabama (15-3, 3-1) out-rebound
Georgia 23-14 in the second half.
“The big factor was rebounding,”
Harrick said. “They just killed us on the
boards, especially late in the game. So
BASKETBALL
losing a player hurt us in that area.”
Georgia never led, but got within one
point three times in the Anal 5:26. Each
time, Alabama answered with baskets in
the paint.
Crimson Tide forward Erwin Dudley
finished with 12 points, despite spend
ing more than half the game benched
with foul trouble. Dudley tipped in a
Rod Grizzard miss to put ’Bama up 75-
72 with 28.6 seconds left.
Alabama’s Antoine Pettway stripped
Jarvis Hayes on the ensuing exchange
to assure the Bulldogs’ first home loss
of the season.
“We never got over the hump,”
Harrick said. “We had our chances to tie
it, and we never did.”
Ezra Williams stepped up to lead all
scorers with 24 points. Williams hit 6-of-
12 shots from three-point range. The
rest of the Bulldogs were 0-for-9 from
long distance.
Georgia shot 35 percent from the
floor and only 67 percent from the foul
line.
“It was hard to focus,” Jarvis Hayes
said. “It showed, I guess, with all the
missed free throws.”
Wednesday’s loss was especially emo
tional because the Bulldogs fought back
from 11 points down with 9:15 left in the
game. Williams hit two straight 3-point
ers to ignite the crowd and kick-start a
12-2 run to get Georgia within 67-66.
After an Alabama time-out, Tide for
ward Reggie Rambo converted a clutch
lay-in as the shot clock wound down,
and ’Bama guard Mo Williams made one
of his five steals for a breakaway lay-up
to extend the lead to five.
ALLEN SULLIVAN | The Red * Buck
▲ Junior guard Ezra Williams
pushes through Alabama's defense
during the first half of Wednesday
night's game.
Georgia wouldn’t quit. Jonas Hayes
scored off the left block, and brother
Jarvis slapped the ball from Rambo and
was fouled as he tried to convert a full-
court break. The free throws made it 71-
70, before Dudley followed on the offen
sive glass to make it 73-70.
“We had pretty good focus coming
in,” Jonas Hayes said. “It’s a tough
league. You can’t win every game.”
The Bulldogs hit the road Friday for a
Saturday afternoon showdown at No. 2
Florida. Whether Thomas and Cole will
make the flight is up in the air.
“It’s hard,” Jarvis Hayes said. “My
heart goes out to them and their fami
lies. But they’ll get through it. We’ll get
through it. We’re a team. We’re going
through it with them.”
Three athletes
involved in rape
case suspended
By RACHEL VOTTA
rvotta@randb.com
COLE
Three student athletes
have been suspended
indefinitely for their con
firmed involvement in the
reported rape of a
University student in
McWhorter Hall.
Men’s basketball coach
Jim
Harrick
s u s -
pended
Tony
Cole, a
junior
guard
from
Baton
Rouge,
La., and
Steve
Thomas, a sophomore
forward from Carrollton.
Football coach Mark
Richt suspended
Brandon Williams, a
junior, defensive back
from Moss Point, Miss.
The basketball team
faced Alabama last night
without Cole and
Thomas, though the two
did sit at the sidelines.
University officials
would not disclose any
further information but
said the case still is under
investigation.
Asa Boynton,
University director of
Public Safety, said at a
Wednesday afternoon
press conference that a
basketball player is sus
pected of rape, a football
player is suspected of
attempted rape and
another basketball player
has been identified as an
accessory to the attack.
None of the three ath
letes has been charged
with a crime, and no
arrest warrants
been issued.
A woman
University police
Tuesday morning
between 9:30
Monday night,
have
told
early
that
and 10
she was
raped by a person known
to her, and a stranger
attempted to rape her.
The woman, a
University student from
Georgia, was visiting a
friend in McWhorter, but
the friend is not a sus
pect, Boynton said.
Of the three athletes,
the
woman
knew
only
one, he
said.
He also
said the
alleged
rape did
n 0 . t THOMAS
occur in
any of the accused stu
dents’ rooms.
Boynton also con
firmed there was no evi
dence of alcohol con
sumption in relation to
the alleged rape.
Cole, who attended
three high schools and
two prep schools in a five-
year span, originally was
signed to play with
Harrick at the University
of Rhode Island in 1999.
However, he did not meet
NCAA academic require
ments and attended the
Community College of
Rhode Island (CCRI)
instead, where he played
basketball.
He left CCRI abruptly
in 2000, following an
arrest at the University of
Rhode Island for tres
passing at a basketball
game, according to
Providence Journal
Bulletin reports. Cole
then played at Wabash
Valley Community
College in Illinois.
In 2001, Cole trans
ferred to the University,
averaging 5.6 points and
2.3 assists per game.
Thomas, a starter for
the basketball team,
averages 8.2 points and
6.5 rebounds per game.
He was picked by the
Atlanta Journal-
Constitution for its
“Terrific Ten” list and its
Metro Area Player of the
Year during his high
school career in
Carrollton.
Williams, a reserve on
the foot-
b a 1 1
team,
record
ed 13
total
tackles
last sea
son and
one
inter
ception
at the season opener
against Arkansas State.
He played in all 11 games
as a comerback.
Police officials said
more information
regarding the case will
be released when it
becomes available.
“This is an active case
that is being investigat
ed as we speak,”
University Police Chief
Chuck Horton said “We
will release more infor
mation as soon as
possible.”
Police investigators
are collecting facts by
reviewing witness state
ments, Boynton said.
Horton also said offi
cials are taking their
time working through
the case to avoid errors.
“We don’t want to
move too hastily and
make a mistake,”
Boynton said.
However, Horton said
he does not believe the
investigation is taking an
excessive amount of
time.
Cole, Thomas and
Williams were unavail
able for comment as of
press time.
— Contributing: Dena
Levitz, Lona Panter and
Leah Newman
Students express mixed reactions to suspensions
By RACHEL VOTTA
rvotta@randb.com
University students expressed
mixed reactions to basketball coach
Jim Harrick’s decision to indefinitely
suspend two basketball players
before Wednesday’s game against
Alabama.
Tony Cole, a junior guard from
Baton Rouge, La., and Steve
Thomas, a sophomore forward from
Carrollton, both were suspended
pending the outcome of an investiga
tion into allegations of rape
charges.
Brandon Williams, a junior defen
sive back, also was suspended by
head football coach Mark Richt in
relation to the investigation.
Many students attending the
game felt Harrick’s decision was
justified.
“You have to put charges above
college sports,” said Matt Wiess, a
freshman from Alpharetta. “I think if
(Harrick) had not sat them out, it
would have been bad. He is exercis
ing wise judgement.”
Kelly Finger, a sophomore from
Lavonia, agreed.
“I believe it is a good decision,”
she said. “(Harrick) would be under
fire in the end either way.”
However, other students didn’t
approve of Harrick’s decision, since
the players have not been formally
charged with a crime.
“He should let them play because
they are not charged yet,” said Julie
Seay, a sophomore from Snellville.
Most students thought the sus
pension of the two players would
affect the outcome of the game.
“Cole doesn’t play a lot,” Seay
said. “It will affect (the game’s out
come) to a certain degree.”
“If a team loses any player, it will
affect them,” said Nick Brannen, a
junior from McDonough.
However, others were hopeful that
Cole and Thomas’ absence would not
affect the results adversely.
“I hope not,” Finger said. “I think
this might fire the guys up and make
them come together.”
A University student told police
Tuesday that between 9:30 and 10
p.m. Monday, she was raped by an
acquaintance and that a stranger
attempted to rape her in McWhorter
Hall.
Police have not charged any of the
three athletes, and no arrest war
rants have been issued.
However, Asa Boynton, University
director of Public Safety, said the
woman accused a basketball player
of rape, though the identity of the
suspect has not been released.
INSIDE TODAY |,News: 3 | Opinions: 4 | Vi 'iety: 7 | Sports: 9 | Crossword: 5