Morrison sits as U.S. prevails in title game

The USA World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Team defeated Puerto Rico 97-86 in the gold-medal game of the FIBA Americas World Championship on Monday in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Sean May of North Carolina paced the Americans with 18 points, while Charlotte’s Curtis Withers chipped in with 17 points.

Gonzaga University sophomore Adam Morrison did not play in the final game. For the tournament, Morrison averaged 8.3 points per game and 1.7 rebounds. He shot 62.5 percent from the field (10 of 16), including 40 percent from 3-point range (2 of 5). He hit 3 of 5 from the free-throw line.

Team USA, headed by Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson, went 5-0 at the tournament. The United States is now 22-2 overall in the tournament, which is held every four years.

Football

Linfield is heavily favored to capture its fifth straight Northwest Conference title, according to the 2004 preseason poll of conference coaches.

Linfield, which posted an 11-1 record on its way to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals last season, claimed all six first-place votes and the maximum of 42 poll points.

The Wildcats return 16 starters, eight on each side of the ball.

Willamette finished second in the poll with 296 1/2 points, followed by Pacific Lutheran with 23 1/2 .

Whitworth was picked to finish fourth with 16 points. The Pirates return five starters on offense and four on defense, including All-NWC defensive back Jeremy Scroggins. Whitworth finished 4-6 overall last season and 2-3 in conference play.

Puget Sound, winless last season at 0-9, tallied 12 points to finish fifth.

Lewis & Clark, with eight points, was picked to finish last.

Baseball

The State Junior American Legion Tournament was suspended because of high winds in the area.

The suspended games will be played this morning at Jackson Field and Central Valley High.

Today’s regularly scheduled games will follow.