COLLEGE NOTES : Kimble Tops 50 Points 3 Times

Bo Kimble’s scoring assault during Hank Gathers’ absence is taking on epic proportions.

Kimble goes into Saturday’s Oklahoma game with three straight performances of more than 50 points (his 57 against Athletes in Action isn’t officially recognized as part of the schedule), raising memories of the late 1960s when the likes of Pete Maravich, Calvin Murphy, Rick Mount and Elvin Hayes made nightly raids on the record books.

Maravich, who set most NCAA scoring records for Louisiana State, scored 50 or more 10 times, including three in succession as a junior--66 against Tulane, 50 against Florida and 54 against Auburn.

Murphy, a scoring whiz at Niagara, scored 50 points six times, including a one-week span as a junior when he got 50 against St. Peter’s, Buffalo and Syracuse. Notre Dame scoring star Austin Carr managed back-to-back 50-point games three times, including 61 against Ohio and 52 against Kentucky in the 1970 NCAA Tournament. Mississippi’s Johnny Neumann hit 53 against Vanderbilt and 60 against Baylor in successive games in 1970. Mount of Purdue, Hayes of Houston, Bill Bradley of Princeton and Rick Barry of Miami are among the all-time collegiate scoring stars who never managed back-to-back 50-pointers.

Kimble, with 51 against UC Santa Barbara and 53 against Oregon State, has raised his season average to 34.4, which tops the NCAA.

What is unusual about Kimble’s increased production is that he has shot fewer three-pointers and is working inside with Gathers out. Basically, he’s scoring for two.

“I and my teammates try to make ourselves versatile so that we can play other positions,” Kimble said. “I’m trying to show my leadership. I wanted to take the ball inside to replace Hank. I figure if I can take the ball to the basket I have a higher percentage (of making the shot).”

In his recent spree, Kimble has hit 35 of 51 shots, 22 of 23 free throws and six of seven three-pointers.

Even his teammates were amazed at how tough the 6-foot-5 Kimble has been on the boards in Gathers’ absence. He had 12 rebounds against Oregon State and 16 in the exhibition against Athletes in Action.

“He’s a great outside shooter,” Lions Coach Paul Westhead said, “but he may be even better inside.”

Earl Martin’s demeanor usually reflects his nickname-- Sleepy --but the fifth-year senior out of Carson has caught much of the Pacific-10 Conference napping.

The forward for the Oregon State basketball team has played most of his career in the shadow of stars like All-American guard Gary Payton but is quietly moving up through the Beavers’ record book in many categories.

Against Loyola on Tuesday, the 6-foot-5 Martin had a quiet 16 points, hitting seven of 11 shots, to raise his season average to 12.9. That put him within 57 points of becoming the 23rd player in Oregon State’s 1,000-point club. Martin is 312 points from breaking into the Beavers’ career top 10 scorers. If he does, it won’t get much mention because Payton--who scored 48 points Tuesday--will be breaking most school career records.

Martin, who played only five games as a freshman due to injury and was awarded another year’s eligibility, cracked Coach Ralph Miller’s starting lineup the next season and has averaged 8.8 points on 50.4% shooting since. This season he has added the three-pointer to his arsenal. After making only four of 21 three-point shots in the previous three seasons, Martin has hit 14 of 25 (56%) this season, helping explain his increased scoring.

“Of course, everything up here is Payton, but I think I’ve helped the team a lot and I’m looking forward to doing more,” Martin said. “I checked where I was this summer (in career standings) and figured I could get in the top 10.”

Martin worked on his three-pointer this summer. He said the coaching changeover from Ralph Miller to longtime assistant Jim Anderson has given the players more individual leeway.

That game plan didn’t include losing to Loyola at Corvallis. “That was a fun game to play, but it didn’t turn out the way we wanted,” Martin said. “We try not to lose any games at home. Our goal is always to be undefeated here, so it was a letdown.”

Martin has long been like a familiar character actor whose name nobody quite remembers, even at Carson High where he signed an early letter of intent with Oregon State then saw teammate Earl Foreman outshine him. But without doing the spectacular, Martin has always been a steady.

Martin’s nickname refers to the smallish Beaver team two years ago that was known as Miller’s Dwarfs. The laid-back Martin, appropriately enough, became Sleepy .

“Now I’m trying to wake up a little bit,” Martin joked. “If things go my way, I hope to keep on playing (after college).”

That would be no small accomplishment.

The Loyola Marymount women’s basketball team, which had lost five straight games and its outside touch, got back in the groove this week in a 85-71 victory over visiting Western Michigan.

The Lions shot 52% from the field and had the best shooting night of the season from guard Kristen Bruich, who hit nine of 17 shots, including five of seven from three-point range to ring up 28 points. Her back-court companion, Lynn Flanagan, added 20 points on six of 11 accuracy and hit eight of nine free throws. The Lions’ shooting was augmented by forward Jamie Jesko, who hit four of six shots off the bench. The Lions held the visitors to 42.5% shooting, 35% in the second half.

The victory raised the Lions’ record to 3-5. After taking the Christmas weekend off, they take a chilly holiday swing north, playing at Boise State on Thursday and Idaho State next Saturday before returning to Gersten Pavilion in January for a five-game home stand and the start of conference play.

College Notes: Basketball official Bill McCabe on working hectic Loyola Marymount games: “I did six of them last year. I’ve paid my dues” . . . The Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s soccer team was honored with a proclamation from the Carson City Council for its outstanding season.