| Zags and Hilltoppers clash in Great Alaska Shootout
With their second trip to the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, the 14th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs expect to finish better than runner-up, as they open their portion of the annual event at Sullivan Arena against Western Kentucky. Back in 2001, the Bulldogs defeated both St. John's and Texas before taking on Marquette in the title game, the result of which was a 73-63 setback. For Gonzaga, this is the first set of games away from home for the squad, having opened a perfect 3-0 with wins over Montana, Idaho and UC Riverside in convincing fashion.
Similarly, the Hilltoppers have won all three of their games at home in Bowling Green. Like the Zags, WKU has beaten Kennesaw State, Kentucky Wesleyan and Murray State all by at least 21 points in the process.
With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, this is the first-ever meeting.
Japan: Tokyo's hip Harajuku district
I can't help but stare.The young girls look like Kewpie dolls with enough plastic barrettes and bracelets to fill an accessory store. A man adjusts the hem of his schoolgirl costume, leaning back slightly to stop a wig from sliding down his forehead. Teens with spiky, platinum blond hair and faux tans huddle among themselves.And they all stare back at me.I am the oddball, misplaced in a world where ruffled tulle skirts, blue hair and hot-pink fishnet stockings are the norm. Couture mixed with clothes you can find in a Salvation Army store. Wannabe rockers scream their demo tape tunes outside a nearby train station.I feel self-conscious of my plain jeans and T-shirt. I have stepped into a manga comic book, and I am the least cool character.I'm in Harajuku, a district in Tokyo known for its street fashion, boutiques and freaks that congregate daily to express their disdain for the mundane.My 10-day itinerary of Japan includes Harajuku, which in the past few years became popularized by rocker Gwen Stefani, who drew inspiration from the district's denizens.The Harajuku experience lives up to its a la mode image: overwhelming, bizarre and fascinating.ANOTHER WORLDThe subway ride into Harajuku is not far from my hotel in Akasaka, a business district with corporate offices and hotels.
Ventura St. Bonaventure comes up big, 35-21
For more than a decade, Ventura St. Bonaventure has been one of the most dominant small-school programs in Southern California. On Saturday, the Seraphs proved they're one of the state's best.
Behind a final trademark performance by senior running back Darrell Scott, St. Bonaventure (14-1) scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away for a 35-21 victory over Modesto Central Catholic (11-2-1) in the CIF State Division III championship bowl game at the Home Depot Center.
Scott, rated the nation's top running back prospect by numerous recruiting services, capped off his prep career in dominant fashion, scoring a go-ahead touchdown on a spectacular 10-yard run before putting the Raiders away for good on a 16-yard flea-flicker pass to senior quarterback Casey Serna with less than two minutes left to play.
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