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News Nuggets, 01.07.05
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Downtrodden member of historic Chaminade team slain

WAILUKU, HI — A homeless man who played a pivotal role in the biggest upset in college basketball history was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds two days after being accused of sexual assault, officials said this week.

Police on Maui identified the man as Mark A. Wells, 44, a member of the Chaminade University team that defeated then-No. 1 Virginia and 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson 22 years ago.

Wells made three free throws over the final 46 seconds of the game to help secure the 77-72 victory for the 800-student NAIA school from Honolulu on Dec. 23. 1982. He had seven points, five assists and four rebounds.

``He was our point guard,'' retired Chaminade coach Merv Lopes said in a telephone interview from his home on the island of Hawaii. ``He was our quarterback, our go-to guy. He was an outstanding player. He was a well-liked player, too.''

Wells was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds last Saturday near a hiking trail at Nakalele Point, police said. An autopsy conducted Sunday determined he had been shot six times.

Wells was arrested two days before his body was found for investigation of sexual assault, and released the same day without being charged, Maui Police Sgt. Jamie J. Becraft said.

Wells was living in Houston in 2002 when he came to Hawaii to join other members of the team at a reunion to mark the 20th anniversary of the game. He then stayed in the islands, Lopes said.

Wells had lived with a group of homeless people in a makeshift camp near former sugarcane fields in Lahaina.

Lopes had recruited Wells from a playground in Santa Monica, CA.

Bowl Season Wrap-up: Results and Payouts

Tuesday, Dec. 14

   New Orleans Bowl
   Payout: $750,000
   Southern Mississippi 31, North Texas 10

Tuesday, Dec. 21

   Champs Sports Bowl
   At Orlando, Fla.
   Payout: $850,000
   Georgia Tech 51, Syracuse 14

Wednesday, Dec. 22

   GMAC Bowl
   Mobile, Ala.
   Payout: $750,000
   Bowling Green 52, Memphis 35

Thursday, Dec. 23

   Fort Worth (Texas) Bowl
   Payout: $750,000
   Cincinnati 32, Marshall 14

   Las Vegas Bowl
   Payout: $575,000
   Wyoming 24, UCLA 21

Friday, Dec. 24

   Hawaii Bowl
   At Honolulu
   Payout: $750,000
   Hawaii 59, UAB 40

Monday, Dec. 27

   MPC Computers Bowl
   At Boise, Idaho
   Payout: $750,000
   Fresno State 37, Virginia 34, OT

   Motor City Bowl
   At Detroit
   Payout: $750,000
   Connecticut 39, Toledo 10

Tuesday, Dec. 28

   Independence Bowl
   At Shreveport, La.
   Payout: $1.2 million
   Iowa State 17, Miami (Ohio) 13

   Insight Bowl
   At Phoenix
   Payout: $750,000
   Oregon State 38, Notre Dame 21

Wednesday, Dec. 29

   Houston Bowl
   Payout: $1.1 million
   Colorado 33, Texas-El Paso 28

   Alamo Bowl
   At San Antonio
   Payout: $1.55 million
   Ohio State 33, Oklahoma State 7

Thursday, Dec. 30

   Continental Tire Bowl
   At Charlotte, N.C.
   Payout: $750,000
   Boston College 37, North Carolina 24

   Emerald Bowl
   At San Francisco
   Payout: $750,000
   Navy 34, New Mexico 19

   Holiday Bowl
   At San Diego
   Payout: $2 million
   Texas Tech 45, California 31

   Silicon Valley Classic
   At San Jose, Calif.
   Payout: $750,000
   Northern Illinois 34, Troy 21

Friday, Dec. 31

   Music City Bowl
   At Nashville, Tenn.
   Payout: $780,000
   Minnesota 20, Alabama 16

   Sun Bowl
   At El Paso, Texas
   Payout: $1.5 million
   Arizona State 27, Purdue 23

   Liberty Bowl
   At Memphis, Tenn.
   Payout: $1.35 million
   Louisville 44, Boise State 40

   Peach Bowl
   At Atlanta
   Payout: $2.2 million
   Miami 27, Florida 10

Saturday, Jan. 1

   Cotton Bowl
   At Dallas
   Payout: $3 million
   Tennessee 38, Texas A&M 7

   Outback Bowl
   At Tampa, Fla.
   Payout: $2.75 million
   Georgia 24, Wisconsin 21

   Gator Bowl
   At Jacksonville, Fla.
   Payout: $1.6 million
   Florida State 30, West Virginia 18

   Capital One Bowl
   At Orlando, Fla.
   Payout: $5.187 million
   Iowa 30, LSU 25

   Rose Bowl
   At Pasadena, Calif.
   Payout: $14.5 million
   Texas 38, Michigan 37

   Fiesta Bowl
   At Tempe, Ariz.
   Payout: $11-14 million
   Utah 35, Pittsburgh 7

Monday, Jan. 3

   Sugar Bowl
   At New Orleans
   Payout: $11-14 million
   Auburn 16, Virginia Tech 13

Tuesday, Jan. 4

   Orange Bowl
   At Miami
   Payout: $11-14 million
   Southern Cal 55, Oklahoma 19

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