Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990 TAG: 9003290724
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
The Commodores, who beat five NCAA tournament teams but lost seven consecutive Southeastern Conference games in one stretch and finished tied for eighth, won the NIT with a 74-72 victory over St. Louis Wednesday night.
"The seven straight losses taught me that basketball has a long season," Coach Eddie Fogler said. "In December, we beat three teams that made the NCAA - Kansas State, Alabama-Birmingham and Virginia - then we lost all our confidence during the conference season. But television has made basketball a tournament-oriented game, and we got a chance to have a good season."
Vanderbilt (21-14), which had never before appeared in the final of a postseason tournament, blew all but two points of a 56-39 advantage with 10:35 remaining. Before advancing to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden, the Commodores rallied from 17-point deficits against Tennessee and Louisiana Tech.
"We came back from 17-down twice in the tournament to get here, and St. Louis came back on us," Fogler said. "It can happen in college with the 3-pointer."
St. Louis (21-12), losing in the NIT final for the second consecutive year, hit six 3-pointers in the final 10:14, but Coach Rich Grawer said defensive intensity was the key to the comeback.
"Once we got down by 17, we played harder on defense and took out our frustrations on Vanderbilt instead of complaining to the referees," Grawer said.
"It's a shame that we couldn't play with that intensity for 40 minutes," said Bonner, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds and averaged 20.4 points and 15 rebounds in the five-game tournament.
In the third-place game, James Barnes scored 19 points as Penn State beat New Mexico 83-81 in overtime.
by CNB