Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 10, 1991 TAG: 9102100054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS LENGTH: Long
Eighty-eight seconds later, Tech trailed by double figures.
Such is life as a Hokie these days.
The Hokies were in town on Mardi Gras weekend, but their troubles didn't come out of a bottle. Tulane, which had won three of its past 10 games, sent the Hokies home with the hangover from a 99-66 basketball thrashing in front of a high school-sized crowd of 1,637 at Fogelman Arena.
Tech's season of ills continued with its 10th loss in 11 games, matching the futility streak of last year's Hokies. Tech is 8-13 overall, 2-7 in the Metro Conference; Tulane, which won by its biggest margin this year, is 11-11 and 4-6.
"Losing by 33 points has to rank right up there," Tech coach Frankie Allen said when asked if the loss was Tech's low point this year. "They just got out after us, and once they got their foot on our throats they just didn't let us up."
That was per Tulane coach Perry Clark's request. Some recent second-half fades had Clark concerned.
"He challenged us to play a total game," Green Wave guard Michael Christian said. "We came through."
Clark said: "I told them they were going to be judged on their second-half play."
Give them an "A." After outscoring Tech 42-27 in the first half, thanks in part to Tech's 19 turnovers, the Green Wave shot 69 percent in the second half and padded its lead with a 57-39 thumping.
The Hokies, unable to navigate Tulane's full-court press and prone to careless half-court passing, finished with a season-high 33 turnovers. Tulane is second in the Metro in turnover margin.
Often, Tech seemed to break off a set play to toss up a shot.
"There have been times in the past few games that I thought we've had an opportunity to continue through with a play; but, instead of making that extra pass, we've elected to shoot the ball," Allen said.
It doesn't help that the Hokies seem to lack chemistry - except during rare performances such as the Louisville win - and appear to miss Bimbo Coles' leadership more with each game. Of the team's three seniors, only one - Antony Moses - sees significant time, but he has not produced consistently.
"You've got some guys that I think are pretty decent offensively, but they're exploited defensively sometimes," Allen said. "And you've got some guys just the opposite of that. . . . [Chemistry] is something we're still searching for. We're trying to get the right people out there. I'm playing maybe too many freshmen, but I don't have many choices."
Allen started three freshmen Saturday, and his top reserves are mostly freshmen and sophomores. That, Clark said, is asking for trouble in Metro road games.
"When you get behind, you're looking out there and sometimes you see a lot of freshmen and sophomores . . . those things hurt you," Allen said. "We try, from a coaching standpoint, to motivate them and give them leadership. But when that game goes on out there, sometimes there's just not a whole lot you can do."
Short of running onto the court and stopping play, Allen could do nothing to halt Tulane's first-half run. Trailing 16-15 with 8:20 left - after recovering from Tech's 6-0 lead - Tulane took a one-point edge on two Makeba Perry free throws.
Corey Jackson missed a 3-pointer, and Tulane's David Whitmore scored inside for a 19-16 lead. After Thomas Elliott's pass was stolen, Whitmore was fouled and he made both free throws. Jay Purcell threw one away, and Tulane's Anthony Reed dunked on the fast break for a 23-16 Tulane lead with 6:58 left.
Another Elliott turnover led to Greg Gary's 3-pointer to put Tech down 26-16 with 6:52 left.
The lead grew thereafter as Tulane dunked its way to victory. The Green Wave had nine slams, including a monstrous one by Reed after he took a pass from Gary, who was tiptoeing the sideline after stealing a Tech pass.
How bad was it for the Hokies? With Tech trailing 82-52, John Rivers was wide open, took a pass in the lane and went up to throw down a two-handed slam - but he missed. Tulane threw ahead to Reed, who shook the rim with a one-handed jam.
Had the Green Wave scored another basket, the margin would've matched Tech's most lopsided loss in a Metro game - a 35-point defeat at Louisville in 1986. It was Tulane's biggest victory margin in a Metro game, surpassing a 24-point win against St. Louis in 1982.
Allen said he knows time is running out on the Hokies. Tech has six regular-season games left, the next three at home against Louisville, Cincinnati and Maryland.
"If there's ever a time we're going to make any kind of dent into this season, make any kind of move, now's the time," Allen said. VA. TECH MPFGFTRAFPT Rivers 282-30-05124Moses 243-84-740210Carruth 110-00-02150Purcell 252-74-52018Jackson 193-73-41029Wheeler 153-52-420211Corker 140-33-43223Burton 50-20-00000Williams 161-52-41124Elliott 135-72-310213Wilson 210-50-06120Herbster 40-02-20032Oladotun 51-10-21042Totals 20020-5322-353662966 TULANE MPFGFTRAFPT Whitmore 194-92-211110Reed 3112-194-491328Popp 172-20-01145Gary 242-26-613311Hunter 260-32-41522Lewis 162-32-41037Christian 215-104-664116Nichols 40-00-00100Hartman 151-21-31043Passi 41-21-23023Perry 234-56-850414Totals 20033-5728-3932162799 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Virginia Tech 27-39-66 Tulane 42-57-99
Three-point goals - Virginia Tech: Moses 0-1, Purcell 0-2, Jackson 0-1, Wheeler 3-5, Burton 0-2, Williams 0-2, Elliot 1-2, Totals 4-15. Tulane: Whitmore 0-1, Popp 1-1, Gary 1-1, Lewis 1-1, Christian 2-3, Totals 5-7.
Turnovers - Virginia Tech 33 (Purcell 8); Tulane 18 (Hunter, Reed 3). Blocked shots - Virginia Tech 1 (Carruth); Tulane 1 (Whitmore). Steals - Virginia Tech 9 (Carruth 3); Tulane 19 (Gary 6).
Technical fouls - Whitmore, Virginia Tech bench. Officials - Hikel, Gonsoulin, Allen. Attendance - 1,637.
by CNB