Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 13, 1992 TAG: 9202130238
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
MAROONS TOP ROYALS IN 2 OT
Roanoke College and Eastern Mennonite split their basketball season series the hard way - one victory each after 361 points, 95 minutes and frayed nerves on both sidelines.After an 80-76 overtime loss at Eastern Mennonite on Jan. 16, Roanoke got even with a 107-98 double-overtime victory Wednesday night at the Bast Center.
The victory extended the Maroons' Old Dominion Athletic Conference winning streak to six games. But the streak was in doubt.
Eastern Mennonite, the last-place team in the ODAC, has been a royal pain for Roanoke (14-9 overall, 11-5 ODAC) this season. The Royals (6-15, 2-13) got 17 first-half points from guard Rodney Shields and led 45-34 at halftime.
"We came out lethargic in the first half," Roanoke coach Page Moir said. "We dug a ditch for ourselves. If you don't jump on them early, they can be mighty tough. They are very well-coached, and they showed it."
A halftime talk produced immediate results for the Maroons. A 19-7 run - including nine points by Hillary Scott - gave the Maroons a 53-52 lead with 13:26 remaining.
The lead changed hands eight times in the next three minutes, before the Royals pulled ahead 80-73 with two minutes to play.
The Royals led 80-73 with less than two minutes to play, but Roanoke's Rick Becker scored five straight points and Kevin Martin hit two free throws with 40 seconds left to make it 80-80.
After a steal by Dustin Fonder with seven seconds left, Martin's baseline shot fell short, and the game moved to overtime.
In the first extra period, Eastern Mennonite went on top 90-84, but Scott scored two straight buckets and Fonder made a steal and layup to make the score 90-90 with 37 seconds remaining.
Martin began the second overtime period with a 3-pointer and the Maroons put away the game.
The 6-foot-8 Becker, 5 inches taller than his defenders, finished with 29 points and 14 rebounds; Scott added 25 points; Otten had 19 and a school record-tying six blocks; and Martin had 14 points. \
see microfilm for box score