FRESHMAN GIVES ROANOKE NEEDED LIFT

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 16, 1992                   TAG: 9202160183
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
FRESHMAN GIVES ROANOKE NEEDED LIFT
Roanoke College's Mark Genthner didn't score a point or take a shot, but he might have made the biggest contribution to the Maroons' 78-67 basketball victory over arch rival Washington and Lee.
The freshman point guard came off the bench in the second half to get the Maroons into their offense as they took won a Old Dominion Athletic Conference game from the Generals on Saturday at Bast Center.
Roanoke (15-9 overall, 12-5 ODAC) remains in third place, one game behind Hampden-Sydney and Virginia Wesleyan in the loss column.
Genthner played most of the second half and was part of a contingent of seldom-used center Bill Cross, Hilary Scott, Rick Becker and Mike Thornton that helped the Maroons extend an eight-point lead to 56-41.
"Cross gave us a lift at Hampden-Sydney," Roanoke coach Page Moir said of his decision to use two players that have seen only spot action.
"In the first half, [the Generals] were going to the basket and we weren't doing anything about it. So I wanted to make sure we had a shot-blocker in there."
Genthner's role was more important in that he finished the game. He played 30 minutes in the first W&L game, in which Roanoke pulled away to win 98-76 while shooting 73 percent.
"Our starting [point] guards weren't having their best nights. Mark does the best job getting us into our offense," Moir said.
Genthner says it's tough coming off the bench after sitting for a half. The box score shows him with only one assist, but that's because Roanoke spent most of its time at the free-throw line, making 18 of 25 attempts after intermission.
"It's different. You're stiff even though you've been cheering the other guys. You haven't moved your legs," said Genthner, from Rochester, N.Y.
"We just had to settle down into our half-court offense. We like to go up and down. We were getting good shots, but they weren't falling. And we were getting a little rattled."
That's because the Generals (6-16, 3-13) played tough defense. W&L is in a different kind of fight for position in the standings than Roanoke; the rebuilding Generals are trying to make the top eight ODAC teams and earn a spot in the league tournament starting Feb. 25.
\ see microfilm for box score

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB