Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 13, 1993 TAG: 9303130254
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LARRY KEECH LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
CASSELL SPEAKS DIFFERENTLY IN DEFEAT
Even after what might have been the worst half of his college basketball career, trash-talking Sam Cassell of Florida State still was willing to talk Friday night.But no trash was forthcoming.
Underdog Clemson, with an 87-75 upset victory, had shattered the hopes Cassell and the Seminoles had harbored of winning an ACC Tournament. Cassell had scored all 12 of his points in the first half before ignominiously fouling out with 2:41 left.
"These kind of games happen," Cassell, unusually gracious, said when his miserable night had finally ended. "Unfortunately, it happened to us this time.
"The other seniors and myself wanted to go out with a bang. We wanted to make a statement about Florida State's place in the ACC.
"We didn't underestimate Clemson. They're a good ballclub. Nothing we done rattled 'em. They were more aggressive at both ends of the floor. They double- and triple-teamed Doug Edwards inside and contested every shot. None of the rest of us could get hot from outside.
"We just couldn't find anything that would work consistently on offense. Maybe we just weren't aggressive enough."
Nor did Cassell spare himself from his critical eye after making only five of 15 field-goal attempts.
"I'm very disappointed in my own play," he said. "I got off to a good start but lost my concentration on my shot."
Part of Cassell's problem was the man-to-man defensive job that Andre Bovain did on him.
"Cassell uses all kinds of screens, and I just kept running through them to stay in his face," Bovain said. "One time, he ran me through two of them. But I stayed with him, and he did a double-take.
"Sam talks all the time on the court. Mostly, he says stuff like `You can't stop me, I'm an NBA player.' Which he is. He's a tough player.
"I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to make him mad. I talked trash to [Maryland's] Walt Williams last year, and he lit me up for 26 points in the first half."
The Charlotte Coliseum has not been kind to Cassell. In three ACC Tournament games here, he has made only 14 of 40 shots.
"But it's a great gym," Cassell said of the 23,500-seat NBA arena. "One day I'll come back here and light it up." \
see microfilm for box score