Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 21, 1993 TAG: 9312210130
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: JOHNSON CITY, TENN. LENGTH: Long
As it was, the Buccaneers' daydream and Purcell's determination helped Tech rip the Buccaneers 80-61 after the Hokies (5-1) overcame a 12-point first-half deficit before 6,036 spectators at Memorial Center.
Purcell had nine points in the Hokies' 14-3 run to close the first half, setting up Tech's second-half splurge that sent East Tennessee State to its fourth home loss in its past 53 games.
Tech's Jim Jackson, who didn't score from the field against Xavier on Saturday, had 19 points in the second half on Monday to establish his career high with 24.
"I didn't want to play a game like I did in the Xavier game where it just snowballed into a terrible game," Jackson said of Tech's 32-point loss Saturday.
The Buccaneers (3-4), meanwhile, lost the lead for good at 38-36 on Jimmy Carruth's inside bucket with 15 minutes, 30 seconds left and quickly unraveled.
Purcell said he noticed East Tennessee State in tatters during Tech's run late in the first half.
"You could hear 'em talking on the free-throw line: `Damn, we let 'em get back in the game,' " Purcell said. "We knew we had them right then."
So too, perhaps, did Bucs coach Alan LeForce, who after the game called a practice session for his team at 1 a.m. today.
"I look out there and we're seven points up," LeForce said, "and I tell my staff, `God, we look like we're 20 down. We have no emotion.' "
They did afterward.
"I've not been associated with a team that has so much talent and not much heart," said forward Trazel Silvers. "It's disappointing to me how we've got players that play hard as long as things are going well.
"[The Hokies] got a run, they got jacked up . . . They became the dictators of the game."
East Tennessee State's full- and half-court pressure defense withered as the game went on and as Tech grew more comfortable against the Bucs' traps. On offense, East Tennessee State succeeded in the first 10 minutes by spreading the floor and breaking down Tech's defense with dribble drives and passes for open jumpers.
"We were reacting," Foster said. "We weren't forcing them to do something."
Tech's defense held up, though, and its half-court pressure got back-line help from 6-foot-10 Carruth, who had six blocks - five in the second half. Carruth, rarely an offensive threat and not always effective, added nine rebounds and six points in 24 minutes.
"That's about as good a 24 minutes as Jimmy's played," said Bill Foster, Tech's coach.
Carruth's board work contributed to a 42-38 edge in rebounds for Tech, allowing the Hokies to run. Tech made 24 free throws to the Bucs' 11.
The Hokies, who scored 18 points on 20 percent field-goal shooting in the second half Saturday against Xavier, had eight points with 7 1/2 minutes to go in the first half against East Tennessee State and trailed 19-8.
The Bucs extended the lead to 26-14 with 4:51 left. Two Purcell free throws, a Tech steal and a Jackson free throw made it 26-17 with 4:29 remaining.
East Tennessee State's Corrie Johnson missed a 3-point shot, and Purcell made an off-balance jumper in the lane to produce a 26-19 score with 3:35 left. Purcell then blocked Johnson's jumper, and Jackson was fouled on the break. His two free throws made it 26-21.
Silvers made a free throw, but Purcell's jump-stop jumper made it 27-23 with 2:10 remaining. Shahid Perkins missed twice from the free-throw line and Tony Patterson missed once for the Bucs. Tech's Damon Watlington then curled around a Carruth pick and fed Shawn Smith alone for a layup and a 27-25 count with 1:26 left.
Junior Floyd scored for East Tennessee State, before Purcell hit a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left that sent the Hokies into the locker room trailing by one.
"I tried to attack the basket a little bit more," said Purcell, a senior from Blacksburg. "Once we started playing with their pressure, they just relaxed a little bit."
Tech built a 43-40 second-half lead before a 6-0 run made it 49-40 with 11:33 remaining. East Tennessee State cut it to six a couple of times, the last at 59-53 with about six minutes to go.
The Hokies finished the game on a 14-2 run.
"It's great to see two seniors step up and lead the charge," Foster said of Purcell and Carruth.
"For us, that's a great confidence-builder." VA. TECH MPFGFTRAFPT J. Jackson 328-138-1152324Custis 303-72-28248Carruth 243-50-29146Purcell 394-911-1274320Good 293-72-33328C. Jackson 50-00-00000Watlington 173-100-02117T. Jackson 61-20-12002Smith 182-41-41115Totals 20027-5724-3542141880 E. TENN. ST. MPFGFTRAFPT Silvers 343-133-731410Doggett 283-83-632511Patterson 243-72-47248Herman 181-70-01143Perkins 210-40-21030Jones 161-20-06022Floyd 101-50-01012Johnson 205-92-221514McClellan 183-30-04016Timmerman 10-00-00000Powe 102-21-21005Totals 20022-6011-233872961 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Virginia Tech28-52-80 E. Tenn. St. 29-32-61
Three-point goals - Virginia Tech: Purcell 1-3, Watlington 1-3, J. Jackson 0-2, Good 0-1, Totals 2-9. E. Tenn. St.: Doggett 2-4, Johnson 2-6, Herman 1-2, Silvers 1-5, Floyd 0-3, Perkins 0-2, Totals 6-22.
Turnovers - Virginia Tech 20 (Purcell 6); E. Tenn. St. 25 (Doggett 8). Blocked shots - Virginia Tech 6 (Carruth 6); E. Tenn. St. 3 (Patterson 2). Steals - Virginia Tech 9 (J. Jackson 3, Purcell 3); E. Tenn. St. 16 (Doggett 5, Johnson 5).
Technical fouls - Virginia Tech bench, Purcell, Johnson. Officials - Dodge, Jag, Show. Attendance - 6,036.
by CNB