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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 13, 1994                   TAG: 9403130183
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BILOXI, MISS.                                LENGTH: Short

SOUTHERN MISS ADVANCES TO METRO FINAL

Freshman Damien Smith scored six of his eight points in a key run as Southern Mississippi took the lead for good and beat North Carolina-Charlotte 68-64 on Saturday night in a Metro Conference tournament semifinal.

Smith hit a short bank shot with 3 minutes, 26 seconds left as the Golden Eagles (15-13) took the lead for good at 61-59. His 17-footer ignited a 12-2 run that put Southern Miss in front 65-59.

The Eagles, seeded sixth in the tournament, advanced to the championship game today against 14th-ranked Louisville. The Cardinals, the regular-season champions, have won nine Metro tournament championships, including the 1990 edition at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. They beat Virginia Tech 76-67 in the other semifinal Saturday night.

North Carolina-Charlotte (16-12), which likely will have to settle for a National Invitation Tournament bid, had overcome a nine-point deficit with a 12-2 run of its own, taking a 44-43 lead on Andre Davis' 3-pointer with 13:39 left.

by CNB