Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 4, 1994 TAG: 9401040171
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRIAN DEVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Roanoke (9-1) breezed to a 79-56 men's basketball win before 942 spectators at Bast Center.
The Maroons play Elmira (N.Y.) College, an 80-77 winner over Plymouth (N.H.) State, tonight at 7:30 in the championship game. St. Mary's will play Plymouth State at 5:30 in the consolation game.
There certainly wasn't any rust on the Maroons, who hadn't played since a 73-59 win over Randolph-Macon on Dec. 12. Roanoke led 12-0 in the first 3 1/2 minutes, and the Seahawks (4-4) never challenged.
"I think it's funny," said Maroons coach Page Moir, whose team is off to its best start since 1983-84, when it began the season 16-0. "We've done a good job every year after the [winter] break. Teams can react different ways after a break like that. Fortunately, we were at home. It just was one of those nights for St. Mary's where everything went wrong."
The Seahawks turned over the ball 20 times and shot 19-of-55 (34.5 percent). Sixteen of those turnovers came from Roanoke steals.
After the quick start, the Maroons closed the first half with a 16-4 run to lead 37-17 at halftime. Roanoke pressured hard with its defense and used its bench to give its starters periodic rests.
The rotation was successful, and 12 Roanoke players scored. No Maroon played more than 24 minutes, and each played at least eight minutes.
Guard Kevin Martin led Roanoke with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Guard Bryant Lee added 11 points, and forward Stan Clements had a season-high 11 points and four steals.
Seahawks center Chris DeLisi led all scorers with 16 points.
"They're so deep, they just keep running guys out there," said Bob Valvano, St. Mary's coach. "This was easily our worst game of the year. You have to have one worst game every year, and unfortunately, this was it.
"I just wish, with this tournament being for my brother, we could have put on a better show."
Valvano's older brother Jim, the former North Carolina State basketball coach, died of cancer last year. The net proceeds of the tournament will be donated to the V Foundation, established by ESPN in the late coach's memory to fund cancer research.
The Maroons began the second half the way they began the first - fast. Roanoke went on a 17-4 run to lead 54-21 with 14 minutes, 20 seconds remaining. Much of the scoring came off Seahawks turnovers caused by Roanoke's man-to-man defense.
The 34.5 percent that the Seahawks shot on field-goal attempts was the lowest of any Maroons opponent this season. Carnegie-Melon shot the previous low - 35.2 percent - in a 63-54 loss to Roanoke on Nov. 27. The 56 points allowed were the second-fewest Roanoke has allowed this season.
"We tried to put as much pressure on them as possible," Clements said. "That got us easy points. That's how we want to get everything started - having a havoc defense that leads to easy shots."
The Elmira-Plymouth State game had as many collisions as a New York City street on rush hour. Players elbowed, hacked, chopped and slid all over Bast Center's floor.
Elmira (7-1), bigger and stronger than the Panthers (7-2), won its sixth straight game behind the hustling play of point guard Sean McGovern, who scored 15 points and had seven assists and three steals.
Moses Jean-Pierre led Plymouth State with 24 points, eight assists and seven steals.
The Soaring Eagles scored the first six points of the second half to take a 47-34 lead, their biggest of the night. Plymouth State cut the deficit to 75-73 with 1:51 left, but 6-foot-8 Eagles forward James Duffy drove the lane, scored and was fouled with 1:17 left. His free throw put Elmire ahead 78-73.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB