Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 6, 1994 TAG: 9412060087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The kid will put a fake mouse or a ball of catnip attached to a string on the floor and tug it along in front of the stalking feline. Just as the poor critter gets to the toy, the kid yanks it out of claw range.
Then the game starts all over.
That was pretty much the way it was as the Spiders nipped the heartbroken Highlanders 66-64 Monday to end a record 17-game Dedmon Center winning streak.
Richmond would push a lead to eight points; Radford would cut it to one. Richmond would go up 10; the Highlanders would trim it to a point. The Spiders would expand the advantage to 14, then Radford would scrap back to within one again.
On this last occasion, Richmond's cushion was down to 65-64 when Radford's Antoine Dalton soared inside for a soft layin with 1 minute, 48 seconds left.
Radford then pressed frantically and came within a tick of a 10-second call (so close again) before Derrick Wall alertly called for a timeout.
Radford defended like mad once more, this time holding the Spiders to no shot before the 35-second clock expired. The subsequent possession was a dry one, though, because Anthony Walker was long on a jump shot. But then the Spiders coughed it up again, which was nothing new, because they'd gone the last eight possessions and not scored a point as Radford was closing in with a 13-0 run.
Radford returned the favor, and Kass Weaver, the Spiders' top player, was fouled by Walker with 9 seconds left. Weaver hit the first but missed the second.
Radford wasted no time in hustling the outlet pass out to Walker, the point guard, who crossed midcourt and hurled it over on the left wing, where forward Chris Harvey was trailing the play.
``We prefer to push it and see what we can get in that situation,''
``I thought Anthony was going to shoot it,'' Harvey said. ``We were running our secondary break because there wasn't much time. Luckily, I saw the ball coming.''
Unluckily, he pulled up but missed the shot as time was expiring. Walker was in despair afterward.
``The game was ours,'' he said. ``Harv is a good shot, but I should have taken the shot. I saw him open, and it was just instinct. I should have been more selfish.''
The way Richmond coach Bill Dooley saw it, he shouldn't have been worried who was going to take a last shot.
``It never should have gotten that far,'' he said.
Richmond (2-2) didn't have a field goal in the last 4:58 and missed four of its last five foul shots, including the front ends of two one-and-ones.
Weaver finished with 20 points as the Spiders shot 51.9 percent from the floor, which was better than they did from the free-throw line (9-of-18). Wall had nine rebounds as the Spiders beat Radford 36-29 on the backboards, the first time that's happened to the Highlanders this year.
Radford (3-2) got 17 points from Dalton, 13 of that in the second half, to go with six rebounds. It was his third straight strong performance.
``Antoine was a man in the second half,'' Radford coach Ron Bradley said.
Walker had 14 and six assists and freshman post player Kevin Robinson came off the bench with 10, which was good because Radford was down two inside players.
Freshman Eric Parker was out with mononucleosis and Eric Bowens along with redshirts Damian Ingram and Johnny Watkins have been suspended indefinitely for breaking team regulations.
Still, Radford was in it all the way.
``This is a great win for us,'' Dooley said. ``Everybody knows what a tough place this is to win in.''
RICHMOND (66)
Wall 4-8 0-0 8, Stevenson 1-5 1-2 3, Edwards 6-9 0-0 12, Weaver 7-12 6-9 20, Cueto 5-9 0-4 11, Oliver 3-5 0-1 6, Ward 0-0 0-0 0, Poole 2-4 2-2 4, McKinney 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 28-54 9-18 66.
RADFORD (64)
Johnson 2-5 2-2 6, Harvey 2-10 1-1 5, Daltoin 7-14 3-7 17, Walker 6-11 0-0 14, Lansdown 2-5 0-0 5, Reed 2-3 0-0 6, Weddle 0-1 1-2 1, Robinson 4-7 2-2 10. Totals: 25-56 9-14 64.
Richmond 25--31-66
Radford 29--35-64
Three-point goals: Richmond 1-6 (Cueto 1-3, Stevenson 0-1, Weaver 0-1, Oliver 0-1), Radford 5-14 (Johnson 0-1, Harvey 0-2, Walker 2-5, Lansdown 1-2, Reed 2-3, Weddle 0-1). Rebounds-Richmond 36 (Wall 9), Radford 29 (Dalton, Harvey 6). Total fouls-Richmond 18, Radford 18. Fouled out-Lansdown. A-3,100.
by CNB