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

DATE: THURSDAY, January 12, 1995                   TAG: 9501120090
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD                                 LENGTH: Medium

RADFORD BURNS WINTHROP 92-73

If you're going to play the type of high-risk defense that Winthrop did against Radford University on Wednesday night, it would be a good idea to make some shots once you get the basketball back.

The Eagles didn't make enough.

Nor did they play much of what is conventionally known as defense, for that matter.

``I think their philosophy is to let the other team score so they can shoot some 3s,'' said Radford guard Anthony Walker.

If that were the case, it didn't work as the Highlanders showed conclusively with a 92-73 victory in a Big South Conference game at the Dedmon Center.

Winthrop did take the opportunity to squeeze off plenty of shots - 77 in all, 15 more than the Highlanders. But not enough went in: 34.2 percent in the first half and 41.6 (32 of 77) for the game.

Radford (8-5 overall, 2-2 Big South), by contrast, was breezing its way to enough uncontested shots to sink 60 percent in the second half and 54.8 (34 of 62) for the game.

``As far as that trap they tried was concerned, it wasn't working,'' said Radford center Antoine Dalton, who bounced back from being blanked his last time out to score 20 against the Eagles. ``It was two-on-one for us every time down the floor. It seemed like they'd see that and come out of it, but they never did.''

Perhaps the defense wasn't being executed as designed. Winthrop coach Dan Kenney suggested as much.

``Vanilla basketball,'' he said. `` ... We're not as talented.''

Radford bounced back from a 60-48 loss to Maryland-Baltimore County (in which the Highlanders scored 17 points in the second half) by putting up some nice numbers. Walker scored 21 points to go with nine assists and six rebounds

Johnson and Chris Harvey tied for team honors with eight rebounds apiece as Radford won that battle, too, 41-38. However, Winthrop (3-8, 0-3) did have 18 offensive rebounds, seven by Todd Lassiter.

LaShawn Coulter led the Eagles with 16 points and four assists. Former All-Timesland guard Mike Fayed from Cave Spring High School divided time running the offense from the point and had three assists, one fewer than David McMahan and Coulter.

by CNB