Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503210064
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: STORRS, CONN. LENGTH: Medium
For the five seniors who helped carry Virginia Tech to the next floor of women's college basketball, the ride up the elevator ended Saturday.
When the final horn sounded on Tech's 91-45 loss to top-ranked Connecticut, the Hokies marched to their locker room and cried.
Forget the ugly numbers on the Gampel Pavilion scoreboard. These tears were shed for five seniors - Jenny Root, Christi Osborne, Angela Donnell, Lisa Leftwich and Stephanie Carter - whose work carried the program to unprecedented heights.
``If we look a little red-eyed,'' said Tech coach Carol Alfano in opening her postgame remarks, ``it's because we just had an an emotional locker-room scene, probably the most emotional one I've ever been involved with.
``When you've got that many seniors and the final buzzer goes off, you get a little teary-eyed when you recognize this is the last time we'll be together in this type of arena.''
The five seniors, all starters but Carter, were the cornerstone of Tech's success the past three seasons.
After going 10-18 as freshmen, the seniors went 66-23 their last three years, taking Tech to three consecutive 20-victory seasons, its first two NCAA Tournament berths, and first Metro Conference regular-season (1994-95) and tournament championships ('93-94).
The games are over. The memories will last forever.
``We had tears coming down our face, but we were laughing at the same time,'' Osborne said. ``We've been through a lot together. The seniors joke about this being like people who go to basic training [in the Army] together. There's all the camaraderie. There are so many ups and downs you go through together.
``Give us a couple days to reflect on this. We'll only come away with good feelings and good memories, I guarantee it.''
Osborne, a sharpshooting 5-10 forward, is third on Tech's all-time scoring list with 1,490 points.
Root, the 6-foot-3 Metro player of the year this season, closed the book on a career in which she became the school's No.2 all-time scorer (1,512 points) behind Renee Dennis (1,712 from '83-87) and all-time leading rebounder (815).
``It's tough taking the uniform off,'' Root said. ``I've had it on for four years at Tech and many years before that. Instead it's all come to an end. All of a sudden, tomorrow you don't have to go to practice, and next year you don't have to come back for preseason.
``But, hey, we had a great four years and we were part of a recruiting class that turned the thing around. That makes you feel good.''
While Donnell, Leftwich and Carter didn't put up the numbers of their two classmates, all three will be sorely missed. Each knew her role. Each played it well.
The loss of the seniors leaves Alfano with a major rebuilding task. Tech moves from the Metro to the Atlantic 10 Conference with only 20 percent of its starting lineup back, junior point guard Terri Garland of Dublin.
``Next year is going to be pivotal in terms of what we can do without the five seniors,'' Alfano said.
``But I think we're going to be OK. You saw [6-1 freshman forward] Michelle Hollister today and she competed. Cynthia [Lee, a 6-4 junior from Martinsville] will compete. Terri Garland's back, that's your heart and soul right there at point guard.
``Plus, we've signed three kids who are very, very good, and will come in and pick up where these kids left off. I still think Lynette Nolley [freshman forward from Floyd] and Renee Maitland will be good players for us.''
Alfano said Tech's solid commitment to her program, instituted when athletic director Dave Braine took over in 1988, will keep the Hokies ``in the top 25 or its fringes.''
``Dave Braine is committed to having a Top 25 program,'' Alfano said. ``He's given us the money and commitment to get the job done.
``And we've done it. Getting to the NCAA two straight years was a major accomplishment for us. That will get us in some doors of people who understand what we're trying to do at Virginia Tech and how good we want to be.
``It also shows the program is not a flash-in-the-pan-type program, that we didn't do it one year and then fold. Hopefully, the future will be just as bright.''
by CNB