ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 10, 1995 TAG: 9512110105
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: WOMEN
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
MEMO: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.
Sherri Sam scored 16 points, and fourth-ranked Vanderbilt used its size and zone defense to beat fifth-ranked Virginia 72-65 on Saturday in a battle of Top 10 programs in Nashville, Tenn.
The Cavaliers led 38-32 at halftime and was ahead most of the second half until Virginia native Angela Gorsica's basket with 7:16 left gave Vanderbilt a 52-50 edge.
Jeffra Gausepohl tied the score one last time for UVa (4-2) before the Commodores (4-0) took control with a 14-7 run that made it 66-59 lead on Nettie Respondek's three-point play with 1:17 to go.
Vanderbilt outshot the Cavaliers 48 percent (24-of-50) to 32 percent (21-of-65) and outrebounded Virginia 45-36. In the previous three games between the teams, the widest margin of victory was four points.
Na'Sheema Hillmon added 14 points for Vanderbilt, Beth Ostendorf had 11 and Ginger Jared 10.
Tora Suber led UVa with 19 points. Gausepohl finished with 12 and Monick Foote and Wendy Palmer, who missed most of the second half with an injured knee, each had 11.
Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said Palmer hurt her knee in practice Friday and was in pain after the first half. Palmer tried to play a few seconds in the second half before Ryan pulled her, and the senior center went back in for a few minutes only to ask to be taken out again.
``I asked her if she wanted to play toward the end of the game, and she couldn't,'' Ryan said.
In another game:
Virginia Commonwealth 57, Virginia Tech 54: The Hokies remained winless through four games as Maria Albertsson scored 16 points to lead the Rams (4-1) to a victory in Blacksburg.
Tech led 27-20 at halftime, but VCU took control in the second half.
Lynette Nolley (Floyd County High School) led the Hokies with 17 points, but she made only five of 14 field-goal attempts. Tech hit only 20 of 57 (35 percent).
Sherry Banks (William Byrd) added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Hokies.
VCU made 20 of 42 field-goal attempts, although Tech outrebounded the Rams 39-30.
In another game, Michelle Wyms (Radford High School) scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Liberty dropped a 68-52 decision to Bethune-Cookman in the consolation game of the Hatter Classic in DeLand, Fla. Liberty is 2-4; Bethune-Cookman 3-1.
Friday's games
East Tennessee State 84, Radford 69: Freshman Rachel Glass scored 32 points to lead the Buccaneers past the Highlanders in a non-conference women's game in Johnson City, Tenn.
Glass hit 10 of 13 shots from the floor and made 11 of 12 free throws. Amy Engle added 17 points and Trenille McClellan had 12 for the Buccaneers (3-3).
Radford (2-5) was led by Dede Logemann, who scored a game-high 34 points on 17-of-19 shooting.
Emory and Henry 63, Hollins 52: Sallie Lefler scored 18 points to lead the Wasps past Hollins in an ODAC game at Hollins.
Angie Simpkins added 12 for Emory and Henry.
Hollins (0-8) was led by Sara Tweedy, who scored a game-high 19 points. Amy Worley added 16.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Virginia's Tora Suber (45) looks to reverse the ballby CNBas Vanderbilt's Na'Sheema Hillmon applies defensive pressure
Saturday afternoon in a Top 10 matchup in Nashville, Tenn.