ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601180101
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
Before his team's game against Roanoke on Wednesday night, Guilford men's basketball coach Jack Jensen asked the referees to make sure Roanoke's cheerleaders were moved from under the Quakers' basket for the second half. He didn't want the cheerleaders to divert his players' vision when they were shooting.
But when Jensen and the Quakers came out for the second half, he didn't say a word to the officials. Guilford was already well on the way to a 112-70 Old Dominion Athletic Conference loss before 500 at the Bast Center.
``There wasn't any use,'' Jensen said later.
Partly due to 18 first-half turnovers and to Roanoke's great field-goal shooting, the Quakers found themselves down 55-23 at halftime. Fifteen minutes were gone before the Quakers totaled more points (16) than turnovers (15).
``I haven't had one like this in 10 years,'' Jensen said.
By the time the Maroons were up 32-12 with 7:42 to play in the first half, Jensen already had made a five-player and a four-player substitution. Things were so grim that he didn't bother calling a timeout for the game's first 11 minutes, and even then it was only a 20-second pause.
The 12th turnover and fourth missed layup did it. Of his team's slow start, Jensen said, ``It wasn't slow, it was backwards.''
``They haven't played a lot of depth,'' Roanoke coach Page Moir said. ``It's easier to fast break and run their legs down if you get the ball off the rim. The defense will make the offense go.''
The Maroons' offense went crazy in this one. Roanoke shot 54 percent in each half, made 75 percent of its free throws and hit 45 percent of its 3-pointers.
The Maroons (10-3, 5-3 ODAC) sank 13 treys on the night, one shy of their single-game record. Franklin County High School alumnus Derek Bryant made five to tie a school record.
``I hope they have a donation on their threes for cancer,'' Jensen said. ``If they do, cancer's going to be the beneficiary of a lot of dollars.''
Jason Bishop scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Bryant was next with 15 points and Chris Cunningham had 14. Three players had 11 to lead Guilford (6-8, 2-7 ODAC).
``It was fun; everybody got minutes,'' said Bishop, who sat out two Roanoke losses last week with the flu. ``We wanted to show we were the same team as before.''
Jensen said he thought Roanoke and Hampden-Sydney had the best personnel in the league after the game. Just then, Jean Wheeling, who graduated with Jensen from Elkin (N.C.) High School in the 1960s, came over to give the coach a hug. Beside her was her husband, Dan Wheeling, a coach at Salem High School and a Guilford alumnus.
It was the best thing to happen to Jensen on the trip.
``I got a hug from Jean Wheeling and we gave them a win,'' Jensen said, ``So something good came of it.''
GUILFORD (6-8)
Kosiba 0-1 0-0 0, Robinson 4-8 3-4 11, Spainhour 4-5 0-0 11, Wooten 0-3 0-0 0, Norris 4-10, 3-3 11, Cress 3-5 2-3 8, Ramsey 2-6 3-6 7, Marotta 3-6 3-3 10, Jessup 1-4 0-4 2, Sackey 0-1 0-0 0, Jones 1-5 0-0 2, Reitz 2-5 2-2 6, Hoglund 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 25-64 16-25 70.
ROANOKE (10-3)
Hungate 3-7 2-2 10, Bishop 9-12 5-6 24, Sigafoes 3-9 0-0 8, Ball 2-4 4-5 8, Braun 5-6 1-3 11, Bryant 5-7 0-0 15, Fitch 3-4 0-0 7, Maher 0-4 2-2 2, Cunningham 6-8 2-3 14, Bullock 1-2 1-3 3, Martin 0-3 0-0 0, Henrich 2-5 0-0 6, Riley 0-1 4-4 4. Totals 39-72 21-28 112.
Halftime-55-23, Roanoke. Three-point goals-Guilford 4-10 (Spainhour 3-4, Wooten 0-2, Marotta 1-2, Reitz 0-1, Hoglund 0-1), Roanoke 13-29 (Hungate 2-4, Bishop 1-3, Sigafoes 2-5, Bryant 5-7, Fitch 1-2, Maher 0-1, Bullock 0-1, Martin 0-1, Henrich 2-5, Riley 0-1). Rebounds-Guilford 45 (Robinson 7), Roanoke 39 (Maher 7). Assists-Guilford 15 (Kosiba 4), Roanoke 28 (Hungate 10). Total fouls-Guilford 21, Roanoke 19. Fouled out-Kosiba. Technical foul-Marotta. A-500.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB