ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 19, 1996 TAG: 9601190062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Radford University's basketball team keeps playing defense as it did against Maryland-Baltimore County on Thursday and other opponents will find out what it's like to expire as a Buzzard is circling.
Jason Buzzard, the Highlanders' non-scholarship center from Clifton Forge and Alleghany High School, was inserted for the last two minutes as per the chanted requests of the Dedmon Center audience. That was as reliable an indication as any the 66-48 victory was as comfortable as the Highlanders are likely to see this season.
Radford (8-7 overall, 2-1 Big South Conference) accomplished its objectives by making UMBC (2-13, 0-4) as uncomfortable as humanly possible.
Pressing mercilessly, the Highlanders forced 23 turnovers - 13 of those in the first half - and held the Retrievers to 33.3 percent field-goal shooting. The shooting got worse as the game went on for UMBC, which made only seven of 24 shots (29.2 percent) in the second half.
``Their press was as good in minute one as it was in minute 40,'' said Tom Sullivan, the Retrievers' first-year coach.
Jason Lansdown led Radford with 20 points and contributed to a solid night of shooting for his team (49 percent) by burying seven of 11, including four of seven from 3-point range.
``We knew they'd play a lot of zone'' defense, Lansdown said. ``Once I hit a couple of shots at the start of the second half, that pulled them out a little and opened it up inside.''
Guard Anthony Walker scored 10 to go with six rebounds and moved into 10th place on the all-time Radford scoring list with 1,017 points. His worry was Radford's 24 turnovers, 16 of those in the second half.
``We're going to have to tone that down if we're going to e successful in this conference,'' he said.
Added Walker's coach, Ron Bradley: ``We have to value the basketball more.''
Kevin Robinson hauled down eight rebounds as Radford outrebounded the Retrievers 34-27.
One thing is for sure about UMBC: Despite the best efforts of Sullivan, the Retrievers are going to have a difficult time winning more than a handful of games. UMBC plays hard, but simply is too thin in too many areas, as it has plainly demonstrated by losing 11 of its past 12.
All that was obvious in the first half, when the Retrievers coughed up 13 turnovers and misfired on 13 of 21 shots. Most of the giveaways happened in the last 10 minutes of the half as Radford expanded a 13-9 advantage to 33-20 at the half.
UMBC's 48 was the fewest points a Radford opponent has scored this season, outdoing even Division III foes Catholic and Davis & Elkins. Kevin Bellinger led UMBC with 13 and Marc Lay 11. Lay and their season's leading scorer, Tony Thompson, fouled out as UMBC was whistled for 19 fouls.
MD.-BALTIMORECOUNTY(2-13, 0-4) - Lay 4-6 2-2 11, Thompson 2-12 3-7 7, Bellinger 5-5 3-5 13, Simms 2-15 4-4 9, Merritt 2-5 1-1 5, Lucien 0-0 2-2 2, Barber 0-0 1-2 1, Poiesz 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 15-45 16-23 48.|
RADFORD(8-7, 2-1) - Lansdown 7-11 2-2 20, Robinson 3-5 2-2 8, Parker 2-3 1-2 5, Walker 4-6 1-2 10, Williamson 0-3 0-0 0, Bowens 2-3 1-1 5, Ballard 2-6 1-2 6, Reed 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 2-6 0-0 5, Williams 2-3 1-3 5, Petin 0-1 2-4 2, Buzzard 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-49 11-18 66.
Halftime-Radford, 33-20. Three-point goals-Md.-Baltimore County 2-9 (Lay 1-2, Thompson 0-2, Simms 1-5), Radford 7-14 (Lansdown 4-7, Walker 1-2, Williamson 0-1, Ballard 1-2, Johnson 1-2). Fouled out-Lay, Thompson, Williamson, Johnson. Rebounds-Md.-Baltimore County 27 (Thompson 7), Radford 34 (Robinson 8). Assists-Md.-Baltimore County 4 (Lay, Thompson, Simms, Merritt 1), Radford 9 (Williamson 3). Total fouls-Md.-Baltimore County 19, Radford 20. Technical-Md.-Baltimore County coach. A-1,100.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB