ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 20, 1996 TAG: 9602200073
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
MEMO: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.
Erroll McPherson, a New Yorker who plays basketball for Charleston Southern University, has an odd way of stationing himself for a free throw. Instead of standing on the line, he sets up almost a foot beyond it.
Well, he must know something most free-throw shooting gurus don't. With a Big South Conference game against Radford at issue Monday, the Buccaneers point guard made the crucial free throws that helped his team avert a terrible collapse and beat the Highlanders 87-85 in overtime.
McPherson made three in a row in the final minute and four of his last five as the Bucs (14-11 overall, 9-4 Big South) recovered after blowing a 17-point lead.
McPherson's two free throws with 14 seconds left gave Charleston Southern a four-point lead, all the cushion it needed. Marquiz Williamson of Radford drilled a 3-pointer with three seconds left to make the score 86-85. A second later, McPherson was fouled and he responded by making the first of two. Williamson grabbed the rebound with less than two seconds left, but there was time for nothing more than a three-quarter-court heave that wasn't close.
McPherson, the smallest of the Bucs, finished with 18 points and led an attack that withstood near-constant Radford pressure while giving up only 13 turnovers. He also made five of seven free throws.
``When I was a sophomore, I used to miss a lot of free throws,'' said McPherson, who was making 78.2 percent of his shots this season before Monday's game. ``When I'm up close to the line, I have to aim the ball too much to get the perfect arc. When I stand back some, I just flow into it and use my arm strength, just like my jump shot.''
Radford (13-12, 7-6) saw its three-game conference winning streak snapped and is close to nailing down the fifth seed for the conference tournament next week at Liberty University. An awful first half was the Highlanders' doom.
``Charleston Southern must have scored on 20 straight possessions,'' said Ron Bradley, the Highlanders' coach. `` ... No defense and panic offense was the name of the first half.''
Jason Lansdown scored 18 points to lead the Highlanders.
Radford made its charge back into the game in the last seven minutes of regulation. Guard Anthony Walker and forward Kevin Robinson combined for 18 points as the Highlanders put together a 20-9 run.
Walker scored 12 of his 16 in the last 6:10, 10 coming in the last 2:08. Twice he hit 3-pointers, then he added to that by twice tying the score by making a pair of free throws. The last two foul shots with 15 seconds left tied the score for the last time in regulation with 15 seconds left.
After Brett Larrick missed a shot for the victory for Charleston Southern, Walker took a pass from Robinson and had just enough time to get off an errant shot before the horn sounded.
``I wish he'd had two more seconds,'' Bradley said.
Charleston Southern won the overtime 11-9.
``Another barn-burner,'' said Bucs coach Gary Edwards, whose team blew a 21-point lead here in 1994 and lost 83-78.
Led by 6-foot-7 left-hander T.L. Latson, who was too quick for Radford's big men and too big for the Highlanders little guys, the Bucs made 19 of their first 30 shots (63.3 percent).
``That's kind of unusual for us,'' Edwards said.
Latson's piece of that action was six makes in eight tries for 12 points. He would go on to finish with 21 points and eight rebounds while playing 44 of 45 minutes.
Radford's answer to that iron man performance was 45 minutes each from Walker and fellow guard Jason Lansdown, who was playing his last home game. Lansdown hit four of nine 3-point attempts and scored 18 points. Robinson added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 74 linesby CNB