THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9412010623
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
They still haven't played well, but the Norfolk State Spartans played well enough Wednesday night, and nailed down a 77-69 win over North Carolina Central at McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium.
``We played better,'' forward Derrick Bryant said. ``We can still take it up two or three notches.''
The Spartans, picked No. 1 in Division II by Sports Illustrated, turned the dial just a bit Wednesday in beating Central for the first time in three years.
Norfolk State (2-1) shot 56 percent from the floor and displayed much more patience offensively than they did in their last outing, a 72-65 upset loss to UMass-Lowell on Nov. 20.
``That loss brought us back to reality,'' Bryant said.
Reality is that the Spartans have had trouble dealing with the high expectations thrust on them during preseason, when they were tabbed as national championship contenders by the basketball magazines.
``Expectations have affected the team,'' coach Mike Bernard said. ``We have to learn how to deal with being a front-runner.
The Spartans took a step along that path Wednesday. Behind, 51-50, with 11 minutes to go, they put together a 12-4 run, then held on down the stretch.
The run came with star forward Corey Williams on the bench with four fouls. Williams, who had a game-high 22 points, picked up his fourth with 9:47 to go and didn't return for six minutes. He left with the Spartans up by three, and returned with them up by nine.
Williams took just three shots in the first half. The 6-foot-8 senior had seven points at halftime, when Norfolk State held a 34-33 lead.
The Spartans had to fight back from an early seven-point deficit to take that lead, and they nearly relinquished it late in the half, when Central's LeVelle Moton knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.
The Eagles (3-2) had six treys in
the first half but only two in the second, as Norfolk State did a better job of harassing their 3-point shooters.
The Spartans' Williams also began asserting himself offensively, scoring eight straight early in the second half before picking up his third and fourth fouls.
With Williams sitting, the Spartans began getting to the free throw line, and hit eight straight in a 90-second stretch for a 64-57 lead with 6:38 left. Central, meanwhile, missed three free throws during the same stretch.
Point guard Maurice Whitfield was 8-of-10 from the line and had eight assists, two of them coming on nice passes to Bryant and Williams that gave Norfolk State a 72-63 lead with 1:41 left.
Bryant finished with 18 points, while center Charles Newborn had 12 rebounds. Moton led Central with 19 points.
The Spartans leave for Indianapolis tomorrow, and will play Wilberforce College Saturday.
``We're still trying to get into a flow, and we're getting there,'' Whitfield said. ``We figure if we stay patient, it's hard for anybody to beat us.'' by CNB