THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 21, 1994 TAG: 9412210634
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CLEVELAND LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
The Norfolk State squad advertised in the preseason finally showed up Tuesday night.
The Spartans, who had been mostly lackluster in getting off to a 3-2 start, came out with some fire and beat Morehouse, 84-66, in front of 345 at Echols Arena.
``Everybody seemed to be playing hard tonight,'' point guard Maurice Whitfield said. ``I guess we were tired of losing.''
Norfolk State, pegged as national championship contenders by most preseason magazines, had looked anything but through its first five games.
Tuesday, however, the Spartans (4-2) were intense from start to finish, running off to a 21-6 lead early and never allowing Morehouse (6-2) to get closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
``We were intense in practice all week,'' forward Derrick Bryant said. ``We thought that would carry over to the game, and it did.''
Bryant, a junior from Suffolk, has been the most intense Spartan all year. Tuesday was more of the same, as the 6-foot-4 Bryant scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. That pushed his scoring average to a team-high 18.7 points, on 67 percent shooting.
``He's the one that's held the team together,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. ``He plays hard all the time, on both ends.''
Tuesday, Bryant had some company. With forward Corey Williams on the bench in foul trouble, center Charles Newborn pitched in with eight points and eight rebounds in the first half. Bryant had 10 in the half, as Norfolk State pushed the ball inside more than it has all season.
``We found a weakness in the low post,'' Bernard said. ``They were playing in back of people.''
The Spartans led 37-25 at the half, and opened the second half with a 25-9 burst that gave them a 64-38 lead with 10:21 remaining. Reserve guard Marvin Stinson had nine of his season-high 13 points during the run.
Morehouse began pressing, however, and ripped off an 18-2 run of its own, cutting Norfolk State's lead to 66-56 with 4:53 left.
Bryant put an end to it, however, by scoring seven of Norfolk State's next 12 points over a three-minute stretch.
``We played on both ends,'' Bryant said. ``We executed, we rebounded. We passed the ball well. We had some trouble with the press, but that should come with time.''
Norfolk State held Morehouse to 29 percent shooting in the first half, 37 percent for the game. The Tigers were just 1 of 11 from behind the 3-point arc.
The Spartans, meanwhile, put five players in double figures. Williams had 13, all in the second half. Newborn had 12 points and 12 rebounds and guard Carnell Penn also had 12 points.
While Bernard said he saw some ``positive signs,'' he said he'd still like to see more consistency on both offense and defense.
``It was probably the most intense we've been all year,'' Bernard said. ``However, we've got a long way to go.
``Our guys haven't handled all the preseason publicity very well. I think at this point they realize they have to get out there and play every night.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Bill Tiernan
Spartans Charles Newborn, Carlton Cooper and Maurice Whitfield, left
to right, guard Morehouse forward Wallace Corker.
by CNB