THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 28, 1995 TAG: 9502280374
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Randolph Childress was playing the third game of his career at Wake Forest when he tossed up back-to-back air balls during a close contest against Alabama.
Noticing that coach Dave Odom was on his feet and looking down his bench, Childress ran over and said, ``Don't take me out now, coach. I'm getting hot.''
Odom returned to his seat and watched his freshman guard finish with 22 points in a 67-65 victory.
Except for foul problems or to provide few seconds of rest, Odom no longer thinks about substituting for Childress, who will lead Wake Forest (19-5, 10-4) into Chapel Hill tonight, where it plays No. 2 North Carolina (21-3, 11-3) in a game that will help decide who wins the regular season ACC title.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard from Clinton, Md., has been the keystone of the Demon Deacons' success the last three years following knee surgery that sidelined him in 1991-92.
He has developed the reputation as one of the best clutch performers in ACC history, and Odom demands that the ball be in Childress' hands in the final minutes of a close game.
Childress scored 18 of Wake Forest's final 20 points, including a pair of free throws with five seconds left, in a 71-70 victory over Virginia on Jan. 25.
Two weeks ago he sank a 12-foot jump shot for a 62-61 victory over Duke.
Other career highlights:
On Jan. 12, 1991, in his freshman season, Childress hit a 12-foot jump shot with three seconds remaining to send a game against Clemson into overtime. It was his first goal of the game, but he added a 3-pointer and two free throws in overtime as the Deacons won, 93-88, for the first time at Clemson in seven years.
On Jan. 30, 1993, Childress scored 18 points in three minutes and 50 seconds to send the Deacons to an 88-62 victory over North Carolina.
On Jan. 8, 1994, Childress scored 26 of Wake Forest's 56 points in the second half of a 90-66 victory over Florida State. He scored 15 straight points in four minutes to put the game away.
On Jan. 13, 1994, Childress hit a 3-point jumper over Grant Hill's outstretched hands with 11 seconds left for a 69-68 victory over Duke.
Childress, who began playing the game in seventh grade, says he always has wanted the ball when the game was on the line.
``I just have confidence I can make the shot in that kind of situation,'' Childress says.
``As you coach and try to teach him, you realize that he is teaching you as much as you are teaching him,'' Odom says.
Childress refuses to say which of his performances was his biggest thrill.
``We still want to win the ACC and do well in the playoffs,'' he explained, ``so I hope I haven't had my biggest thrill yet.'' by CNB