THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 6, 1995 TAG: 9503060125
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
For reasons both psychological and emotional, conference tournaments take a toll on the top seeds whose primary avenue to the NCAAs is three victories in three days.
Ask Xavier and Coppin State. The class of their leagues during the regular season, they stumbled over the weekend in their intramural tournaments.
That Old Dominion narrowly avoided a similiar fate Sunday only goes to show again how nerve-racking these winner-take-all playoffs can be on the top seeds.
``We're a tired team,'' said ODU coach Jeff Capel. ``I think we're a little more tired than I want to admit.''
Someone wondered if the team was leg weary? Or, added the questioner, was it a case of mental fatigue?
``Both,'' said Capel. ``We've had two tough games. I don't know if we have anything left.''
Three games in three days is tough on the legs. As for the mental aspect of the equation, that's at least partly a result of expectations, both internal and external.
Old Dominion was clearly the best team in the Colonial Athletic Association this season, a fact that will count for little with the players and public if the Monarchs don't beat James Madison tonight.
``I'm going to approach it for what it is,'' ODU senior Petey Sessoms said, ``the biggest game of the year for us.''
The Monarchs went to Charlottesville and Hawaii this season; they played in New Orleans and Seattle.
They traveled to Arizona, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
Before the season, they took a summer junket to France.
They've played 30 games, overcoming the loss of their center, Odell Hodge, to win 19.
While ODU piled up the frequent flier mileage, it knew all along that the serious business of winning would have to take place a bus-ride away, in Richmond this first week of March.
They should have known it wouldn't be easy.
Led by a German, center Christian Ast, American University came into this tournament hoping to exhume a season that began with 11 consecutive losses.
``I think this team showed what kind of character it has,'' said American coach Chris Knoche. ``Character is when you don't have a friend in the world, but you keep working, trying to get better.''
One only wonders how CAA officials would have enjoyed a tournament title game featuring a team with tons of character ... and 10 victories.
It almost got one. With Ast scoring 24 points, the Eagles were in a good position to stun ODU in regulation.
Sessoms saw to it that it didn't happen. He hit two big baskets to lift ODU to the sanctuary of overtime.
Then, in the frantic, final five minutes, he scored eight more points, including six in a row, as ODU pulled away for a 77-67 victory.
``He's player of the year,'' said ODU point guard Brion Dunlap. ``He knew what to do in crunch time.''
Sessoms scored 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds, but American's tenacity forced him to play all 45 minutes.
``I didn't think I played great,'' said Sessoms, ``but I don't worry about that as long as I play hard and aggressive.''
So much for Sunday's biggest game of the year for ODU.
In tonight's most important game of the season, we'll find out how much the Monarchs have left.
It's crunch time once again. by CNB