THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503190158
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ALBANY, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Old Dominion's three seniors plopped down behind microphones Saturday afternoon and were immediately asked if their stunning triple overtime upset of Villanova Friday was the most exciting, memorable basketball game of their lives.
David Harvey, Mike Jones and Petey Sessoms silently gazed straight ahead for a full six seconds.
``They're tired,'' coach Jeff Capel finally said.
``We're all very tired,'' Jones said. ``But come (Sunday) when it's game time, that's something we have to put out of our minds. We have to act like there's no pain, no tiredness, no fatigue there.''
Tired or not, Old Dominion will tip it off at about 2:45 p.m. today against Tulsa in an NCAA tournament second-round game at Knickerbocker Arena.
ODU (21-11) is the East Regional's 14th seed.
Tulsa (23-7), which beat Illinois, 68-62, Friday after the Monarchs' win, is No. 6.
Today's winner advances to the Sweet 16 and a regional semifinal date with either Massachusetts or Stanford Friday at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.
Old Dominion has never advanced beyond the second round, while Tulsa made the round of 16 last year.
ODU is seeking to become only the second 14 seed ever to make it to the regional semifinals. Cleveland State did it in 1986; Weber State has a shot today against Georgetown.
``We want to ride the wave as far as it will take us,'' Jones said.
Capel hopes the physically and mentally drained Monarchs can avoid a wipeout.
``It took a lot out of us. I'm very concerned,'' he said of the emotional Villanova game, which lasted 55 minutes on the game clock and almost three hours in actual time.
``We just came off the practice floor and it was very apparent there's not much left in our tank. We'll have to see if we can get a fuel truck come in and fill us back up again.''
Capel said the coaching staff was up until 4:30 a.m. Saturday preparing for Tulsa. ``It's really been hectic, but it's nice,'' he said.
Harvey said the players ate pizza in their hotel rooms late Friday night and watched ESPN to see highlights of their game and hear what Dick Vitale had to say about them. And who can sleep after Vitale's bleatings?
``I laid there with my eyes closed,'' Harvey said. ``The game was going over in my mind over and over again.''
Tulsa is on ODU's mind today. The Golden Hurricane won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season, losing to Southern Illinois in the tournament final. They are a perimeter-oriented team much like ODU, with sophomore guard Shea Seals (team-leading 18.4 points and seven rebounds per game) and senior guard Pooh Williamson (12.8 ppg) leading the way.
Tulsa only shoots 42.2 percent, but has won with defense (40.8 percent shooting and 67.6 points allowed) and rebounding (plus-3.8 rebound margin). The Golden Hurricane could present serious matchup problems for ODU with a pair of 6-foot-11 players in Ray Poindexter and Rafael Maldonado and a 6-10, J.R. Rollo. Old Dominion used a seven-man rotation against Villanova in which only one player - 6-8 Harvey - is taller than 6-7.
None of Tulsa's big men are dominant players, however. Combined, the trio averages just 17.3 points and 13.9 rebounds.
``I'm hoping we have the inside edge as far as size,'' said Tulsa coach Tubby Smith, a Virginia Commonwealth assistant from 1979 to 1986.
Players from the two teams may not know much about each other, but the coaches do. About 15 years ago they coached against each other in less auspicious circumstances in the North Carolina high school ranks. Capel was at Pinecrest in Southern Pines, Smith was at Hoke County High about 15 miles down the road in Raeford.
``That was our biggest rival,'' Capel said.
``Fate has us meeting (Sunday),'' Smith said. ``It should be fun.''
One of them is destined for the Sweet 16. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Petey Sessoms of Old Dominion scores two of his 35 points against
Villanova's Alvin Williams Friday night.
by CNB