THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701090571
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 58 lines
Seems with every game, a new face comes up big for the Norfolk State Spartans.
New in more than one way.
Freshman Michael Beckles, making just his third start, scored 10 big points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds as the Spartans won their CIAA opener Wednesday night, beating Fayetteville State 69-56 at Echols Arena.
Beckles, an undersized center at 6-foot-6, made 3 of 4 field goal attempts and all four free throws as the Spartans improved to 6-3 overall.
``Beckles played well tonight,'' NSU head coach Mike Bernard said. ``We've asked him to concentrate on his game from 10 feet in and he's doing a good job of it.''
While Beckles clicked offensively, the Spartans otherwise sputtered, turning the ball over 22 times. And for only the second time in nine games, they were outrebounded 31-28.
``We didn't execute well offensively,'' Bernard said. ``Defense won that game for us tonight. We were able to hold them to 19 first-half points (NSU led 31-19 at the break). We played well enough to win and that's about it.''
Fayetteville State (4-8, 1-5 CIAA) was held to 39.1 percent accuracy from the field and the trey-happy Broncos, who have now attempted 200 3-pointers in 12 games, made just 3 of 14 from behind the bonus stripe.
``We were determined to take away the 3-pointer and I think we did a pretty good job of it,'' said point guard Maurice Whitfield, who finished with a game-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds.
With vastly improved St. Paul's coming to Echols Saturday night, however, the Spartans realize the same type of performance may not net the same result.
``We'll get it together,'' Whitfield said. ``We've got to do something.''
Rodney Carmichael, the team's leading scorer at 18.4 points per game coming in, was held to nine points as the Spartans found it difficult to get the ball to him in his usual hot spots. But while Fayetteville State's perimeter defenders were concentrating on doubling down on Carmichael in the low post, that opened Beckles at the high post and all three of his field goals came on mid-range jumpers.
After leading by as much as 17 points in the first half, the Spartans saw their lead dwindle to 50-46 with 6:58 remaining on a pair of William Tatum foul shots.
But Carmichael sank a turnaround jumper and Beckles followed with a 12-foot jumper to bump the lead to 54-46. Fayetteville State never got closer than seven after that.
Maurice Howell finished with 13 points and Tajai Young had 11.
Phillip Allen and Larry Bratcher had 10 each for the Broncos.
``It's back to the drawing board,'' Bernard said. ``This team has to get a better understanding of time and score and learn when there are situations where easy buckets can be made. Then it has to take advantage of those situations.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot
NSU's Maurice Whitfield, who had a game-high 18 points plus six
rebounds, beats Fayetteville's Darrin Johnson to loose ball.