ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 10, 1997 TAG: 9701100089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
The Radford University men's basketball team missed its best player, Anthony Walker, no question about that.
The Highlanders also missed a lot of shots, rebounds and opportunities.
All those factors combined for a 63-56 loss to guest North Carolina-Asheville on Thursday night as the Big South Conference campaign opened for the Highlanders.
Radford can hope for better days when Walker, a star guard, returns from his father's funeral in Columbus, Ohio. Plans are for Walker to join the team Saturday in Baltimore prior to its game with Maryland-Baltimore County.
To their credit, Radford's players didn't invoke Walker's absence for alibi purposes.
``If he'd been here, we would have been more in sync,'' Radford guard Marquiz Williamson said. ``But that's no excuse. We're basketball players. We got to play. If we only have five players, we have to play.''
At certain stages, the Highlanders weren't playing with as much enthusiasm as their coach, Ron Bradley, would have liked.
``They didn't play hard in the first half,'' he said. ``They outrebounded us, got to the loose balls. Without Anthony, we had to turn it up a notch. We didn't. Then, in the second half, we have an eight-point lead, we miss some free throws, a couple of calls go against us, and we go into a shell again.''
Radford (6-7 overall, 0-1 in the Big South) squandered a six-point lead in the first half and an eight-point lead in the second. As good a reason as any was its inability to maintain a consistent attack.
``We just couldn't get anything going offensively,'' Williamson said.
No arguing that. The Highlanders made exactly 10 of 28 shots in each half. That figures to a chilly shooting percentage of 35.7.
The first half was a furious defensive clash that made up in up-and-down action what it lacked in artistic merit. Neither team shot the ball worth a fig, UNCA misfiring at a 33.3 percent pace for the half and 41.7 percent for the game.
``They gave us fits all night,'' first year Bulldogs coach Eddie Biedenbach said. ``I have to give our guys credit for getting through it.''
UNCA (7-6, 2-0) has won five straight games, knocking off New Mexico State and Marshall in the process.
Against Radford, the UNCA luminaries were forward Kevin Martin with 21 points (on 7-for-10 field goal shooting), Josh Pittman with 15 points and center Dirk Lommerse, who had six points and 15 rebounds.
The Highlanders, who were outrebounded 40-34, have beaten an opponent on the boards only once this season.
``We gave up too many damned rebounds again,'' Radford forward Kevin Robinson said. ``I don't know what the problem is. We can't seem to hold on to the ones we get our hands on.''
UNCA made twice as many free throws as Radford (22 to 11) and attempted more than twice as many (37 to 18).
``Without Anthony, we made a commitment to go inside and they still shot more free throws than we did,'' Bradley said.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB