ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 7, 1997 TAG: 9703070054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA
SOURCE: RANDY KING THE ROANOKE TIMES
Bill Foster's final game as Tech coach is a tough loss to heavily favored Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
The book has been closed on the Virginia Tech men's basketball season.
Thursday's final chapter read like many of the previous episodes.
In a game that was a microcosm of their season, the Hokies took heavily favored Rhode Island to the wire, only to lose 67-63 in a quarterfinal of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament at the CoreStates Spectrum.
``This one is just so typical of the entire year,'' said Hokies senior Troy Manns. ``So close, yet so far away.''
Manns, the point guard from Roanoke, had a chance to be the hero, a shot to keep Tech's season alive. But his running six-foot jumper with five seconds left, which would have tied the score at 65, bounced long off the rim.
``That's generally my best shot a little floater off the backboard,'' said Manns, who led Tech with 18 points and keyed a late rally that gave the Hokies a chance. ``When it left my hand, I thought it was going in, I thought we were going to overtime. But it came out.''
After Manns' misfire, the Hokies were forced to foul. Two free throws by Rhode Island's Ibn-Hashim Bakari - his only points of the game - with 4.2 seconds left supplied the final margin.
The loss left Tech with a 15-16 record, its first losing campaign in four years. Meanwhile, Rhode Island (19-8) advances to tonight's semifinal round, where it faces Temple.
Tech, which caught a flight back to Blacksburg on Thursday night, could have hung around another day with some luck. The Rams, a likely NCAA Tournament participant, were ripe to be had.
``We had our chances,'' said Bill Foster, who coached his final game at Tech.
``You really can't ask for more than having the ball, down by two, in the final minute of a game where you were the underdog.
``But think back Colorado, Georgia, Temple, Virginia, Xavier this group we've been in position to beat a lot of what I call top-30 clubs.''
But the Hokies couldn't get it done. And now they're done.
``Not only will I never put on this uniform again, I probably just played the last basketball game of my life,'' said Manns, one of five Tech seniors.
Jim Jackson, another senior, said: ``You know this day is coming, but you don't know what it's going to feel like. Don't feel too good. I know it's over. It's tough to swallow. It's something I have to accept and go on.''
Foster, who gave his team an emotional farewell talk in the locker room following the game, said he was proud of his players.
``A lot of clubs in our position would have thrown in the towel,'' said Foster, who compiled a 101-78 record in six seasons at Tech. ``This team beat us by 21 [73-52 on Jan.18] in Blacksburg. We weren't supposed to win, but you couldn't tell our guys that. We thought we could win.''
For a long time, Tech looked good. Taking advantage of poor Rhode Island shooting - the Rams missed 20 of their first 28 shots from the floor - the Hokies led 36-26 after an Ace Custis basket with 18:36 left.
Then the Hokies got careless. Rhode Island, fueled by a slew of Tech turnovers, suddenly got its running game cranked up. The Rams went on a 17-4 run in the next nine minutes to lead 43-40.
With 5:26 left, the Rams had pushed the lead to 57-49 and appeared to be home free.
But the Hokies had one more run left. After Keefe Matthews made the first of two free throws to cut Rhode Island's lead to four, at 63-59 with 1:50 left, Custis got a hand on an inbounds pass and knocked the ball off a Rams player to give Tech possession.
Manns penetrated the lane and hit a short jumper with 1:41 showing on the clock to cut Tech's deficit to two.
After Antonio Reynolds-Dean hit a free throw to make it 64-61, Manns drove and scored again with 28.5 on the clock. Reynolds-Dean made the second of two free throws with 16.6 left to make it 65-63 and set up the finish.
Would Manns be the man?
``Coach [Foster] said, `Let the clock go down, let everybody go to the baseline and go one-on-one,''' Manns said. ``They forced me left, but, like I said, the shot wouldn't go. I'd like to apologize to the team and everybody. As a senior, I'm supposed to make plays like that.''
All-conference guard Tyson Wheeler, despite a dismal shooting day (6-for-18, 2-for-10 from 3-point range), led the Rams with 19 points. Seven-foot center Michael Anderson, who had 21 points in Rhode Island's rout in Blacksburg, had 15.
``Physically, the things we wanted to do we did a pretty good job at. The thing that killed us was up here,'' Foster said, pointing to his head. ``We made a ton of mental mistakes. It's hard to make 19 turnovers with the score in the 60s and come out with a `W.'''
Foster, though, couldn't complain too much. His players left it all on the floor.
``That's all you can ask,'' the coach said. ``I'd just liked to have had a little better ending for these guys.''
And himself?
``It doesn't bother me near as much,'' he said. ``I've gotten my rear end kicked a bunch of times.''
It won't be kicked again. Maybe on the golf course, but not on a basketball court.
``I'm heading for the hills,'' said Foster, who will work until April 1. ``Been nice working with you guys.''
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Long : 109 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. ASSOCIATED PRESS Tech's Keefe Matthews (right) canby CNBonly foul as he tries to stop Rhode Island's Michael Anderson
during an Atlantic 10 quarterfinal. color
2. ASSOCIATED PRESS ``We had our chances,'' said Bill Foster, who
coached his final game for Virginia Tech. ``You really can't ask
for more than having the ball, down by two, in the final minute of
a game where you were the underdog.''