THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 11, 1994 TAG: 9412110225
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ETTRICK, VA. LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
At this point in the season, the numeral two figured to be Norfolk State's national ranking, not the number of losses the Spartans have.
But the Spartans, pegged as national championship contenders in preseason, dropped their second game in five outings Saturday night, falling to Virginia State in overtime, 89-87.
Regulation came down to free throw shooting. The Spartans missed 5 of 6 in the final 44 seconds. Maurice Whitfield missed four in a row and Derrick Bryant one of two.
``You miss free throws down the stretch, you lose,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said.
Overtime came down to a bizarre play. With the shot clock about to expire, Virginia State's Lavon Flood threw up a desperation 25-footer that had no chance. The shot clock buzzer sounded before the ball was halfway there, and the Spartans stopped, thinking it was a violation.
But Virginia State's Doug Hines didn't. He grabbed the shot and dunked the ball, giving the Trojans an 89-87 lead. ``Coach always tell us, if the shot clock goes off, keep playing until they blow the whistle,'' Hines said.
The Spartans called time with 9.3 seconds remaining and set up a play for Carnell Penn. Penn got bottled up in the corner and passed the ball to Whitfield. His running jumper was blocked by Hines with a second left, and Virginia State's fans mobbed the court.
Hines played from start to finish. The 6-foot-7 junior from Southampton scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Hines and teammate Kelvin Kinney did most of their damage inside, repeatedly scoring on post moves. Kinney and Hines at one point early in the second half scored 16 in a row for Virginia State.
``For about seven minutes they did everything we could possibly ask them to do,'' Virginia State coach Tyrone Hart said.
The incessant pounding of the ball in low got Norfolk State's big men, Corey Williams and Charles Newborn, in foul trouble. Williams fouled out with 2:18 left in regulation, and Newborn followed him 22 seconds later.
The Spartans were left with reserve center Matthew Thompson and the 6-4 Bryant inside. Bryant more than held his own, scoring 24 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
Norfolk State got little from Williams, however. The 6-8 senior, a consensus preseason All-American, had perhaps his worst game as a Spartan, going 4 of 18 from the floor and finishing with 12 points.
``We didn't execute,'' Bernard said. ``We aren't able to execute in game situations like we do in practice.
``It's a lack of mental toughness.''
Norfolk State had a seven-point lead at halftime, but Virginia State, spurred on by a raucous, capacity crowed of 3,454, kept hanging around. The Trojans opened up a five-point lead of their own in the second half, only to see Norfolk State pull ahead late. by CNB