THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 19, 1995 TAG: 9512190411
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LUBBOCK, TEXAS LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Texas Tech was without two key players, but still had too much for Old Dominion Monday night.
The Monarchs lost their fourth consecutive game, an 89-84 decision to undefeated Texas Tech at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum. The 2-6 start is ODU's worst since it joined Division I in 1976-77. The last time the Monarchs began a season 2-6 was 1971-72.
``We just need a win,'' said ODU junior guard E.J. Sherod.
Sherod led the Monarchs with a career-high 19 points on 7 of 8 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. He also did not commit a turnover while playing mostly at point guard for 30 minutes.
But Texas Tech wasn't likely to be the place to get a win. The Red Raiders (6-0) have won 21 straight at home and are picked to win the Southwest Conference. They had beaten their first five opponents by an average of 26 points. Their closest game had been a nine-point win.
Old Dominion got a break when two Texas Tech players were slapped with one-game suspensions by coach James Dickey for missing curfew - senior forward Jason Sasser, a two-time all-Southwest Conference player and the league's preseason player of the year, and backup center/forward Gionet Cooper. Sasser averages 17.4 points and seven rebounds, while Cooper averages 5.6 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds.
``I think it made us play more team ball,'' the Red Raiders' Darvin Ham said. ``We weren't looking for (Sasser) to pull us out when we needed a basket. Everyone contributed.''
All five starters for both teams scored in double figures. ODU shot season highs of 55.6 percent from the floor and 50 percent from 3-point range, but hit just 65 percent from the line - 6 of 11 in the second half - and were outrebounded 38-32.
``You're not going to win a lot of those close games shooting like that from the free-throw line,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said.
Even without the suspended players, early on Texas Tech appeared poised to add the Monarchs to its list of blowout victims.
Tech shot ODU out of its zone early and used an 18-2 run to take a 23-8 lead just 9 1/2 minutes into the game.
``They came out and tried to knock us out early,'' said Odell Hodge, who scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. ``We were playing catchup the rest of the way. Texas Tech is a great basketball team. That's the best team we've played all year.''
The Monarchs still trailed by 15 with eight minutes left in the half, but then turned things around with the help of the Red Raiders' bench.
Stan Bonewitz was called for a push on ODU's Mario Mullen, and Tech's coaching staff - which had vociferously opposed several earlier calls by the Colonial Athletic Association crew - erupted in disgust. That drew a technical, and Mullen made all four foul shots.
The Monarchs suddenly seemed rejuvenated. They ripped off an 18-5 run, closing it with an 11-0 spurt that pulled them within two on Mike Byers' spinning jumper with 3:04 left in the half.
ODU made much of its comeback at the line, getting nine of its 11 first-half points off foul shots during a five-minute stretch when it battled back into the game.
Byers' 3-pointer to start the second half put ODU ahead 41-40. The Monarchs led 46-43 moments later on a Mario Mullen three-point play.
But the Red Raiders' superior athleticism took over, and they built the lead back up to 12.
Sherod hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final two minutes to cut the gap to 80-74 with 1:31 to play. Hodge's basket with 1:03 left made it a five-point game. But Texas Tech closed it out at the line and was back up by 10 with 33 seconds left before a late Monarch flurry.
``We came in here and weren't afraid and didn't quit,'' Capel said. ``This will pay off for us down the road. The kids are having a hard time believing that because we have a young team. This team is one win away from being where we want to be.''
ODU travels to Wyoming today and plays the Cowboys Wednesday before breaking for Christmas. by CNB