Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 4, 1990 TAG: 9003042094
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: ASHEVILLE, N.C. LENGTH: Long
Fast pace. Up and down the court. A total of 193 points. The Keydets had little chance of coming away with a basketball victory.
But VMI came close, falling 99-94 to top-seeded ETSU on Saturday in the semifinal round of the Southern Conference Tournament at the Asheville Civic Center.
"That's not what I wanted," said Joe Cantafio, the Keydets' coach. "I wanted 74-70, but they [the Buccaneers] won't let you have it that way.
"East Tennessee is the No. 28 team in the nation, and that's because they are a great team. We played them tough. That's no consolation, but the kids have a lot to be proud of."
Fourth-seeded VMI (14-15) never let the Buccaneers (26-6) relax, fighting back each time ETSU appeared ready to deliver the knockout punch.
Keydets starters Damon Williams, Percy Covington and Mark Craft fouled out. But the Buccaneers weren't able to breath easily until the final 10 seconds, after two ETSU defenders smothered Ramon Williams to prevent him from launching a 3-point attempt that could have tied the score at 97.
Marty Story stripped the ball from Ramon Williams. VMI's senior guard dived onto the floor to recover the ball, but the officials ruled he stepped on the baseline and possession went to the Bucs.
"What happens if I hadn't fouled out?" said Damon Williams, who scored a game-high 30 points. "I think we'd have won. We would have had more scorers on the court. As it was, they just double-teamed Ramon, and he couldn't shoot."
Calvin Talford finally ended the drama by making two free throws with seven seconds left.
"When was I sure that we had won the game?" said ETSU coach Les Robinson. "When we were shaking hands after the final whistle.
"We played as well as we could play but couldn't put them away. VMI was possessed today, but our young men just weren't going give in."
Bucs center Greg Dennis, the tallest player on the court at 6-foot-11, gave his team working room by scoring 17 of his 20 points in the second half. Then, ETSU's Keith "Mister" Jennings, the shortest player at 5-7, preserved the victory by sinking 10 of 10 free throws as VMI rallied in the closing minutes.
The Bucs looked as if they had finished the Keydets when they took an 88-79 lead with 2:13 remaining. But Damon Williams wasn't ready to see his college career end.
He scored eight points on three possessions, and though Jennings made four free throws during that span, the tone for the final minutes was set.
"They were getting three points to our two," said Jennings, a native of Culpeper who led ETSU with 28 points. "The law of averages said they were going to catch up eventually."
The Keydets nearly did.
With 1:08 remaining and the Bucs up 93-90, Dennis missed the front end of a one-and-one.
VMI pushed the ball upcourt and Kenny Johnson swooped in for a transition layup and was fouled by former Castlewood High standout Calvin Talford.
Johnson missed the free throw that would have tied the score. It was VMI's only miss from the free-throw line in the game.
A few seconds later, Johnson was on the verge of being the hero again.
The sophomore guard, who was in the game to play defense and commit fouls, stole the ball from Alvin West at midcourt and went in for a breakaway layup.
West stayed in pursuit of Johnson and bothered him enough to make him miss.
The sequence became twice as deadly for the Keydets when Jennings rebounded, and Damon Williams committed his fifth foul.
Craft, who finished with 10 points, had checked out a minute earlier.
Jennings, an 85-percent free-throw shooter, completed the one-and-one that made the score 97-94.
"We had a chance to take the lead, but missed the layup," Cantafio said. "Kenny had a bad angle. ETSU does the things it has to down the stretch to win."
Ramon Williams cut the margin to one with 22 seconds left, but Covington, who scored a career-high 23 points and had 11 assists, was disqualified when he fouled Jennings to stop the clock.
Once again Jennings converted. He finished 12-for-12 from the line.
"Jennings is the guy you want on the line late," Robinson said. "We kept the ball in his hands."
VMI MP FG FT R A F PT
D. Williams 399-168-842530Mings 233-60-04126Craft 295-100-091510Covington 369-133-3511523R. Williams 386-124-473217Chadwick 10-00-00010Johnson 71-20-11022Preston 202-60-06134Fittz 71-30-01012
Totals 200 36-68 15-16 38 19 26 94
EAST TENN. ST. MP FG FT R A F PT
Talford 365-85-723317Story 193-4 0-04246Dennis 348-154-660320Geer 261-43-40106Jennings 356-812-1248228West 236-122-261116Woods 90-00-00120Keller 182-52-22116
Totals 200 31-56 28-33 25 17 16 99
Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: VMI 43-51-94 East Tennessee State 42-57-99
Three-point goals - VMI: D. Williams 4-6, Covington 2-4, R. Williams 1-5, Totals 7-15. East Tennessee State: Talford 2-4, Dennis 0-1, Geer 1-2, Jennings 4-5, West 2-4, Totals 9-16.
Turnovers - VMI 14 (Covington, R. Williams 4); East Tennessee State 10 (Geer 3). Blocked shots - VMI 2 (Preston 2); East Tennessee State 2 (Story, Dennis). Steals - VMI 8 (Covington 2); East Tennessee State 7 (Jennings 3).
Technical fouls - None. Officials - Valentine, Wood, Vargo. Attendance - NA.
by CNB