Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 19, 1990 TAG: 9003192557
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Long
With comeback hopes fueled by a technical foul on St. John's forward Billy Singleton, the Blue Devils turned from brickish to Brickey to advance to the East Regional semifinals Thursday night.
Duke upended the Redmen 76-72, the difference on the scoreboard provided by Robert Brickey's field goal and two free throws in the final 34 seconds.
Brickey also was the major reason the once-frustrated Blue Devils (26-8) were in striking distance in the second-round game.
St. John's had the slower tempo it wanted, and Duke was trying - unsuccessfully - to force the issue by taking quicker shots early in the second half.
"The last 12-14 minutes is as hard as we played all year," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose ACC team will play UCLA in the Sweet 16. "For about five minutes of that stretch, we played better and harder than we had all day.
"But we missed dunks and free throws and everything, and they were increasing their lead. It was so incredibly frustrating."
St. John's (24-10) finally got point guard Boo Harvey away from the hounding defense of Duke freshman Bobby Hurley and climbed on top by nine points, the latest at 53-44 with 13:20 left.
The Redmen gained control despite major foul problems for their big men - Robert Werdann and backup Sean Muto. Duke aided the Big East team by going through a 3:15 stretch in which it made just four of 11 free throws.
St. John's led 61-53, with 8:49 left, when the frustration changed sides. While shooting, Brickey was fouled by reserve Chuck Sproling, who had become part of a three-guard offense the foul-plagued Redmen were using.
Singleton then said something to official Ron Zetcher about the Sproling whistle and was given a technical foul.
What did he say?
"I think he'll have to go to confession for that one," said Lou Carnesecca, the St. John's coach.
Brickey made the free throw and bonus for the foul, then stayed at the line and made the two technical shots. On the ensuing possession, Alaa Abdelnaby scored on a layup, and, suddenly, the Redmen's lead was down to 61-59.
Brickey entered the game shooting 70.7 percent from the free-throw line, the worst average among the Blue Devils' regulars. Of course, Krzyzewski knew that.
"I was going to let Robert shoot his two [for the Sproling personal], then let Hurley take the technicals," Krzyzewski said. "But when Robert hit the first two and he had such a good stroke, I told Bobby to let Robert stay up there."
How do you figure? To that juncture, Brickey was 2-of-6 at the line for a team that entered the game hitting 76.4 percent on free throws.
"I wasn't nervous at all," Brickey said. "I may not be the best free-throw shooter, but I do seem to make a lot of them at clutch times. I was really confident I'd hit them then."
Anyway, just about the time Duke started to like its chances of advancing to the Meadowlands, St. John's, behind the slender stealthiness of forward Malik Sealy, rebuilt its lead to 68-61 with 6:36 left.
"Give St. John's credit," Krzyzewski said. "When it was 61-59, it looked like they were dead. The next thing you know, they're up by seven again.
"It's a game we won, not a game St. John's lost."
But the Redmen certainly contributed to their own demise. Sealy's bucket from down low with 6:36 left was the last field goal for Carnesecca's team.
Hurley's right-wing 3-pointer started Duke back again, and the Devils tied it at 70 - the first tie in 14 minutes - with 3:39 to go on Phil Henderson's baseline jumper.
Henderson, who got his fourth foul with 18:28 to play, scored from the right of the lane to put Duke in front, but Harvey's two free throws with 1:06 left tied it again.
Abdelnaby tried to spin away from Sealy to the right of the lane on the next possession, but Sealy partially blocked the shot. Brickey was alone for the left-side rebound and scored with 34 seconds to go for a 74-72 edge.
"Nobody rotated over there for weakside rebounding," said Brickey of the last of his team-high nine rebounds. "I was down on the low post just waiting, and it came to me."
St. John's certainly wasn't going to shock anybody with its choice for a final shot to tie or win.
Boo!
Harvey had won or tied four other Redmen games in the final seconds. This time, with 17 seconds left, his jump shot from the left side of the arc was long, leaving him at 4-of-18 for the afternoon, and Hurley rebounded. Brickey - the percentage choice - was fouled with nine seconds to play.
The senior forward made both free throws, finishing a 22-point day.
ST. JOHN'S MPFGFTRAFPT Sealy408-133-433319Singleton383-52-24138Werdann214-60-04248Harvey394-186-82931 7Buchanan345-120-007010Muto163-60-110056Sproling112-30-01034Cain10-00-00000Tot als20029-6311-1529222172\ DUKE MPFGFTRAFPT Brickey347-138-1292222Laettner270-76-97036Abdelanby266-85-671117Henderson295-8 2-242413Hurley403-72-337410Hill122-20-00114Davis172-30-01014McCaffrey100-20-01 010Koubek50-00-01000Totals20025-5023-3239131776St. John's 3240-72 Duke 3640-76
Three-point goals-St. John's 3-8 (Harvey 3-6, Buchanan 0-2), Duke 3-5 (Henderson 1-3, Hirley 2-2).
Turnovers-St. John's 13, Duke 20. Technical fouls-Singleton. Officials-Tanco, Zetcher, Range.
A-11,630.
by CNB