Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 27, 1990 TAG: 9003270189
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SPRINGFIELD, MASS. LENGTH: Medium
And led by starter Corey Crowder, with 26 points, and sub LeRoy Ellis Jr. with 16, the Panthers rolled over Bakersfield State, 93-79, Monday to win an unprecedented sixth NCAA Division II basketball championship.
"Four decades - it feels awfully good," said Chapman. Kentucky Wesleyan also won in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973 and 1987. The victory was Chapman's second national title and especially sweet following the disappointment last year when the Panthers, with high expectations, were run out of the quarterfinals by Jacksonville State, 107-70.
"We coaches put too much pressure on the kids last year. We didn't have any fun," Chapman said. "This year we decided to stop and enjoy and treat each game as an adventure and we had fun all year."
Part of his scheme was to get the entire team involved, often subbing five players at a time and everybody got at least 10 minutes playing time.
"It's always a special group that wins a national championship and this has been a very special group," he said. "This is the most unselfish team I've ever seen.
"We've got players, such as LeRoy [Ellis Jr.] coming off the bench that would be starting on most teams. And an All-America in Corey Crowder, who has been willing to play only 25 minutes a game," Chapman said.
Ellis, the son of former NBA star LeRoy Ellis and the brother of Syracuse center LeRon Ellis, entered the game with five minutes gone and Bakersfield leading, 13-7, to put in 11 quick points and send the Panthers ahead 24-19.
Guard Wade Green, who scored 22 of his 31 points in the first half and was named the tournament's most outstanding player, kept Bakersfield within five, 40-35, at the intermission.
But with five minutes gone in the second half Chapman called on Ellis again. The 6 foot-8, 230-pound senior with the soft touch outside responded with a three-pointer and layup to put the Panthers ahead 55-46. And Crowder, a junior forward who had 14 points, including three 3-pointers, in the second half put the game out of reach.
"Their 3-point shooting killed us in the second half," said Bakersfield Coach Pat Douglass. "We'd lose the ball and all of a sudden one of their guys would make a 3-point shot."
Ellis said it was hard at first to accept his backup role, "but coach said we would go in and he kept his word all season."
"It hasn't sunk in yet. It's hard to believe but my whole career's over," said the accounting major. "It's the best feeling I've ever had. To be able to say you're the best, its something special."
Bakersfield finished its season 29-5, while Kentucky Wesleyan raised its record to 31-2.
by CNB