Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 1, 1991 TAG: 9101310254
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Quickness and athletic ability make him a severe hassle for many of his more lumbering counterparts. For those who match up well with him physically, he has the shooting range that means they must chase him into dangerously unfamiliar regions of the floor.
Phillips showed Carroll County his unusual package of torment as Radford pulled a 65-60 upset that snapped the Cavaliers 10-game winning streak.
Phillips scored a team-high 17 points and snagged eight rebounds while shooting 6-for-13 from the floor. That included 2-for-6 from 3-point range.
What's a center doing firing away from 3-point range? For one thing, Phillips can make the shot. On the year, he's shooting a highly respectable 38.5 percent (25 of 65), which is among the top 15 in Timesland.
Being a senior who has started Phillips for parts of three years, Phillips has had ample opportunity to plot strategy.
"Offensively, I try to operate outside as much as possible because I have a bigger slower guy on me and I know I can beat him to the basket," Phillips said. "When they come out on me, I just head inside."
At which point, the defender must start exploring other options. That or be skewered.
"They then start to guard me pretty tight outside," he said. "That's when I like to put the ball on the floor and head to the basket."
Of course, there are other ways to get the ball to the basket.
"If they ever slack off on me to keep me from going inside, then I can just pull up and shoot the 3," he said.
Phillips started the week averaging 14.7 points per game, which makes him the Bobcats' leading scorer now that Preston Snell is no longer with the team. Snell was declared academically ineligible last week and subsequently chose to transfer to another school.
Phillips is also averaging 7.6 rebounds per game, 30 of his 99 coming at the offensive end.
"We ask him to do a lot," Radford coach Buddy Martin said. "We ask him to go inside and beat and bang with those big guys and then go to the other end and shoot the 3. He's done it, too."
The game against Carroll County was the high point of Radford's season to date.
"Everybody hustled, nobody made mistakes, we did a good job of switching defenses on them, and everybody played a four-quarter game for the first time this year," Phillips said.
Other contributors included Brian Canaday, who drilled in three treys and scored 14 points. Wayne Lineburg made his last eight free throws and scored 10 fourth-quarter points en route to 14.
Phillips was quick to share the spotlight.
"I feel like I had a good night shooting the ball, I have to give the team credit for getting me open shots and giving me good passes."
by CNB