Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991 TAG: 9102240087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
The other four minutes produced a Hokies rally that fell well short as the Seminoles pounded Tech 91-79 in front of 4,857 fans at the 12,500-capacity Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. It was FSU's second-smallest home crowd of the season.
The loss was the Hokies' second straight and 12th in 15 games after a 7-3 start. It dropped the Hokies to 10-15 overall, 4-8 in the Metro Conference, and didn't do anything to help coach Frankie Allen's uncertain status.
"Frankie still has a year to go on his contract, and we'll do the same thing as last year - review everything at the end of the year," said Tech athletic director Dave Braine, who attended the game.
Asked what he would say to the Tech fans who think the Hokies need a new coach, Braine said: "I'd tell them the same thing. I've seen 95 percent of our games. I think I'm as aware as anybody about what people are saying and thinking."
Allen, who did not have a rollover year added to his contract last season, has said he is not coaching as if this is a win-or-else season. Saturday, he said he saw improvement in the Hokies - they had a better field-goal percentage than their opponents and shot better than 56 percent for the second time in three games.
However, another Tech bugaboo, rebounding, allowed Florida State to crunch the Hokies. FSU had 45 rebounds to Tech's 27, including a 24-9 edge on the offensive end.
"It's been a strong point for [the Seminoles], a weakness for us," Allen said. "They're just big-time rebounders."
FSU (15-10, 7-5) assured itself of a winning season and improved its chances of getting into the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies lost their chance at finishing with a .500 conference record.
The Seminoles got a career-high 23 points from point guard Charlie Ward - also a reserve quarterback on FSU's football team. He also had five steals. Sophomore Douglas Edwards had 21 points and nine rebounds, and forward Michael Polite had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Tech's Antony Moses had 27 points, 13 in a 24-8 Tech run that began with the Hokies trailing 58-35 with 15:48 left in the game. Tech trailed 66-52 with 8:49 left, but scored the next seven points.
Moses' three-point play made it 66-55. A Seminoles turnover against the press led to a Moses layup. FSU's Aubry Boyd missed a 3-pointer, and Don Corker scored on a fast-break jumper to make it 66-59 with 7:52 left.
After the Seminoles called time out, they scored seven straight points. The Hokies got as close as eight once more, but no closer.
"Defensively, we stopped playing with intensity and that's not like us," said Kennedy, who added that the Seminoles did not respond well to Tech's jump-out defense. "When we got back with Charlie [Ward] and got things more organized, we were fine."
Tech wasn't. The Hokies lost for the 10th time in 14 road games; the margins of defeat in the last nine defeats have been 18, 15, 16, 16, 25, 26, 12, 33 and 12 points.
Allen tried another lineup change, starting David Herbster at center for only the fifth time along with Moses, Jay Purcell, Corey Jackson and Erik Wilson. Four minutes into the game, he brought in Thomas Elliott, Jimmy Carruth, Corker, Rod Wheeler and John Rivers. Three minutes later, he brought in the starting five.
"We wanted to play zone, keep them off the boards and take away penetration," Allen said of starting the bigger lineup. "Then we tried to come in with a little bit of a quicker team. I thought it was pretty effective other than the fact that we didn't rebound the ball."
VA. TECH MPFGFTRAFPT Wheeler 253-70-01628Purcell 111-10-20212Corker 214-42-313310Rivers 255-81-251211Jackson 122-50-00044Williams 20-10-01000Moses 3111-193-431327Carruth 140-00-11000Elliott 314-103-350312Wilson 171-10-13232Herbster 111-11-14013Totals 20032-5710-1727152279 FLORIDA ST. MPFGFTRAFPT Graham 183-63-330210Hands 41-20-01002Ward 233-89-1132216Boyd 282-102-20227Salters 82-51-21005Myers 170-00-01110Edwards 358-145-692421Dobard 235-94-481214Reid 120-11-37031Polite 327-121-3101115Totals 20031-6726-344591791 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Virginia Tech 32-47-79 Florida State 48-43-91
Three-point goals - Virginia Tech: Wheeler 2-5, Jackson 0-1, Moses 2-3, Elliott 1-3, Total 5-12. Florida State: Graham 1-2, Ward 1-2, Boyd 1-6, Edwards 0-1, Total 3-11.
Turnovers - Virginia Tech 22 (Rivers, Moses, Purcell 4); Florida State 18 (Boyd 3). Blocked shots - Virginia Tech 4 (Wilson 2); Florida State 2 (Ward, Dobard). Steals - Virginia Tech 11 (Moses 5); Florida State 14 (Ward 5).
Technical fouls - None. Officials - Allen, Jagg, Chrisman. Attendance - 4,857.
by CNB