Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991 TAG: 9102240104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
From the evidence supplied Saturday, the Keydets are going to need some heavy artillery and a revamped battle plan if they plan on spending more than a day in Asheville, N.C.
Appalachian State, which most likely will be VMI's first-round tournament opponent, left the Keydets with plenty to ponder Saturday after unleashing a 70-59 pounding at Cameron Hall.
Shoving the ball inside time and time again and playing a game of backboard volleyball when they missed, the huge Mountaineers manhandled the Keydets.
"They just whipped us," said VMI coach Joe Cantafio. "They beat us in the post area and we couldn't make anything happen.
"Next time, we've got to be more physical. Talk about physical. This was the most physical game of the year."
The Mountaineers (14-12 overall, 7-6 in the conference) got all the best of it, outrebounding the Keydets 59-30. Appalachian State's 59 rebounds broke the Cameron Hall record by six. The Mountaineers' 21 offensive rebounds were one more than VMI collected on its own board.
"We definitely are going to have to do battle next time," said VMI's Greg Fittz, whose 26 points and 11 rebounds weren't nearly enough in the final home game of his career.
"We didn't attack 'em at all," Fittz said. "Everybody they had went to the boards and that hurt us. They beat us in all phases of the game. We've got to get more physical with them next time."
And shoot the ball better, too. VMI missed 13 of its first 14 shots en route to a 40-percent shooting effort (30-of-75).
Rebounding was the real story. The Keydets' soft inside play made most of the Mountaineers look like Bill Russell.
Appalachian State, which got 21 of its 31 baskets via layups and stickbacks, was led by Billy Ross' 20 points and eight rebounds.
"And it wasn't just one guy," Fittz said.
Basically, it was everybody wearing black. Broderick Parker had 18 points and nine rebounds. Tim Powers had 10 points and 17 rebounds. Ricky Nedd had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
"That's a good basketball team," Cantafio said. "Hopefully, we'll get another chance at 'em."
Despite Appalachian State's inside dominance, the Keydets - primarily because of the visitors' poor free-throw shooting - were still in the game with 10 minutes left. In fact, they were down 55-53 when sophomore Jonathan Penn of Pulaski County went to the free-throw line.
But Penn missed both free throws. The Mountaineers then got a 3-point play on a stickback by Parker, a stickback by Nedd and a layup by Ross to open up a 62-53 lead.
VMI (10-16, 5-8) never got closer than seven the rest of the way.
Appalachian State coach Tom Apke, whose team dominated despite the fact that its leading scorer, 6-8 junior Steve Spurlock, was rendered ineffective by a tender ankle, said he doesn't look forward to playing VMI a third time. The Mountaineers won the teams' first meeting in Boone, N.C., 78-72.
"I don't feel good about it," Apke said. "It won't be easy. I just hope like hell we can beat them again."
Although Cantafio dodged talking about the loosely called officiating after the game, he let his opinion be known with 6:35 left.
After Fittz was called for a touch foul, the enraged VMI coach hollered at Jim Burch, the league's supervisor of officials, who was seated on press row.
"This is a joke, Jim," Cantafio ranted. "These guys are JV officials."
Nevertheless, Cantafio said no matter how the game is calmed, a team can't be outrebounded 2-1 and expect to win.
"We'll just have to do something else next time," Cantafio said.
Besides Fittz, Penn was the only other Keydet in double figures with 13 points.
VMI finishes its regular season Monday when it travels to 13th-ranked East Tennessee State.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 25, 1991\ Correction
Because of a copy editor's error, a story and headline about Appalachian State's 83-70 basketball victory against VMI was incorrect in some Sunday editions.
Memo: correction