
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 27, 1991                   TAG: 9102270197
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

RADFORD LOOKING FOR BIG SOUTH TITLE

Radford,which has made the most spectacular turnaround in Division I basketball by going from 6-22 to 21-6 in one year,takes the league's top-ranked offense against Charleston Southern (9-18)Thursday in the first round of the Big South Tournament at the Civic Center of Anderson,S.C.

The Highlanders average 73.8 points per game.

The Highlanders' threats include the conference's leading scorer,sophomore guard Doug Day (20.4 ppg.,99 3-pointers),who scored 38 points in a 97-67 rout of North Carolina-Asheville in the regular season finale.

Southern is the conference's leading rebounding team with a margin of plus-1.5 per game. That could pose problems for Radford,which does not go to the backboards well. Its minus-2.9 margin is the second worst in the league.

In the other half of that bracket,No. 3 Augusta (11-15)will try to beat No. 6 Asheville (8-19)for the third time this season. Augusta is in its final season in the Big South and will assume Division II status next season.

In other first-round games,top-seeded Coastal Carolina (20-7)plays No. 8 Campbell (9-18)at 1 p.m. and fourth-seeded Davidson (8-18)takes on No. 5 Winthrop (8-19)at 3 p.m.

The semifinals will be at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday. The championship,which will be televised nationally for the first time by ESPN,will be at noon Saturday.

by CNB