Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 2, 1991 TAG: 9103020299
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: ASHEVILLE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Broderick Parker had 18 points and Ricky Nedd and Billy Ross added 17 each as Appalachian State dismissed VMI from the Southern Conference basketball tournament with a 100-72 victory at the Asheville Civic Center.
"We got it handed to us," said VMI coach Joe Cantafio, whose team lost three games to ASU this season. "I now know how Saddam Hussein feels, except I can't go out and tell everyone we won."
It was the same storyline for VMI, which finished the season 10-18. The Keydets shot just 34.6 percent (27-of-68) and Appalachian State (15-13) once again pushed them around inside.
Led by Parker's 10, ASU outrebounded VMI 51-35. In the last two meetings, the Mountaineers had 110 rebounds compared to 65 for VMI.
"They are a very physical team, and they really get after you," Cantafio said. "We can play with finesse teams, but we have problems with physical teams."
Parker, a junior forward, was starting his fifth straight game in place of Steve Spurlock, who sprained his ankle two weeks ago against The Citadel. Parker has averaged 18.3 points in that time.
"Parker really killed us," Cantafio said. "He just gets underneath and uses his body well. We had to shoot the ball really well to beat them, and today we didn't."
The Keydets started well by jumping to a 5-0 lead, then ASU scored 19 straight points to go up by 14 with 12 minutes left in the half. Erek Perry ended the run with a 3-pointer. The Mountaineers led by 15, but VMI inched back.
Greg Fittz, whose 18 points gave him 1,006 for his career, made a 3-pointer to pull VMI to 35-31, but Nedd dunked with 17 seconds left to give ASU a 37-31 lead at the half.
Ahead 39-34 early in the second half, Appalachian State went on a 14-4 run to go up 53-38.
Soon after, VMI lost starting point guard Percy Covington when he collided with teammate Jonathan Goodman and sprained his right shoulder with about 14 minutes left in the game.
The Mountaineers put the game away with a 16-0 spurt that put them up 69-40 at the 10:40 mark. The Keydets got no closer than 19 after that.
Perry scored 14, and Goodman, a freshman forward, added a career-high 12 points in 13 minutes.
Appalachian State will play top-seeded Furman in a semifinal game today at 1:38 p.m. The Purple Paladins had a first-round bye because Marshall is on NCAA probation and ineligible for the tournament. see microfilm for box
score
by CNB