Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 9, 1991 TAG: 9103090113
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
"It would be more fitting if they introduced me," Robinson, North Carolina State's first-year basketball coach, said.
Although he played for State in the mid-1960s, Robinson isn't nearly as identifiable as Corchiani and Monroe, the senior guards who led the Wolfpack to an 82-68 victory over Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Monroe had 24 points and Corchiani contributed 17 points and nine assists as State avenged a 76-67 loss to Tech in the first round of the 1990 tournament.
The Wolfpack led that game by 10 points at the half, but it was a different Tech that took the court Friday. In many respects, it was also a different State team, although the Wolfpack's personnel remains largely unchanged.
"We're real relaxed," Corchiani said. "At the shoot-around [Thursday], there was no controversy. We're back to having fun again. Last year, at this time, we were just waiting for the season to end."
In addition to the uncertainty of then-coach Jim Valvano's status, State was on a one-year NCAA probation in 1989-90 that prohibited the Wolfpack from participating in postseason play.
At 16-12, Tech will be sweating over an NCAA Tournament invitation, but fourth-seeded State (19-9) can devote its attention to regular-season champion Duke, the Wolfpack's opponent at 1:30 p.m. in today's first semifinal.
The Blue Devils received a first-round bye, but there was little rest Friday for State's starters, who played the entire second half and accounted for 196 of a possible 200 minutes.
"That's nothing unusual for us," pointed out Corchiani, who, like Monroe, played the entire 40 minutes. "We're really fortunate that the pace of the game wasn't any faster."
The Yellow Jackets trimmed an eight point first-half deficit to 42-40 with 16:17 remaining, but State scored on 10 of its next 11 possessions and opened a 64-47 bulge with 9:21 remaining.
It was nearly six minutes before the Wolfpack scored another field goal, but Georgia Tech failed to make up much ground because of its poor shooting from the field and State's accuracy from the free-throw line.
The Wolfpack was 10-of-10 from the line over the final 4:20 and 20-of-24 for the game. State shot 50 percent from the field and committed just 11 turnovers.
It was Tech's third loss of the season to State, which got double-figure scoring from all of its starters. Sophomore center Kevin Thompson, the only one of State's starters who does not average in double figures, finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.
Georgia Tech had four scorers in double figures, led by Matt Geiger with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, but the rest of the team was 22-of-61. Malcolm Mackey had 14 points and 16 rebounds, but was only 6-of-18 from the field.
FOR INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM SCORING, SEE MICROFILM.
by CNB