Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 21, 1992 TAG: 9202210213
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
VCU SLIPS BY HOKIES
Virginia Tech's personal high tide lasted one game.The Hokies, who calmed 14th-ranked Tulane's Green Wave last weekend, were dunked by Virginia Commonwealth 63-60 in a Metro Conference basketball game Thursday night in front of 7,123 at the Richmond Coliseum.
"It's hard to figure," Tech coach Bill Foster said. "It's not a surprise. Nothing's been consistent for this team."
Nothing except misadventures, and the Hokies added to the list on Thursday. With 47 seconds left and VCU ahead 61-58, the Rams botched an inbounds play and Tech No. 1 Duke survives Maryland. B7 got the ball. The scene was familiar: The teams' previous three games had gone into overtime.
However, Steve Hall, with about 33 seconds left on the shot clock, missed an off-balance 3-point attempt. The Rams' Sherron Mills was fouled and made one of two free throws for a 62-58 lead with 33 seconds left in the game.
"It goes like that sometimes," said Hall, hardly delighted to discuss his fling. "We probably could've gotten a better shot."
Foster agreed heartily.
"It's a mystery to me why he puts it up," Foster said. "You just don't do that, not 22 games into the year."
It was reminiscent of Tech's collapse against George Mason on Feb. 10, in which Tech had the ball for a last shot trailing by one, didn't call a timeout, threw the ball away and lost.
"We run too many time-and-situation [drills] in practice" to do that, Foster said sourly.
After Mills' free throw, Tech's Jay Purcell missed an open 3-point attempt. Mills again made one of two free throws for a 63-58 lead. Erik Wilson's layup cut it to 63-60 with 18 seconds left.
With 5.5 seconds left, Tech fouled Rod Ladd. Ladd, a 73 percent free-throw shooter, missed both and Wilson rebounded. Tech, without a timeout, pushed the ball upcourt and Purcell passed to Don Corker on the right wing. Corker's 3-point attempt came after the buzzer.
Tech (8-14 overall, 2-7 Metro) lost to Virginia Commonwealth (12-10, 4-5) for the first time since Jan. 18, 1988.
Tech held Rams sophomore Kendrick Warren to 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting by using Wilson's height and Jimmy Carruth's body and elbows to fluster the Metro's second-leading scorer.
However, Mills had 14 points, including four free throws in the last 1:22, to help VCU.
"We made free throws," VCU coach Sonny Smith said. "That normally deserts us, and it almost did at the end."
Tech trailed by 11 at halftime as the efficient offense it used against Tulane was replaced by the skittish brand it normally plays. But the Hokies cut a 37-24 deficit with 15:03 left to 46-43 with 7:21 to go.
"I wanted to get the ball in my hands," said Wilson, who had nine of his 11 points in the second half. "The fact that we were losing was one of the reasons [we played harder]. We felt we could beat VCU."
The Rams wouldn't give. They pushed the lead back to 53-47 on a reverse layup by Warren, his second field goal of the game, with 4:25 to go.
Two free throws by Tech's Corey Jackson made it 53-49 with 4:06 left, but Eric Atkins beat Jackson with a baseline drive and a layup for a 55-49 score with 3:52 to go.
Purcell sank a pull-up jumper on the break and Tech trailed 55-51 with 3:21 left. Warren then made a crucial play for VCU, saving a missed 3-point attempt inbounds to Ladd, who scored on a layup to make it 57-51.
John Rivers' bank shot cut VCU's lead to four, but Mills countered with two free throws for VCU with 1:22 left.
Hall's tip-in pulled Tech to 59-55 with a minute left, but Atkins made two free throws to push VCU's lead back to six with 58 seconds left. A Purcell 3-pointer - his second in the past nine games - made it 61-58.
"In the second half, they got back in the game with second shots," VCU coach Sonny Smith said. "They were 1-for-13 against our [halfcourt defense].
\ see microfilm for box score
Memo: a different version of this story ran in the State edition.