Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 23, 1992 TAG: 9202230178
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
HOKIES HIT ROCK BOTTOM
Virginia Tech's already overcast season made way for another cloud bank Saturday.Tech waded through its ritual offensive fog, scoring six points in more than eight minutes of the second half as South Florida clubbed the Hokies 75-62 in a Metro Conference basketball game.
"Just like that, we go down," Tech's Jay Purcell said. "Everybody's mind just goes blank."
The Bulls (16-8 overall, 4-5 Metro) led 49-47 with 10:09 left in the game before outscoring Tech 17-6 over the next 8:37. South Florida, a first-year Metro member, became the 14th team in 114 attempts to win its first game in Cassell Coliseum.
Tech (8-15, 2-8) clinched last place in the Metro. The best it could do would be to tie either South Florida or Southern Mississippi, but the Hokies are 0-2 against each of those schools and would lose in a tie-breaker.
A gathering of 5,009 that was as mild as the weather outside saw Tech lose for the fourth time at home this year, the third time by 10 or more points.
"It's a nice place to play," South Florida coach Bobby Paschal said.
Not many coaches would say that, but on Saturday the Hokies didn't raise much of a fuss. The team, which coach Bill Foster often calls introverted, has lost nine of its past 11 games and appears to be in a hypnotic state.
Only reserve center Jimmy Carruth is animated.
"When we come into the game, we're fired up," Carruth said. "As the game goes along, if it's looking bad, some people may lose their intensity and some people may not.
"I feel right now everyone still has their heart. We want to win."
However, desire hasn't spurred production. Foster said it wouldn't hurt the Hokies to get a little riled.
"Our team is not an emotional team. I don't think the lack of outward display or enthusiasm means they don't want to play," Foster said. "I think it does [hurt them]. We need more Carruths on this team. Coaches can't be the only cheerleaders.
"[But] they don't become a reflection of what you want in one year."
On Saturday, Tech stuck with South Florida in the first half mainly because of a 20-12 rebounding edge and an occasional triangle-and-two defense that chased USF guards Radenko Dobras and Derrick Sharp.
The Bulls couldn't consistently get the ball inside; center Gary Alexander took four shots in the first half.
However, South Florida's experience - the Bulls start four seniors and a junior - won out.
"We have a thing we run against the triangle, but we weren't getting the ball to the right place," Paschal said. "In the second half, we changed and got more of a freedom-of-movement type thing and let the guys decide where to go."
Still, the Hokies cut a 48-43 deficit to 49-47 on a jumper by Purcell, who had 20 points - the first time he has scored more than 14 in the past 12 games.
Alexander powered in a basket and converted a three-point play to make it 52-47. Tech's Erik Wilson missed an open jumper. USF's Fred Lewis pump-faked Wilson, stepped under him and scored in the lane. Each team missed once before Tech got a breakaway, but John Rivers' finger-roll bounced out.
Then Dobras stepped in from the 3-point line, made a leaning jumper and was fouled. The free throw made it 57-47, South Florida, with 8:15 remaining.
Rivers scored for Tech, but baskets by Dobras and Alexander gave South Florida a 61-49 lead.
"The defense was there," Carruth said. "It's just that they hit a lot of tough shots."
Dobras and Lewis each had 21 points, and Alexander finished with 15, all but three in the second half. The Hokies blocked seven shots, but their size had its limits.
"Sometimes, it plays to their favor," Lewis said. "It definitely had some effect on our shots. But we're quicker than their guys are inside, and if we do the right things offensively, we can beat them."
It helped South Florida that during the deciding second-half stretch, Tech tried to stay in the game by shooting from 15 feet and out. That's bad news for the Hokies, who shoot less than 44 percent from the field.
"Every game, there's a three- or four-minute lapse," Purcell said. "Everyone shoots the open jumper instead of getting it inside." \
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