Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 25, 1992 TAG: 9202250161
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
ELLIOTT PUTS OUT FLAMES
Liberty University, striving for an uplifting basketball victory, instead watched the ascension of Thomas Elliott.In the final minute Monday, Virginia Tech's junior forward converted a three-point play to give the Hokies the lead, then swatted away Mike Coleman's driving layup as the Hokies clung to a heart-pumping 73-70 win before a record 8,650 shrieking fans at the Vines Center.
"It was one of the best college basketball games played in Virginia this year," Tech coach Bill Foster said.
It also denied the Flames what would have been a landmark victory for their program.
The Hokies (9-15) won their first road game in nine tries and gave Liberty (20-5) its first loss in 15 games at the Vines Center this season - it was the Flames' final home game this year. Tech improved to 6-0 against Liberty but didn't come close to the series' average margin of victory before Monday - 20 points.
Tech led by nine points in the second half but fell behind 59-58 with 6:52 to go. The lead traded hands a couple of times, but Liberty led 67-65 with 2:12 left.
Coleman missed two free throws with 1:06 left and Tech called a timeout. Elliott drove against Liberty's zone and was slapped by the Flames' Julius Nwosu, who fouled out with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Elliott missed the front end of the one-and-one, but the long rebound found him. A short hook shot went in as Elliott was hacked by Cordell Robinson. This free throw swished, and Tech led 68-67 with 44 seconds left.
"I guess that was luck, it came off on the right side," Elliott said about the free throw. I took it to the basket."
Tech has botched late-game situations in losses to Virginia Commonwealth, George Mason and Virginia, to name three.
"We're due a little luck," Foster said.
Timely athleticism doesn't hurt, either. Liberty inbounded on its end and promptly ran the 6-foot-8 Coleman off a screen at the free-throw line. He got the pass on the right side of the lane, but Elliott pounded his right-handed driving layup off the glass with about 30 seconds left.
"I saw [Jeff Bloom] coming over to set a pick; Steve [Hall] called it out," Elliott said. "He just threw the ball up and I went up and got it."
Coleman had a half-step on Elliott, who seemed to come from across the lane. Coleman blamed himself but praised Elliott, too.
"He did surprise me," Coleman said. "He did an excellent defensive job despite the position he was in."
Liberty coach Jeff Meyer said the Flames called a play to either get the ball to Coleman, a 60 percent field-goal shooter, or Matt Hildebrand, a 60 percent 3-point shooter. If neither option was open, Liberty was to run the clock and try for a last shot.
"We wanted to take the first available good shot," Meyer said. "I wish he would've dunked it, but that didn't happen."
It wasn't over yet. Hall got the rebound for Tech and was fouled; he made both shots for a 70-67 Tech lead with 27 seconds left.
Hildebrand then missed a top-of-the-key 3-pointer, and Tech's Jay Purcell rebounded and was fouled. He hit twice for a 72-67 Tech lead with 12 seconds left.
Bloom swished a 3-pointer from the right corner and cut the lead to 72-70 with four seconds left. Purcell was fouled again and made one of two, and Hildebrand's shot from the backcourt missed.
That, finally, quieted the crowd. The bulk of the student section never sat down during the game; they seemed to sense that a victory over Virginia Tech would grab more attention for a team that might be headed to the NCAA Tournament but played three non-Division I schools this year.
"We knew if they got a victory over us, everything goes crazy," Elliott said.
Oddly, though, Tech was rarely flustered. The Hokies had four turnovers in the first half and 11 for the game; they average 17.5 per contest. In part because of their ball protection, Tech is 8-0 when it scores 70 or more points, 1-15 when it does not.
"We've had four [turnovers] getting out to the floor from the dressing room," Foster said. "If we don't turn it over and shoot decent, we're a pretty good basketball team. The nights we're in the 50s and 60s, we're not playing ball control."
Contributions came from many on Monday. With John Rivers and Erik Wilson in foul trouble most of the game, Hall had a career-high 22 points, Purcell had 14 and Corey Jackson had 15. Jackson got 11 in the second half including a couple of shots when the game was close during the second half that Tech desperately needed.
"Nobody played really timid," Purcell said. "Everybody attacked. We have to do that on the road." \
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