Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 29, 1992 TAG: 9202290078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE 1 WIN FROM TITLE
In the total scope of the game, the play was virtually meaningless.By the time it happened, Roanoke College had all but salted away its 78-37 victory in the semifinals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament Friday at the Salem Civic Center.
But as an indication of the relentless 40-minute assault Emory & Henry endured, there wasn't a better example.
Rebounding a missed shot, Donna Cogar raced downcourt on a two-on-one break with Kay Caldwell. Emory & Henry defender Cathy Durham looked on helplessly as the Roanoke duo worked a nifty three-pass run that resulted in an easy basket.
Caldwell's layup increased an already-large significant margin, and the Maroons had made the rest of the game look just as easy.
Roanoke, ranked 11th in NCAA Division III, reached its fourth-consecutive tournament championship game. The Maroons will play Virginia Wesleyan, a 75-57 winner over Guilford, for the ODAC championship at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Roanoke will be trying for its seventh title in 10 years and second in a row. The Maroons won last year's title by beating Bridgewater 60-58 in the final.
"From top to bottom, we played extremely well," said Roanoke coach Susan Dunagan. "I told them at the start of the tournament, I don't know how well we can play because we haven't shown it yet. I told them now is the time to pull it all together."
Roanoke's high-intensity attack wore down a Wasps squad that was missing three starters.
Cogar and Caldwell each scored 16 points. Led by Cogar and Amy Puyear with 11 rebounds each, the Maroons (22-3) dominated the rebounding 63-38.
Roanoke used multiple variations of pressure defense to limit Emory & Henry to 19.1 percent shooting (13-for-68).
"Our defensive game always starts our offensive game," said Cogar, part of a senior class that has a four-year record of 94-17. "The press gets us into our running game."
The Maroons' victory avenged a 57-52 loss at Emory & Henry three weeks ago. That loss ended Roanoke's 48-game ODAC regular-season winning streak.
"It's a good feeling to come out and have a game like that against a team that beat you the last time you played them," said Dunagan. "We went down there, and they out-played and out-hustled us. We had a lot of pride on the line [on Friday]."
While revenge wasn't the primary motivation, the Maroons players said they did think about their previous performance.
"We lived and learned," said Roanoke senior Jenn Jones, who had nine points and nine rebounds Friday. "We weren't going to let anything like that happen again, at least not against the same team."
Emory & Henry (14-10) wasn't the same team. Leading scorer Heather Conley and starters Rosa Rhodes and Charity Rooney didn't play after being suspended for disciplinary reasons.
"Under the best of circumstances, it would have been a tough game," said Wasps coach Joy Scruggs. "Our girls had a big challenge and gave all they could. Roanoke played a great game."
Leading 32-20 at halftime, Roanoke built the lead to 50-30 with just under 13 minutes remaining.
The Maroons then outscored the Wasps 28-6 the rest of the way.
Durham's layup at 4:35 was Emory & Henry's only field goal in the final 13 minutes.
In the other semifinal, junior guard Martha Sainz made seven 3-point field goals and scored 25 points as Virginia Wesleyan (17-10) eliminated Guilford (16-11).
Leading 38-37 early in the second half, the Blue Marlins outscored the Quakers 12-0 in a seven-minute span to take control.
Sophomore center Brenda Davis scored 28 points for Guilford. \
see microfilm for box score