Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1992 TAG: 9203180010
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
The RU women's basketball team won the Big South Conference tournament.
That's five regular season titles and five tournament titles in six years. Not a bad performance. Maybe they ought to rename the tournament the Lady Highlander Invitational.
The result should come as no surprise. Radford has lost only eight games to conference foes. And four of those came last year, the only time the Highlanders did not win the regular season title.
This year, RU captured both titles for the fourth time for several reasons. One is the return of Patrinda Toney. The senior guard sat out last year to concentrate on academics. She was an all-conference performer this year, just like in 1989-90 and 1988-89.
Another is the development of Shannan Wilkey, last year's conference newcomer of the year, as well many other of second-year coach Lubomyr Lichonczak's recruits.
There was the return of Radford's two second-team all-conference performers from last season: Roz Groce, the tournament MVP in 1991, and Becky Harden.
And the team showed remarkable balance. Five players' scoring averaged in double-figures: Toney (21.3 points per game), Groce (12.3), Wilkey (11.5), Tammie Crown (11.3) and Harden (11.0).
\ SIGHTS & SOUNDS: Many of the 900 fans at the finals between Radford and Campbell were rooting for the second-seeded Camels. Throughout, the rooters did their best to raze Radford and keep Campbell competitive. And their cheering did not stop after RU had won the championship. With Toney and Crown named to the the all-tournament team, Radford tied Campbell for most honorees in the six-year history of the tournament with 14. And the Highlanders have four tournament MVPs to two for the Camels.
\ TOURNAMENT RECORDS: Campbell set three tournament records for foul shooting. The Camels set a new one-game mark for most free-throw attempts, with 36 against Liberty in the semifinals. They also established new records for most free throws made, 58, and attempted, 91, in the tournament.
Three tournament records for three-point shooting were tied. Groce's 2-for-2 three-point shooting performance equaled the existing single-game record for long-range accuracy. Cynthia Thompson of Liberty tied the record for most three-pointers made in a tournament with eight. And Coastal Carolina matched the one-game mark for most attempts from long-range with 19 against Liberty in the first round.
\ CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS: The Big South tournament ended the careers for Toney, Groce and Harden. But each has a place in the RU record book.
Toney finishes as the conference's all-time leading scorer with 2,020 points. She is second Radford player to crack the 2,000-point barrier, trailing only Stephanie Howard who scored 2,146 playing from 1985-89.
Toney is also third in assists with 379 and steals with 219. And she is second for games played with 118.
Groce ended her career with 977 points, 10th best all-time. She's also fifth in assists with 230, seventh in steals with 159 and fourth in games played with 114.
Harden finished ninth on the all-time scoring list with 1,037 points. She also is sixth in rebounds with 643 and fifth in games played with 113.
Crown, who will be back next year, is No. 11 on the rebounding list with 494.
\ THEY CALL IT "SPRING BREAK": No classes were going on at Radford last week. But that didn't stop the athletic teams from competing. From March 7 to 15 - that's Spring Break week plus the weekend days before and after - RU had 31 sporting events scheduled.
The women's basketball team had the Big South tournament and the men's and women's gymnastics teams also were at multiteam championships.
The baseball team had five single games and three double-headers. The softball team played two games and was in a tournament. The lacrosse team had three matches. And the men's and women's tennis teams played a dozen matches.
\ "I GET NO RESPECT": All of the Big South men's basketball teams are staying home this post-season except tournament winner Campbell. And they not only get Duke, the top team in the country as a first-round foe. But the Camels also were the "darlings" of the television announcers on NCAA selection Sunday. Radford and Liberty did not get bids to the NIT despite 20-win seasons. None of the women's teams in the conference received bids for post-season play. The Big South does not have an automatic NCAA bid - despite what one national publication said last week - and the women's NIT also passed over the Highlanders.
\ UPCOMING EVENTS: Baseball (all games) Thursday, vs. James Madison, 3 p.m.; Friday, vs. West Virginia, 3 p.m.; Saturday, at Davidson (DH), 1 p.m.; Sunday, at Davidson, 2 p.m.; Tuesday, vs. Old Dominion, 3 p.m.; March 26, vs. Virginia Military Institute, 3 p.m.; March 27, at Campbell, 3 p.m.; March 28, at Campbell (DH), 1 p.m.; March 29, at Richmond, 1 p.m. Softball (all games) Today, vs. Campbell, 5 p.m.; Thursday, vs. UNC-Greensboro, 3 p.m.; Saturday, at UNC-Ashville, 2 p.m.; March 25, vs. Davis & Elkins, 2 p.m.; March 27-28, at University of Virginia Tournament. Lacrosse (home matches) Today, vs. Pfeiffer, 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, vs. Lehigh, 2 p.m.; March 26, vs. UMBC, 1 p.m. Men's tennis (selected events) Friday, vs. James Madison, 2 p.m.; March 29, vs. Winthrop, 11 a.m. Women's tennis (selected events) March 27, vs. UNC-Greensboro, 3 p.m.; March 28, vs. UNC-Ashville, 11 a.m. Men's golf (selected events) Sunday, vs. William and Mary, 2 p.m.; March 27-29, at Marine Corps Tournament. Women's golf (selected events) Monday, at Campbell. Men's gymnastics (selected events) March 29, at Virginia State Championships in Williamsburg. Women's gymnastics (selected events) Friday, at James Madison. March 28, at Indiana, Pa.
by CNB