Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 10, 1993 TAG: 9303100079
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS STEUART
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
RU WOMEN HOPE TO KEEP THEIR TALE OF `MARCH SUCCESS' GOING
For the Radford University women's basketball team, "March Madness" is a myth. Instead, it's been a tale of "March Success."The Lady Highlanders have been victorious in five of the first six Big South Conference Tournaments, including a sweep of the last three.
This year's tournament, which begins tonight at the Dedmon Center in Radford, may well be Radford's toughest challenge yet, with the addition of three new teams to the conference and an escalation of talent from top to bottom.
"That's fine," said third-year Radford coach Lubomyr Lichonczak.
"The more the merrier. Tournament time is a great time."
The youthful team is brimming with confidence of late.
"I see the games coming down to buzzer-beaters as it gets closer to the final," said Radford guard Shannan Wilkey, who led the league with 17.4 points per game.
"When it comes right down to it I think we'll win. I have confidence in this team. I really do."
And that's a wonder.
The Lady Highlanders played six of their last 10 games on the road and dropped three of the last four conference games, while suffering a rash of nagging injuries.
With that, Radford had all the reason in the world to look forward to the joys of a basketball-less spring and summer.
To the contrary:
"Yesterday's practice was the best we've had all season," senior center Tammie Crown said Monday.
"Everybody was hustling, working hard, communicating - and having fun doing it."
Wilkey said that with the hectic season-ending schedule it was the first chance that the team has had to have good drills practice in a while.
"It was a full court," she said.
"Everybody was real intense and ready to go."
Radford was the overwhelming preseason pick to win the conference, but first-year member UNC-Greensboro (17-9 overall, 12-2 in Big South) took the regular season title and the Lady Highlanders (14-11, 12-4) finished in second.
UNC-Greensboro beat Radford 74-57 in the final game of the season.
"They beat us but I'm really not too worried," Wilkey said.
"For some reason I am more worried about Liberty. I think if we can beat them we'll be OK."
In order for Radford to play Liberty, the Flames (15-11, 10-6) will have to knock off Campbell (16-9, 11-5) in the quarterfinal matchup between the two.
Radford and Campbell have played in the championship game all six years, but this year that streak will come to an end, if both Radford and Campbell advance they will meet in a 8 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
"It's going to really be weird not to play Campbell in the finals," Wilkey said.
"In past years we started preparing for Campbell early because we just knew we were going to play them."
A steady characteristic for Radford in recent years has been a high-profile go-to tournament Most Valuable Player to depend on in hard fought tourney games.
Two years ago that player was Roz Groce, who canned an 18-foot jumper at the buzzer to down Campbell 65-64.
Last year it was Patrinda Toney, who hit six consecutive free throws to lift Radford over the Lady Camels 85-77.
This year the brunt of the responsibilities will fall on Wilkey's perimeter play and the ability of the team to capitalize on getting the ball inside to Crown, a probable Conference Player of the Year, and make use of her rugged inside game.
"We need to make sure we cut down on turnovers, execute like we can and get the ball inside," Wilkey said.
"I think this team has really gelled together. Everyone's really pumped." \ Tournament schedule
\ Today: 6 p.m., No. 8 seed Charleston Southern vs. No. 9 seed Winthrop. 8 p.m., No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina vs. No. 10 seed UNC-Asheville.
\ Thursday: 1 p.m., No. 4 seed Towson State vs. No. 5 seed University of Baltimore County. 3 p.m., No. 1 seed UNC-Greensboro vs. winner of game one. 7 p.m., No. 3 Campbell vs. No. 6 Liberty. 9 p.m., No. 2 seed Radford vs. winner of game two.
\ Friday: 6 p.m., game seven. 8 p.m., game eight.
\ Saturday: 7:30 p.m., championship game.
Chris Steuart covers sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.