Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 15, 1993 TAG: 9303150011
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LOUISVILLE, KY. LENGTH: Medium
CARDINALS GROUND VCU TO WIN METRO
Louisville's leniency lasted only so long.Virginia Commonwealth happily executed its offensive plan for the first 15 minutes Sunday in the Metro Conference men's basketball tournament championship game at Freedom Hall.
However, the 16th-ranked Cardinals started flying at VCU shooters, and the home team took a double-figure lead into halftime en route to a 90-78 victory that put Louisville (20-8) in the NCAA Tournament.
VCU (20-9) is left hoping for an at-large bid, but the Rams were not among the 64-team field announced later Sunday. The Rams' last appearance in the NCAA field was in 1985, and their last postseason play came in the 1988 National Invitation Tournament.
"When we're all focused in as a team, we can get a lot accomplished," Louisville's Dwayne Morton said.
VCU coach Sonny Smith can testify. Morton, voted the tournament's most valuable player, had 24 points on 8-for-11 field-goal shooting, including the last four points in a 17-6 run the broke a 29-29 tie and gave the Cardinals a 46-35 halftime lead.
VCU had shot 11-of-19 (57.8 percent) to that point, but Louisville's encroaching perimeter defense changed that. The Rams made two of seven shots in the next 5:22 and had three turnovers.
"We started doing what we had planned to do - run, and get something out of the threes," Smith said. "They put pressure on us, got us slowed down, took us out of our offense."
The Cardinals bothered VCU forward Sherron Mills into 2-for-7 shooting, and Louisville's starting frontcourt was 10-for-16 at halftime.
Louisville, which won its record ninth Metro tournament and its first since 1990, built the lead to 19 in the second half and wasn't seriously pressed.
"Our deal was to make them beat us from outside," said Smith, who wanted to stop Louisville's slashing cuts through the lane. "We were going to put a foot in the paint. Dwayne Morton took care of that."
It helped that Louisville, playing host to the tournament for the eighth time, had a crowd of 15,566 mostly on its side. It was the second-biggest crowd at a Metro final; the 1986 game at Freedom Hall drew 19,611.
The fans saw VCU point guard Kenny Harris make seven turnovers; he had none against Virginia Tech in Saturday's semifinal. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts in the second half Sunday.
"They did a good job of putting pressure on the guy trying to make the pass and the guy he was trying to pass it to," Harris said. "It caused us to receive the ball a little further out from where we wanted to."
Meanwhile, Louisville had five players, including reserve James Brewer, in double figures. While VCU got few uncontested shots, Louisville had plenty.
For the seventh time, Louisville won the Metro's regular-season title and the tournament. Louisville coach Denny Crum takes the Cardinals to the NCAA for the 17th time in 21 seasons. Louisville has won six straight and 18 of its past 22 games.
"What happens between now and the end will be determined in great part by the mental approach this team takes to the games," Crum said. "We're capable of playing with anyone in the country."
Virginia Commonwealth, which played in its second Metro tournament, has not won a conference tournament since the 1984-85 Sun Belt playoffs.
Making the all-tournament team were Virginia Commonwealth's Harris and Tyron McCoy and Louisville's Greg Minor, Clifford Rozier and Morton. \
see microfilm for box score