NO END FOR OLD HEX ON HOKIES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 8, 1993                   TAG: 9301080157
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HATTIESBURG, MISS.                                LENGTH: Medium
NO END FOR OLD HEX ON HOKIES
In this town, or against this team, it's always something for Virginia Tech.
Entering Thursday night's basketball game against Southern Mississippi at Green Coliseum, the Hokies hadn't won here since 1985. They still haven't - Glen Whisby's tip-in with one second left in double overtime gave the Golden Eagles an 84-82 Metro Conference victory in front of 3,948 spectators.
In 1990, the Hokies lost by two here on Russell Johnson's buzzer-beating follow shot. In 1991, Ron Rembert's 3-pointer at the buzzer forced overtime in Cassell Coliseum and Southern Miss won 101-99.
Tech had a chance to win Thursday night's game in regulation. The Hokies led by five with 37 seconds left; then, with the score 67-64 Tech, Jay Purcell and Damon Watlington each missed the front ends of one-and-ones in the last 21 seconds.
Bernard Haslett, whose status was uncertain because of a knee injury suffered last week, made a leaning 3-pointer from the left wing to tie the score. Overtime came when Tech's Corey Jackson got a clear look at the basket with three seconds left but put a 3-point attempt off the back rim.
"It's been a long time since we won on this road trip," Purcell said. "[We could have] set the pace right in the Metro. We had the opportunity tonight."
The weak-rebounding Hokies won that battle 55-50 and held Southern Mississippi to 37.2 percent field-goal shooting (29-of-78). Tech made eight of 11 free throws.
A shot chart showed Tech missed 10 of 27 short-range field-goal tries.
"They got to the [free-throw] line 30 times, but we went enough times to win the game," Tech coach Bill Foster said. "Our inability to complete the plays inside really hurt us.
"We can't take this as a negative. That's the worst thing we can do."
The Hokies (4-2 overall, 0-1 Metro) almost lost it in the first overtime, falling behind 74-72 with 53 seconds left, then watching Watlington miss a 15-foot jumper.
However, Watlington tied up Southern Miss' Terry Cameron on the rebound and the possession arrow pointed to Tech. Jim Jackson missed a jumper in the lane but rebounded, pump-faked and made a 5-foot left-handed bank shot that tied the score at 74 with five seconds left and forced double overtime.
Tech led 80-78 and had the ball with 1:45 to go in the second extra period, but Haslett stole a perimeter pass and made a layup to tie it with 1:36 left.
Tech freshman Shawn Good beat one-on-one pressure upcourt, but as Good drove the lane, Carey Martin poked the ball from behind and the Golden Eagles (4-6, 1-1) recovered. Whisby, who had 25 points, scored on a short turnaround for an 82-80 Southern Miss lead with a minute left.
Hokies freshman Shawn Smith scored inside to tie it with 38 seconds left, and Southern Miss ran time off the clock before calling time out with nine seconds left. Haslett got the ball coming off a screen on the left wing and missed a 3-point try, but Whisby soared for the winning tap.
"Both of them were on me," Whisby said of Tech's Thomas Elliott and Smith, who had combined for 22 rebounds. "I went over both and tipped it."
Tech, which visits Tulane on Saturday, has lost seven consecutive Metro Conference road games. The Hokies were 5-2 in Metro road games in 1984-85 but are 8-37 since.
Southern Mississippi has won eight straight in the series. The Hokies were trying to win four consecutive regular-season games for the first time since 1987-88.
Tech trailed 39-34 at halftime and fell behind 54-47 with 11:58 left but used a 10-0 run to take a 57-54 lead with 8:02 to go.
Southern Miss came back to lead 62-61 with 3:32 left on two free throws by Whisby, a 53 percent shooter entering the game. However, Corey Jackson's hook shot after a pump-fake against Herman Myers gave the lead to Tech.
Haslett missed. Watlington made a 10-foot straight-on bank shot and Tech led 65-62 with 2:22 to go. The teams traded turnovers before Cameron, apparently forgetting the 6-foot-9 Whisby's advantage inside, put up an airball attempting a 3-pointer with 1:30 left.
A miss for each team preceded two free throws by Corey Jackson for a 67-62 Tech lead with 37 seconds left. Whisby dunked nine seconds later, and Purcell missed his free throw with the clock showing 21 seconds.
Martin stumbled and left the ball at Watlington's feet, but Watlington couldn't hit the free throw with 13 seconds left, setting up Haslett's tying 3-pointer with six seconds to go.
(see microfilm for scores)

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB