GENERALS CAN'T KEEP UP WITH ROANOKE IN 90-73 LOSS

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

DATE: SUNDAY, January 10, 1993                   TAG: 9301100121
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium
GENERALS CAN'T KEEP UP WITH ROANOKE IN 90-73 LOSS
Washington and Lee's lengthy homestand is fast becoming a free fall.
The Generals couldn't keep up with Roanoke on Saturday and the Maroons bolted to a 90-73 Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's basketball victory.
It was the sixth consecutive loss for W&L, and the fifth straight in an eight-game stretch at the Warner Center.
"We just have to keep playing hard," Generals coach Verne Canfield said. "These are tough times and this is when coaching is extremely difficult - to keep finding the words to tell these guys.
"You just want to sit back and remember the good ol' days when you were winning. But we'll keep at it. There's no other recourse."
Roanoke (8-2, 3-1) has won four straight and six of seven. The Maroons won Saturday without Rick Becker and his 18 points per game. Becker is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Kevin Martin and Joe Schrantz picked up the slack for Becker. Martin made 7 of 11 shots and finished with 18 points. Schrantz shot 4-for-5 and made all three of his free throws for 11.
"You hate to lose Becker, but my philosophy is that if you play 10 guys, you'll be OK if something like that happens," Roanoke coach Page Moir said. "We can fill in with experienced players and it's a real advantage to our style of play."
W&L tried to play a full-court game with Roanoke and couldn't keep up. The Generals led 7-2 and 15-11, but the Maroons took over late in the first half.
After three ties, Roanoke used an 18-7 run to take a 40-29 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Generals twice cut the lead to five, but pulled no closer. W&L freshman forward Cam Dyer hit a driving layup to make the score 44-39 early in the half, but the Maroons answered with a five-point play.
Hillary Scout hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. Scott missed the free throw, but Martin rebounded and scored to put Roanoke up 49-39.
W&L (3-7, 1-5) never got closer than nine the rest of the way. The Maroons, 64 percent shooters at the free-throw line, drained 11 of 12 in the final four minutes.
Scott finished with 22 points on 8 for 11 shooting. Roanoke shot 58.5 percent (31-for-53) from the field and made 23 of 30 free throws.
"Washington and Lee is our biggest rival, so any time we beat them, it's a huge win," Scott said. "It makes our season, especially a win at their place."
W&L got 17 points from sophomore forward Mark Connelly and 16 from Dyer. The Generals shot just 35 percent from the field and played to Roanoke's strength with the running game.
Roanoke's Stan Clements and Bryant Lee were a combined 6-for-7 with eight points apiece. Each scored key second-half buckets to quiet W&L's runs.
Moir was relieved after Roanoke's second ODAC road win of the week.
"W&L surprised me," he said. "They've got some good young players, and Verne is going in the right direction. They'll beat some people here.
"We just got two road wins - Randolph-Macon and W&L - that some other teams won't get." \
see microfilm for box score

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB