Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 12, 1993 TAG: 9301120218
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
HIGHLANDERS ESCAPE 84-83
Not many times if ever has Radford University's Doug Day been overshadowed as a shooter in the Dedmon Center. Coastal Carolina's KeKe Hicks pulled it off but Day giggled last Monday night.Hicks scored 23 of his 33 points in the second half to jump-start a frantic Chanticleers comeback, but Day swiped the ball from him on the game's most important play then sank a free throw for the winning margin as the Highlanders survived for an 84-83 victory in a battle of Big South Conference heavyweights.
After pilfering the ball from Hicks, a transfer from the University of Oklahoma, Day swept in for the hoop, but had his shot rejected by pogo-legged (40-inch vertical leap) junior college transfer Mohammed Acha. However, Day got a reprieve on a foul call against Acha.
"Are you kidding?" Day said. "He fouled me twice. He hit me pretty hard."
Coastal Carolina coach Russ Bergman had another view of it.
"Conference regulations prevent me from discussing any officials' calls but I will say this: It was a great block," he said.
Day, who had not shot a free throw all night, missed the first then pulled himself together to bury the second.
"I knew I'd get at least one of them," he said.
Coastal (6-5 overall, 1-1 in the conference), which had won 66-65 in overtime at Liberty on Saturday, had erased a 16-point deficit against Radford as Hicks made six of nine 3-point shots after intermission. Even after the Day free throw with three seconds left, the Chants still had a chance. But a long pass was swatted out of bounds by Brian Schmall and the ensuing inbounds play failed and Radford had the victory.
"We had the game won but let it slip away," Hicks said.
Hicks drilled three-straight 3-pointers then added a stickback in a span of 2:16 as the Chants fought back to take a 81-79 lead with 1:55 left. Then, Tyrone Travis followed with a rebound and a stickback for Radford to tie it again. Tony Dunkin, the three-time league most valuable player, made a pair of free throws to put Coastal back up, but Schmall drove for a layup with 22 seconds to knot it again following a Hicks miss at the stripe.
Then came a timeout and Day's steal off a trap he and Gallaher executed at midcourt.
"We weren't expecting the trap," Bergman said. "KeKe is a pretty strong kid. He doesn't usually have the ball taken out of his hands." Added Hicks: "I thought they'd call a jump ball."
Hicks made eight of 11 3-pointers.
"He's incredible," said Schmall, who had 11 points and eight assists. "The coaches had been telling us this week he was good, but I didn't think he was going to be that good."
Dunkin added 20 points and seven rebounds and Acha added 17 points and 11 rebounds despite a 6-for-16 shooting effort.
Radford (8-6, 2-0) played one of its best overall games in a long while. Day made eight of 16 3-pointers and finished with 27 points, Don Burgess had 18 points and seven rebounds, Travis scored 14 to go with seven rebounds, and Tom Gallaher scored 10 points and hauled in 10 rebounds.
Radford fought to a 34-34 draw on the backboards, the second straight time that's happened.
"I'll trade a draw on the boards for a `W' any time," Travis said.\ See microfilm for box score.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL