Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 14, 1993 TAG: 9302140095
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FERRUM LENGTH: Medium
FERRUM MAKES A STRONG CASE FOR NO. 1 RANKING
It soon will be time for another new installment of the South Region shuffle.Last week, the NCAA Division III regional rankings listed Christopher Newport as the best basketball team in the South. But you'd have a hard time finding believers after an insubordinate Ferrum team toppled the Captains 80-68 Saturday at Swartz Gymnasium.
With the victory, third-ranked Ferrum (17-5 overall, 8-1 Dixie) took over sole possession of first place in the Dixie Conference. Wednesday night, the Panthers play host to Greensboro (6-2 Dixie), which handed Ferrum its only conference loss two weeks ago.
"Ferrum should certainly be ahead of us," Christopher Newport coach C.J. Woollum said. "Right now, they are a better team. They are much better than they were last year, and that's saying a lot about defending [conference] champions.
"There was nothing magical about the game today. They just whipped us."
It was the third time this season Ferrum has beaten the South's No. 1 team. The Panthers won at Christopher Newport and defeated Emory & Henry - now No. 2 - when the Wasps were top dog. E&H later beat Ferrum.
"We don't think we're No. 3," Ferrum point guard Quincy Quick said. "We've definitely got something to prove."
The poll is released on Tuesday. Certainly, the Captains (19-4, 7-2) will be demoted, but where will Ferrum wind up?
"If it was up to me, I'd have Ferrum one, us two and Emory three," Woollum said. "But I think it will be Emory one, Ferrum two and us three."
Said Ferrum coach Bill Pullen: "I think the committee is going to have to seriously consider who goes first. But it's out of our control now. We did what we had to do on the court."
The Panthers took control of the game with a 19-3 first-half run, then kept cool during a second-half push by the Captains. The first-half run lifted Ferrum to a 30-14 lead, and the Panthers led 40-31 at the half.
Guard Walter Webb scored 13 of his 19 points and forward Sean Conyers had 10 of his 12 in the half.
With the shot clock seldom dipping into the 20s, Christopher Newport jacked up 35 first-half shots but connected on only 10 (28.6 percent).
For the first 16 minutes of the second half, Ferrum kept the Captains five to 11 points behind. But Tracy Stith made a 15-footer and, a steal and seven seconds later, Brian Poarch made a short jumper as Christopher Newport inched to 64-61 with 3:53 left.
Then Ferrum scored 10 straight points - six by Quick - to lock up the win. Quick made seven of eight free throws and scored 11 of his 16 points in the final 3:02.
"I hadn't been playing well," Quick said. "But Coach Pullen said the team needed me. I asserted myself more in the final minutes."
Webb said the Panthers never flinched during the Captains' run.
"Coach Pullen puts us in that situation in practice - up three or down three," Webb said. "All he asks is that we pass and cut and take an open shot. We don't worry because we've been in that situation many times, both in practice and games."
James Boykins led Christopher Newport with 16 points, and point guard Steve Artis added 13 on 4-of-16 shooting. \
see microfilm for box score