Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 14, 1993 TAG: 9302150267
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE WINS 5TH IN A ROW FROM GENERALS
Washington and Lee led Roanoke College by seven points midway through the first half of Saturday night's Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's basketball game.In the next 10 minutes, the game slipped away from the Generals and blended quietly into their dismal season.
After an early slumber, the Maroons made a strong dash to halftime and on to their fourth straight win, 82-64, in front of a large-but-sedate Bast Center crowd.
It was the 15th loss in 17 games for W&L (5-16 overall, 3-13 ODAC) and its fifth straight loss to Roanoke.
"It's been a loooong season," said W&L coach Verne Canfield.
The Generals kept the pace slow and led 17-10 on a stickback by Robert Miggins with 10:21 remaining in the first half.
"We just came out flat," Roanoke coach Page Moir said. "The guys were jacked up to play, but W&L mixed defenses, slowed us up and kept us from getting the start we would have liked.'
Roanoke perked up and finished the half on a 24-6 run, getting points from seven players. Hilliary Scott and Mike Thornton each hit 3-pointers and reserve guard Stan Clements hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Maroons (17-5, 12-4) a 34-23 lead.
W&L trailed 30-23 and had the ball with the shot clock off. Canfield yelled for his team to take one shot, but Bryan Watkins drove and missed a layup with 40 seconds left.
"They were instructed to get one shot, but something got lost in the translation," Canfield said. "In the last four minutes of the half, we played extremely ineffective/dumb basketball. And we paid for it."
Clements hit a free throw and the 3-pointer in the final 37 seconds.
W&L shot 8-for-24 in the half and committed 13 turnovers.
"We wanted to play a halfcourt game and not give them points off their press," Canfield said. "Our game plan was working until we missed some shots. Then we started thinking and we missed even more."
Scott scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half.
The second half was without drama. The Generals twice cut the lead to 11 but got no closer.
Mark Connelly and Cam Dyer led W&L with 17 points each.
For the Maroons, Bryant Lee had 11 and Kevin Martin 10.
Roanoke point guard Dustin Fonder finished with seven assists and nine points on 4-for-5 shooting. Fonder, who entered the game with 19 field goals in 21 games, ignored the bucket in the first half.
"Coach yelled at me pretty good," Fonder said. "I was trying to get everybody else involved. He told me they were backing off me and I looked stupid not shooting, so step up and shoot."
Fonder was 3-for-4 in the second half and scored five straight on a long jumper and a 3-pointer to give Roanoke a 57-39 lead with 11:50 left.
\ NOTE: Scott, a junior from Lynchburg, is nine points short of becoming the 22nd player in Roanoke history to score 1,000 points. Scott, who has scored in double figures all 22 games this season, is expected to reach 1,000 at home against Guilford on Wednesday. \
see microfilm for box score