Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 27, 1993 TAG: 9302270074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DIVISION III BID UP FOR GRABS IN ODAC FINAL
Two teams, one bid.That's all that remains this weekend in the 1993 men's Old Dominion Athletic Conference basketball tournament.
Today's final at the Salem Civic Center will indeed be final for either third-seeded Randolph-Macon or fourth-seeded Virginia Wesleyan. With eight losses each, neither team can expect an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
But an automatic bid awaits the champion. The game will tip off at 3 p.m., following the women's championship between Bridgewater and Roanoke.
"All that's left to do is toss the ball in the air and go after it," said Marlins' coach Terry Butterfield. "I expect a knock-down, drag-out affair."
Each team pulled off a jarring upset in Thursday's semifinals. Virginia Wesleyan rallied from six points down with 50 seconds remaining to force overtime and trash top-seeded Emory & Henry 90-76. The Jackets downed No. 2 Roanoke 60-59 on a last-second 18-footer by freshman Kurt Axe.
"It was a whale of a night," Butterfield said. "You couldn't find two more exciting games in all of college basketball. That was what the sport is all about."
The Yellow Jackets - whose offensive patience checks the Marlins' up-tempo game - swept the season series from Virginia Wesleyan with wins by four and six points.
"Our kids are very anxious to play, because we feel we haven't played up to our capabilities against them," Butterfield said. "Of course, Macon forced us to play frustrated basketball because of their approach.
"We're as focused and as together as we have been all season. Hopefully, we'll have blinders on. We need a win, as does Macon. It's difficult to get much respect with eight losses."
Randolph-Macon is led by point guard Axe and 6-foot-7 forward Troy Smith, who had 24 points against Roanoke.
The Marlins are powered by forwards Rick Chalk and Walt Lassiter. Lassiter keyed Virginia Wesleyan's semifinal win with 38 points and 4-for-4 3-point shooting.
This is Virginia Wesleyan's first trip to the championship game in its four years since joining the ODAC. The Marlins lost in the semifinals the past two seasons.
\ ALL-ODAC TEAM: Junior forward Hilliary Scott of Roanoke leads the 1993 All-ODAC team, but Randolph-Macon had the player, coach and freshman of the year.
Hal Nunnally coached senior center Troy Smith as the top player and teammate Kurt Axe took freshman honors.
The first and second teams:
First team: Hilliary Scott, Roanoke; Troy Smith, Randolph-Macon; Rick Chalk, Virginia Wesleyan; Vaughn Troyer, Eastern Mennonite; Anthony Cummings, Lynchburg
Second team: Paul Ferrell, Guilford; Derek Elmore, Emory & Henry; Ashley Watson, Bridgewater; Everett Joyner, Hampden-Sydney; Walt Lassiter, Virginia Wesleyan