Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 19, 1993 TAG: 9312190211
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CINCINNATI LENGTH: Medium
The Hokies followed a solid first half with a meek second half as Xavier of Ohio routed Tech 85-52 to pick up its 16th consecutive home victory, this one before a crowd of 6,374 at Cincinnati Gardens.
Tech's first loss came in its first game on an opponent's floor and ended the Hokies' hopes of beginning a season 5-0 for the first time since 1984-85.
Xavier's experience - coach Pete Gillen has three seniors and two juniors in his starting lineup - and its size battered Tech, which missed 28 of 35 field-goal attempts in the second half and was outscored 48-18. It was the Hokies' worst loss since Richmond beat them 84-51 in 1991, coach Bill Foster's first year at Tech.
"One of the reasons we scheduled a game like this early, particularly on the road, was to help us grow up," Foster said. "I didn't plan to get a four-year lesson in one night."
An 11-0 run in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the second half sparked the Musketeers, who led by as many as 35.
A body-knocking first half ended with Xavier, which had trailed for about 13 minutes, on top 37-34 because of a 6-0 run in the last 1 minute, 50 seconds.
That was just the prelude. When the Musketeers (4-1) unveiled their second-half spurt, Tech had no answer.
The Hokies' poor shooting and Xavier's inside game wore down Tech, which led for much of the first half as the Musketeers committed 14 turnovers.
"They just took us out of everything we wanted to do," Foster said. "They basically intimidated us."
The Hokies scored three points in the first eight minutes of the half.
"We just got our [backsides] handed to us," said Tech's Jim Jackson. "They're not that much better. I'm embarrassed."
A jumper by Xavier's Jeff Massey capped the 11-0 run, giving his team a 48-34 lead with 16:11 left. Tech's Shawn Good scored and Shawn Smith made a free throw, but six consecutive points by Xavier made it 54-37 with 12 minutes left, and the Musketeers' lead grew from there.
Massey led Xavier with 16 points, and wide frontcourt players Brian Grant, Larry Sykes and Erik Edwards combined for 32 points and 20 rebounds as the Musketeers outrebounded Tech 46-20.
"I heard a couple of 'em breathing hard," Massey said of the second-half run.
Added Sykes of Xavier's inside game:
"As the game went on, it got a little bit easier. I think they got tired."
The Hokies definitely got into foul trouble.
Freshman Ace Custis picked up his third with 7:56 to go in the first half, and Jimmy Carruth followed him to the bench with 5:40 left.
In that span, Xavier overcame a four-point deficit to go up 37-34 at halftime.
"It was frustrating. You couldn't get physical with them," said Custis, complaining mildly about the officiating. "We kept our heads in [in the second half], but we just couldn't get any breaks. Those big bodies leaning and pushing did have an effect on me down low."
Custis had season lows of two points and six rebounds. Jay Purcell shot 4-for-17 from the field, and Jim Jackson, who had scored 41 points in his previous two games, was 0-for-9.
The Musketeers, who hadn't played since Dec. 11 because of exams, shot 58.6 percent in the second half as Tech's usually stiff defense became disoriented. The Hokies, playing for the first time after a nine-day exam break, entered the game with a chance to hold five consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points for the first time since 1947-48, but Xavier passed the 60-point mark with 9:22 left in the game.
It wasn't exactly what Foster had in mind.
"He said tonight was a game that will determine how good we really are," Good said. "[But] we're capable of losing along with everybody else."
by CNB