Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 30, 1993 TAG: 9312300070
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B10 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BOCA RATON, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
The question was not whether the Hokies would score 100 points for the first time during Bill Foster's three years as their coach, but how early.
Tech passed the mark with 7 minutes, 16 seconds remaining on a free throw by Shawn Smith as it bombarded winless Florida Atlantic 115-87 on Tuesday night at FAU Gymnasium.
The last time the Hokies scored more than 115 points was in a 141-133 double-overtime victory over Southern Mississippi in 1988. The Hokies had not scored 100 points in 131 games dating to the 1988-89 season.
"I remember scoring 99 points against Southern Miss my freshman year, but never 100 before," said senior guard Jay Purcell. "That was one of our goals after seeing [the Owls] on film."
All five Tech starters scored in double figures, led by sophomore guard Jim Jackson, who hit all seven of his field-goal attempts and finished 8-of-8 on free throws.
"When somebody mentioned it, no, I couldn't remember missing a shot," said Jackson, who scored a game-high 24 points. "But it wasn't anything I thought about during the game."
The Hokies (6-1) led by 38 points before taking a 63-28 halftime lead. That was more points than Tech scored in 11 games last season.
"It felt kind of funny because I wasn't sure how intense we were coming in to the game," Purcell said. "We always play good defense, but now we can score, too."
Tech scored the first 12 points and led 18-2 behind freshman Adrian "Ace" Custis, who quickly gained a convert in the Florida Atlantic public-address announcer, who hailed Custis' baskets with a lusty, "That's Ace."
The Hokies were without starting center Jimmy Carruth, who injured a foot Monday during practice, but they suffered little drop-off with Smith, making his first start of the season in the pivot.
Smith scored two of Tech's first three baskets on jump hooks, hitting a shot that was not in his repertoire last season.
"It's something I've been working on every day," said Smith, undersized for a college center at 6 feet 6. "Prior to this year, my jump hook was pretty ragged, but I'm too short not to have it."
Smith finished with 20 points and, like Jackson, posted a career high. Carruth will be out up to two weeks with a stress fracture.
The Hokies, who had shot 50 percent in only one of their first six games, hit 71 percent in the first half and 61.3 percent for the game. Florida Atlantic, which scored 59 points in the second half, shot 44.8 percent.
The victory gave the Hokies their best start since 1985-86, when they were 8-1.
Florida Atlantic (0-10) has lost 35 of 38 games in the past two seasons. The Owls, members of the Trans America Conference, are in their first season of Division I play. They had played seven consecutive road games before Tuesday night and have 10 home games all season.
The competition gets stiffer for the Hokies tonight, when they visit another Trans America member, Florida International. The Golden Panthers upset Tech last season in Blacksburg 57-44 but have lost five of their first seven games this season.
by CNB