Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 1, 1994 TAG: 9403010095
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Hokies, who led 18th-ranked Southern Mississippi by a dozen points in the second half, scored just six points in the game's last eight minutes Monday before watching Termekia Buchanan's layup tumble off the rim with about two seconds left to give Tech a 60-59 victory.
Lisa Leftwich's driving scoop with the shot clock nearing zero had given Tech a 60-56 lead with 42.9 seconds left, but a Tanya Bullock free throw and Janice Felder's 14-foot turnaround with 25 seconds left made it 60-59 Tech.
Leftwich was fouled with 15 seconds left, but missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Southern Mississippi pushed the ball upcourt, and, against Tech's zone and according to coach Kay James' directions, Nedra Hosey passed inside to Buchanan for what the USM forward called "an easy shot."
Her miss made it the hardest of endings for Southern Miss. Tech improved to 20-5 overall and 8-3 in the Metro Conference, postponing league-leading Southern Miss' bid for the regular-season Metro title. The Golden Eagles are 21-3 and 9-2 and need a victory Thursday at home against Virginia Commonwealth (3-21) to clinch the title.
Tech won its 25th straight game at Cassell Coliseum, in front of 1,876 spectators, and finished unbeaten at home (12-0) for the first time ever. It was Tech's first victory over a ranked team since it beat No. 13 South Carolina in the 1988-89 season.
With one regular-season game left, Tech solidified its chances to make the newly expanded 64-team NCAA Tournament as an at-large choice if it doesn't win the Metro tournament.
"We might have gotten out of the bubble and onto the table," said Tech coach Carol Alfano, whose team has won 20 games for the second straight year.
Buchanan could've had Tech in mourning. Tech's Christi Osborne, who leaped over to body Buchanan when she got the pass, said Buchanan may have been stuck slightly behind the backboard, making it a tougher shot.
"I was right under the basket," Buchanan said. "I just didn't take my time. I can't ask for anything better."
Said Leftwich: "I thought it was [good]. I was just praying, [saying], `If she makes this, it's all my fault."'
Leftwich, however, had keyed a 10-4 Hokies run to start the second half that put them up 46-34 with 14 minutes, 50 seconds left. She had eight points in the stretch.
The lead was 54-42 with 8:09 left before Southern Miss' press started bothering the Hokies. Tech wasted so much time getting the ball across halfcourt, it consistently ran the shot clock under five seconds before shooting.
Two baskets by USM star Felder - held in check most of the night by Tech's box-and-one defense - jump-started the Golden Eagles, who tied it at 56 on Bullock's jumper with 1:50 left.
But Tech's Sue Logsdon countered with an open 15-foot baseline jumper against USM's zone for a 58-56 Tech lead with 1:26 to go.
With Tech's shot clock running down, Leftwich hit the eventual game-winning shot on an improbable drive and scoop down the middle.
"They fanned out [defensively]. That was the shot to take," Alfano said.
It set up a finish neither team likely will soon forget.
"It happens like that sometimes," Felder said. "Not often, but sometimes."
by CNB