Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 5, 1994 TAG: 9403050165
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: From Associated Press and staff reports
DATELINE: ASHEVILLE, N.C. LENGTH: Long
\ Davidson fought off a case of nerves Friday night in the second round of the Southern Conference tournament by going where the Wildcats are most comfortable - the free-throw line.
Davidson used an 8-0 run midway through the second half and showed its free-throw shooting mettle down the stretch to hold off VMI 71-61.
"We expected to win and we really had to fight that problem of playing not to lose," said coach Bob McKillop, whose Wildcats posted the most victories by the school since the 1969-70 season.
Second-seeded Davidson (21-6), a winner of 12 of 13, advanced to the semifinal round despite shooting 38 percent, its second lowest figure of the season. Davidson offset its poor shooting by outrebounding VMI 45-32.
Davidson went on its run after the Keydets (5-23) had tied the score at 45 with 10 minutes, 13 seconds remaining. George Spain scored two key baskets during the spurt, while VMI committed three costly turnovers in a span of 1:24.
"In the second half we missed a couple of easy layups," said Joe Cantafio, VMI's coach. "But we gave a maximum effort. It's fortunate that our young kids got a taste of tournament play. We did not get beat by 25 [points] and leave."
The Wildcats, the nation's second best free-throw shooting team at 75.7 percent, iced the game from the line, making 12 of 14 in the final 5:19. For the game, Davidson was 26-of-36 at the line.
"If it comes down to a free-throw shooting contest you might as well pack it in," Cantafio said. "That's a very good basketball team."
Janko Narat led Davidson with 20 points, 14 in the second half.
Jonathan Goodman and Lester Johnson scored 13 each for the Keydets.
Tenth-seeded VMI was trying to become the first team since Duke in 1950 to win two tournament games as the bottom seed. The Keydets became the first team in 38 seasons to win a game as a last seed Thursday night with an 84-62 upset of Marshall.
"We used everything in the kitchen sink," Cantafio said of his team's bid for a second consecutive upset.
"They played with heart, courage and guts," McKillop said of the Keydets.
VMI grabbed an 11-4 lead in the first five minutes, but then couldn't solve Davidson's zone, scoring only one basket in eight minutes as the Wildcats went up 17-13. \
VMI 84, Marshall 62: On Thursday, it wasn't the way Marshall coach Dwight Freeman wanted to go out - hugging his athletic director with tears in his eyes, his dejected players a few feet away.
The Thundering Herd had just become part of Southern Conference history - bad history for them.
VMI became the first last-seeded team to win a Southern Conference tournament game in 38 seasons, using a 25-2 first-half run and a full-court press to down stunned Marshall 84-62 on Thursday night.
"I feel sad. I wish things worked out differently," Freeman said after the game, his eyes filling with tears. "I wish we had been more successful. I've learned a lot of things. I've learned to appreciate how things need to be done."
Freeman finished four years as the Herd's coach with a 46-62 record and with one of the program's most embarrassing losses in recent memory.
The Keydets (5-22), seeded 10th, made 15 of their first 23 field-goal attempts to advance to a quarterfinal Friday night against second-seeded Davidson.
"We saved our best game for tonight," said Joe Cantafio, VMI's coach. "We buried some [3-pointers] in the first half and took care of the basketball."
The Keydets, the worst shooting team in the league, went 8-for-11 from 3-point range to bolt to a 39-17 lead 4 minutes, 21 seconds before halftime. Marshall never trailed by fewer than seven points in the second half.
The last time a bottom seed won a Southern Conference tournament game was in 1956, when Washington and Lee beat George Washington 63-60 as a No. 8 seed.
Jonathan Goodman led the Keydets, losers of eight of nine coming into the game, with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Darryl Faulkner also scored 18 points.
Seventh-seeded Marshall (9-18) was hurt by 16 first-half turnovers. Those miscues led to 19 points for VMI.
Marshall was held without a basket for about 7 1/2 minutes as the Keydets built their cushion.
The Thundering Herd did close to 48-41 early in the second half as VMI started the period 1-for-10 from the field. But Goodman took control inside, and Faulkner started hitting again from the outside to hold off Marshall's charge.
"We had our primary scorers on the bench," Freeman said of his team's spurt. "We had to get players on the floor who could guard somebody and do some things defensively. Our best defenders are not our best scorers."
VMI hit 15 free throws in the final 5 1/2 minutes to seal the victory.
"They had to force some shots at the end, and fortunately we will be playing [Friday]," Cantafio said.
Troy Gray led Marshall with 17 points and 12 rebounds. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.