Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 15, 1994 TAG: 9402150208
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The Keydets (4-17 overall, 2-11 conference) trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half and by eight at halftime. But VMI went on a 12-2 run in the opening three minutes of the second half to take a 40-38 lead.
Freshman Maurice Spencer drove the lane, was fouled and made two free throws to put the Keydets ahead.
The score see-sawed - with neither team leading by more than four points - until freshman Darryl Faulkner made a 3-pointer from the left side with 2 minutes, 25 seconds to play to put the Keydets up for good at 70-68.
Western Carolina's Anquell McCollum made one of two free throw attempts after being fouled by Faulkner which made it 70-69, but VMI's Warren Johnson tipped in a Jonathan Goodman miss at the other end before Gullette's crucial 3-pointer.
"I told our guys at halftime that we had to get more physical in the second half because they were pushing us around in the first half, and that was the difference," said Joe Cantafio, VMI's coach.
The Keydets were outrebounded 24-17 in the first half, shot 37 percent from the field and 44 percent from the free-throw line.
In the second half, VMI improved to 52 percent field-goal shooting and 76 percent free-throw shooting and held a 23-17 rebounding advantage.
"For the first time this season, we got outhustled," Western Carolina coach Benny Dees said. "This was our most lackadaisical effort this season. We played absolutely no defense in the second half."
Frankie King, a 6-foot-1 junior guard and the conference's top scorer, had 37 points, most of them inside, and a team-high 11 rebounds to lead Western Carolina (9-13, 6-8).
Gullette finished with a team-high nine rebounds and 19 points for VMI. Bryan Woolsey added 14 points and Goodman 12 off the bench. Johnson and Faulkner added 11 points each.
"We won the game and only shooting 45 percent, but it seems that when we shoot in the 40s, we have a chance," Cantafio said.
VMI made a 13-4 run to trail 21-19 with 7:50 to go in the first half. Woolsey made two 3-pointers in the streak and Faulkner added another. But Western Carolina outscored the Keydets 15-9 the rest of the way to take a 36-28 halftime lead.
by CNB