Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COLLEGE PARK, MD. LENGTH: Medium
There was a rumor circulating that Terri Garland was starting at point guard for the Virginia Tech women's basketball team only because Lisa Leftwich was hurt.
True, Garland backed up Leftwich in 30 games last season. But Leftwich is a shooting guard this year.
``It wasn't a situation where [Garland] got this by default. She earned it,'' Tech coach Carol Alfano said.
Tuesday at Cole Field House, Garland played all but a fistful of minutes in Tech's 68-53 pounding of Maryland in the Women's Preseason National Invitation Tournament. She didn't have knockout numbers - seven points, four assists and four turnovers - but she did run Tech's attack against Maryland's aggressive man-to-man defense.
Senior center Jenny Root scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds as Tech (1-0) ripped its ACC opponent and moved into the 16-team tournament's second round. On Thursday, the Hokies play at Southwest Missouri State, which beat Marquette in Tuesday's first round.
Tech led 37-17 at halftime as Maryland shot 24.2 percent from the field, and the Hokies led by as many as 25 (60-35 with 5 minutes, 14 seconds left) in the second half before 6-for-15 free-throw shooting and turnovers against Maryland's press cut the margin.
Tech returned all but one player (starter Sue Logsdon) from last year's 24-6 NCAA Tournament team. Maryland went 15-13 last year, lost its top three scorers and rebounders and on Tuesday its starters included two freshmen and a sophomore.
The Terrapins didn't throw on a game-long, full-court press, even though Tech's Leftwich sat with a stress fracture in her left thigh. Garland and Sherry Banks, from Dublin and Roanoke, respectively, started in the backcourt and played 62 of a possible 80 minutes.
Garland missed last season's Metro Tournament final and NCAA Tournament game with a dislocated shoulder.
``It was hard for me, especially when we made it to the [NCAA], to sit there and watch them play,'' Garland said.
Maryland coach Chris Weller was unglad about the Terrapins' outing. Her team wouldn't attack Tech's half-court zone trap and couldn't hit an outside jumper when Tech sagged inside. Weller, who has won 390 games in 20 years at Maryland, said it may have been ``a bit much to ask for us to be ready by November 15.''
Alfano, meanwhile, won her 250th career game and couldn't find much to complain about. The Hokies outrebounded Maryland 48-36 (junior Cynthia Lee and freshman Michelle Hollister contributed seven each), shot 54 percent from the field and had 16 assists (forward Christi Osborne had eight).
``We came in so prepared,'' Root said. ``We knew exactly what to expect. Nothing came as a surprise. When you come in that prepared, you've got to have some confidence.''
by CNB