Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 1, 1995 TAG: 9501030086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
But it's not. And, although it was ugly, Tech's 68-53 win over Delaware State at Cassell Coliseum was the Hokies' eighth in a row and has them at 10-1 for the second straight season.
Point guard Shawn Good made four 3-pointers and scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half as Tech pulled away from the 3-6 Hornets, who were playing in their sixth consecutive road game.
But in the first half Tech didn't play like a team seeking a top 25 spot and some national recognition.
Delaware State shot only 28.6 percent in the first half, but packed in a 2-3 zone defense that limited the Hokies to 39 percent shooting (1-for-7 on 3-pointers) and trailed only 26-22 at halftime.
``We weren't mentally ready,'' Tech forward Shawn Smith said. ``We didn't attack the zone in the first half.''
But the Hokies finally made Delaware State pay for collapsing on Smith and forward Ace Custis when Good got hot in the second half.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Good during a one-minute stretch gave Tech a 39-26 lead with 14 minutes, 40 seconds left.
``I thought Shawn Good stepped up and got us going in the second half,'' Tech coach Bill Foster said. ``He did a nice job of loosening up their zone.''
Foster was battling a stomach virus and watched the game's finish from the court's entrance tunnel. The Hokies may have been battling overconfidence after learning that Nebraska had beaten the Hornets 94-52 on Thursday.
``They [the Hokies] came in all smiles yesterday after they saw that Nebraska won by 42,'' Foster said. ``They were thinking that since we beat Nebraska, maybe we'll beat them [Delaware State] by 60. But Nebraska is a team that can consistently knock down the jump shots. You can't zone Nebraska or Illinois; they've got too many shooters.''
Foster expects the Hokies to see plenty of zone defenses during the Metro season, which Tech opens at Tulane on Thursday.
``We're not a pure shooting team,'' Foster said. ``I am sure that as this game film makes the rounds, this is not the last time we will see the 2-3 zone.''
But when Good finally opened up the Hornets' zone, Custis (15 points, 9 rebounds) and Smith (12 points, 7 rebounds) benefited the most. The two combined for 15 points and seven rebounds in the second half.
``We had to find a way to beat that zone,'' Custis said. ``Shawn Good opened the zone by hitting those 3s from the top; once he started doing that, that spread the zone out.''
Custis exchanged pleasantries with Delaware State's Keith Stagg before the game. The two played against each other in high school when Custis was at Northampton and Stagg was on Nansemond River's 1992 Group AA state championship team.
``We slapped hands and said, `What's up?''' Custis said. ``Today was the first time I've played against somebody from high school."
Delaware State did not arrive in Blacksburg until 11:30 p.m. Friday because of flight problems in Chicago. Coach Fred Goodman says it was his intention to try to slow the Hokies' down.
``We tried to make them shoot from the outside by playing a 2-3 zone,'' Goodman said. ``They beat us from the outside and Shawn Good knocked down some big shots. We did not match up well with Tech and their athleticism showed.''
by CNB