Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 3, 1995 TAG: 9501130014
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
There was a distinct void in the Roanoke College lineup as the Maroons played an opening-round game against Alfred (N.Y.) in the second edition of the tournament, which honors the memory of Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993, and raises money for cancer research.
The familiar face missing was that of Maroons captain Bryant Lee, who went home to Bena for the funeral of his father, Waldron Lee, who died New Year's Eve after a long battle with brain cancer.
Roanoke missed the senior forward - the Maroons' leading scorer and rebounder - but was able to hang on for an 82-76 victory over the Saxons (1-5).
Roanoke (7-1) will face Lynchburg, an Old Dominion Athletic Conference rival, at 7:30 p.m. today for the tournament title. Alfred will meet Muhlenberg, a 74-63 loser to the Hornets, in the consolation game at 5 p.m.
``It's a sad irony,'' said Page Moir, the Maroons' coach. ``That's one of the reasons why we're donating to this great cause. Cancer affects everybody. There can't be anyone walking around out there who hasn't been touched by it in some way.''
Lee, the tournament's MVP last year, will miss tonight's game, but likely will be back when Roanoke plays at Washington and Lee on Saturday.
Senior Darnell Norman made his first start in Lee's absence and responded with five points and one rebound against Alfred, which played with intensity and skill that belied its record.
The Maroons, ranked first in the NCAA Division III South Region poll, built a 25-18 lead, but watched the Saxons go on a 16-0 run.
Junior guard Akil Stewart, who matched his previous career high of 11 points in the first half, got Roanoke back on track by scoring six in a 10-2 run that gave the Maroons a 40-39 halftime lead.
Moir said Lee's absence was felt most on defense.
``There were times on defense where it looked like we were spectating instead of making things happen,'' he said. `` ... It was like we were turning a faucet on and off, and most of the time it was off.''
Roanoke, however, was into the flow offensively in the second half, making its first six field-goal attempts - including 3-pointers by Stewart and freshman A.J. Hamlin - to take a 55-46 lead.
Senior center Joe Schranz gave the Maroons their biggest lead of the game - 57-46 - on a basket underneath with 13 minutes, 26 seconds remaining.
But Jason Amore kept the Saxons' hopes alive almost single-handedly by scoring 12 points in a 16-8 run that pulled Alfred to 65-62. Amore's barrage included three 3-pointers.
Alfred tied the score at 76 with 1:49 to play on a basket by Jerrold Skillon, but Hamlin managed five free throws down the stretch for the Maroons that provided the final margin.
``We thought they'd give us a good game. We saw on tape that they have a lot of talented players,'' Moir said. ``They were intense and they deserve to have a better record than they do.
``I think at times we could have played better, but if you lose a good player they don't make you play five-on-four. I thought Darnell [Norman] and Derrick [Boykin] played pretty well and did some good things out there.''
Sophomore guard Jason Bishop led the Maroons with 20 points. Stewart added 18 and Hamlin 16, career highs for both players, while Schranz added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
``Everybody had to pick it up a little because of B. Lee,'' Stewart said. ``We were fine on offense, but our defensive intensity was a little off. But we didn't really know how to react [without Lee] until the game was played. We missed him a lot.''
Amore led the Saxons with 25 points, including six 3-pointers. Cyrus Nesbit added 15 points. and Frankie Harris, Alfred's leading scorer with an average of 17.6 per game, was held to 11.
Lynchburg 74, Muhlenberg 63: Otis Tucker scored a team-high 25 points as the Hornets struggled past the Mules to advance to the championship game of the Domino's-Valvano Classic.
Lynchburg (3-4) trailed 9-0, but rallied behind 13 first-half points by Tucker to take a 28-26 lead.
The Hornets, who shot 35 percent from the field in the first half, improved to 57 percent in the second half and 45 percent for the game.
Muhlenberg (5-4) was doomed by poor shooting, converting 24 of 61 attempts from the field (39 percent). The Mules were paced by junior center Chris Bedell, with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
(Box scores in Scoreboard. B4)
NOTES: Game jerseys autographed by coaches Gary Williams (Maryland), Dave Odom (Wake Forest) and Bob Huggins (Cincinnati), as well as shoes signed by Charlotte Hornets star Larry Johnson, will be among the items raffled off at halftime of the championship game. Raffle tickets are $3, and money raised benefits the V Foundation and the Roanoke chapter of the American Cancer Society. ... Jawbones vs. Sawbones II, a fund-raising basketball game between local attorneys and doctors, will take place between tonight's games. ... Tickets for the games are $4 and can be purchased at the door.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB