Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 8, 1995                   TAG: 9501100026
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: TUSCALOOSA, ALA.                                  LENGTH: Short

ALABAMA BOLTS PAST VMI QUICKLY 93-67

Jamal Faulkner scored 23 points, including 15 in the first half, as Alabama broke away quickly and used a balanced attack to beat cold-shooting VMI 93-67 in college basketball Saturday.

Alabama (9-3) reeled off 17 unanswered points midway through the first half and opened a 36-13 advantage over the Keydets (2-6) when Terrance Bethel scored back-to-back layups.

Coming off a 48-30 halftime lead, Alabama buried VMI with a 24-9 run, capped by Faulkner's turnaround jumper with 11 minutes, 44 seconds left.

``We wanted to make them shoot from the outside, which backfired on us,'' VMI coach Bart Bellairs said. ``We did not execute the way we needed. This team [Alabama] is deeper than any team we've faced, including North Carolina. They are a Final Four team if they keep playing hard.''

Jason Caffey finished with 13 points to become the 31st Alabama player to score 1,000 points in his career. Eric Washington also had 13 for Alabama, 10 in the second half, and Antonio McDyess had 12.

Lawrence Gullete had 21 points to lead the Keydets. Aron Buss had 15, hitting five of his 11 3-point attempts.

Alabama shot 50 percent from the field, to 33 percent for VMI.

``We shot terrible from the floor and the free-throw line,'' Bellairs said. ``We live and die by shooting well.''