Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 29, 1995 TAG: 9501300071
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
Coming off tough back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Louisville, the Hokies walked into a potential trap at Liberty University and proceeded to torch the outmanned Flames 101-70.
Tech's 14th victory in 19 games was sealed before some of the crowd of 8,547 could slip and slide through the snow and ice to the Vines Center.
Putting on a virtual clinic, the Hokies hit 11 of their first 15 field-goal attempts and led 23-9 before the game was seven minutes old.
``We knew we had to bury them quick,'' said forward Ace Custis, who led Tech with game-high totals of 25 points and 11 rebounds. ``We wanted to jump on 'em early, not give them any confidence and keep the crowd out of the game. If you let a team like that hang around and get confidence, it's like any shot is good.''
The Flames (8-9) had trouble hitting any of their shots. Liberty had more turnovers (six) than field goals (five) in the first 13 minutes.
``They handled us from start to finish,'' said Jeff Meyer, the Flames' coach. ``I feel like I just got hit by a Mack truck.''
The Hokies weaved and passed their way through the porous Liberty defense in the first half for layups, jams and stick-backs.
At halftime, Tech led 47-25. Of the Hokies' 22 field goals, 18 came from five feet or closer.
The Hokies also handled the ball well. Tech had only first-half turnover, that coming on sixth-man Myron Guillory's bad pass with 1 minute, 45 seconds left before intermission.
``I don't know if we can play any better than that,'' said Bill Foster, Tech's coach. ``I was really impressed with the way our guys responded and stayed focused.
``Everything was set up for us to take a fall. We were coming off a couple of gut-wrenchers and we got here just into time to play. I was concerned about it. I wasn't concerned if we came to play, but I didn't know with all the circumstances we'd be emotionally ready to play.''
The Hokies were ready, all right. After the Louisville loss, Custis and Shawn Good called a players-only meeting and laid down the law.
``They're the two team leaders, and they said it was time to get our act together,'' said Tech's Shawn Smith. ``We want to make a run for the dance [the NCAA Tournament] this year. We all decided it was time to get back to playing Virginia Tech-style basketball, which starts with good pressure defense.''
Working the Flames like a Bourbon Street pickpocket, the Hokies had 12 steals, most of which led to easy baskets.
Tech, which won by three in its only other trip to the Vines Center in 1991-92 and lost in Blacksburg to the Flames the next season, realized it had to take care of business.
``If we had come in here and lost to Liberty, the [NCAA Tournament's selection] committee people probably would have said we don't deserve to be in,'' Smith said. ``So, yeah, this was a must win.''
Tech, which hit 38 of 64 shots from the floor (59.4 percent), got 19 points from Smith and a season-high 15 points from junior center Travis Jackson.
Good continued his great play, coming up with five steals and hitting eight of 13 shots en route to 19 points.
Sophomore center Peter Aluma, whom Smith called an ``NBA lottery pick'' before Saturday's game, paced the Flames with 19 points.
``We just weren't ready,'' Aluma said. ``Our carelessness hurt us.''
The victory enabled Tech to gain a split in a four-game road stretch that included games against Marquette, North Carolina and Louisville. The Hokies are home this week against Southern Mississippi on Thursday and Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
``Seven of our last 10 have been on the road in some tough houses,'' Foster said. ``We went 4-3 and had a chance to win the other three.
``What I like about this bunch is that they motivate each other. I rarely have to give them a ``go out and win it for the Gipper' speech.''
by CNB