Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 12, 1995 TAG: 9502130042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: TAMPA, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
In a game that meant the difference between playing for first place in the Metro Conference on Thursday at UNC Charlotte and being tied for fifth, the Hokies ventured into the Sun Dome and got burned by South Florida 68-66 on Saturday night.
The loss dropped Tech's record to 17-6 overall and 3-4 in the Metro. The Hokies' four league losses have come by a combined 13 points.
When Shawn Smith's 3-point shot caromed off the rim with two seconds left, Tech was left wondering how it could play so poorly with so much at stake.
``We had a few guys tonight who didn't play hard and we just can't do that,'' said Bill Foster, the Hokies' coach.
``Our effort wasn't at the level it has been. I told our kids afterward that our effort didn't deserve a win. The only way we can be an effective team is for everybody to play hard.''
Besides Ace Custis, who had game highs of 21 points and 15 points, Shawn Good (12 points) and reserve guard Myron Guillory (five points, no turnovers in 16 minutes), the rest of the Hokies played as if they were on a Florida vacation.
Smith, a junior forward, struggled to season lows in points (eight) and rebounds (two).
``Ace had a monster game,'' Foster said, ``but the guy beside him [Smith] got two rebounds. Well, Ace can't do it all alone in there.''
South Florida (13-7, 3-4) made its living inside, scoring repeatedly in the low post and on second-chance opportunities.
Jesse Salters led the Bulls' musclemen inside, scoring 17 points and collecting 10 rebounds. He got plenty of help from 6-7 sophomore reserve James Harper, who had season highs of 15 points and six rebounds, and Jerome Robinson, who had 12 points.
``They controlled the glass all night long,'' said Custis, who single-handedly kept Tech close in the second half. ``They outplayed us and outhustled us on the glass. They were always there to get the ball and they came out with it.
``It's really upsetting. This was a big game. Now everything becomes a must-win situation. We can't afford anymore slips if we're going to do some damage in the league.''
South Florida led 57-51 midway through the second half before Tech began to chip away.
The Hokies caught up at 59 when Damon Watlington made a short baseline jumper with 6:19 left.
The Bulls scored the next five points in the paint to lead 64-59 with 4:42 left.
Smith connected from the lane and Custis scored on a follow shot to bring Tech back to 64-63.
Chucky Atkins, the top long-range bomber in the Metro, then bottomed a 3-pointer to make it 67-63.
A free throw by Custis and Smith's short jumper got Tech's deficit back to one with 38 seconds showing on the clock.
Following a Hokies timeout, the Bulls gave the ball to Atkins, who dribbled 28 seconds off the clock before Custis rushed to foul him.
``We said in the timeout, `When it gets to 17 seconds foul whoever's got the ball,''' Foster said. ``But Damon [guarding Atkins] let it go to nine. We would have bought six more seconds, and to me, that's a lot of difference.''
Atkins made the first free throw, but missed the second, leaving South Florida ahead by two with 9.6 seconds left.
On the inbounds pass, Good pitched the ball high to Smith, who dribbled a couple of times, and then launched his misguided 3-pointer.
``We weren't looking for a 3 out of Smitty,'' Foster said. ``We'd take a 3 out of a perimeter guy. We wanted either he or Ace to catch the ball and have the jumper or put it on the floor and try to draw the foul.
``We got what we wanted ... then Smitty floats out there and throws up a 3. If it goes in, that's wonderful, but that's not what we told 'em we wanted. Sometimes guys listen but they don't hear.''
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB