Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 28, 1995 TAG: 9502280112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The 75-66 Southern Conference victory pushed VMI's record to 10-17 overall, doubling the Keydets' victory total each of the past two seasons.
Prince, a junior guard from Lord Botetourt High School, broke the season records for assists and steals. Prince has 63 steals, one more than Percy Covington had in 1989-90. He also has 169 assists, bettering the mark of 164 set by Mike Huffman in 1985.
Prince's record-tying assist couldn't have come at a better time for the Keydets, who watched an 18-point first-half lead dwindle to four points with 1:25 to play in the game.
Matt Newman, whose 13 points led the Bulldogs' charge in the second half, drove underneath for a basket that made it 68-64. After a VMI timeout, Prince found Lawrence Gullette on the right wing for a 3-pointer and the record-setting assist.
``My dad told me about the possibility of the records, but coming in tonight I really didn't think about it,'' Prince said. ``But it felt good, I'm not going to lie.''
Prince finished with eight points, five assists and one steal. Gullette, a junior forward, led the Keydets with 19 points and nine rebounds. Senior center Lester Johnson added eight points and 10 rebounds.
Newman had 22 points and 16 rebounds to pace the Bulldogs. Moncrief Michael was held to nine points and seven rebounds after getting in early foul trouble.
Michael averages a team-high 14.1 points per game and scored a career-high 35 against the Keydets in The Citadel's 84-69 victory Feb.6 in Charleston, S.C.
``We knew they were looking hard for Moncrief and I thought our guys did a good job on him,'' said Bart Bellairs, VMI's first-year coach. ``That really took a lot out of us in the first half.''
VMI is 6-8 in the league and will open the conference tournament as the No.4 seed in the Northern Division. The Keydets will face the Southern Division's No.5 seed, Georgia Southern, at 7 p.m. Thursday in Asheville, N.C.
The Citadel (11-15, 6-8), the No.3 seed in the Southern Division, will play East Tennessee State, No.2 in the Northern, at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
THE CITADEL(66)
Michael 2-8 5-6 9, Jenkins 1-4 0-0 3, Newman 8-17 6-11 22, Leonard 5-8 0-1 10, Castillo 4-14 2-2 14, Glad 0-0 0-0 0, London 1-11 0-1 2, Gowdown 0-0 0-0 0, Cunningham 3-5 0-0 6. Totals 24-67 13-21 66.
VMI(75)
Gullette 7-17 1-3 19, Buss 2-6 1-2 6, L.Johnson 1-5 6-8 8, Prince 4-10 0-3 8, Woolsey 1-2 0-2 3, Spencer 2-4 0-0 4, W.Johnson 2-3 1-2 5, Taueg 1-7 2-2 5, Byrd 1-1 2-2 5, Spinelli 1-1 0-0 2, Osborne 2-3 0-0 4, Grinage 3-5 0-0 3. Totals 27-64 13-24 75.
Halftime-42-27, VMI. Three-point goals-The Citadel 5-16 (Jenkins 1-1, Castillo 4-13, London 0-2), VMI 8-22 (Gullette 4-7, Buss 1-5, Prince 0-1, Woolsey 1-2, Spencer 0-2, Taueg 1-4, Byrd 1-1). Rebounds-The Citadel 42 (Newman 16), VMI 47 (Grinage 11). Assists-The Citadel 12 (Michael 4, London 4), VMI 15 (Prince 5). Total fouls-The Citadel 20, VMI 21. A-2,877.
by CNB