Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 29, 1995 TAG: 9503290083
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Chances are good that the name of Maryville College has been taken in vain more than once on the campus of Roanoke College.
The Scots ended both the Roanoke men's and women's basketball seasons in NCAA Division III tournament competition played in Maryville, Tenn.
It was the second straight trip to the tournament for Roanoke men's coach Page Moir, who took over the program in 1989 and topped the 100-victory mark this season.
``I've been really optimistic every year I've been here that we can have a good squad and this year was no different coming off a fantastic season last year,'' said Moir, whose Maroons were 26-2 in 1993-94 and lost to Hampden-Sydney in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
``But I thought we might be able to go farther than that team. The experience was not there, but the talent was.''
Senior Bryant Lee, a first-team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference selection, was Roanoke's only returning starter from last season. Thrown into the mix were guards Jason Bishop, Akil Stewart and Nathan Hungate - all capable of prolific scoring - and big men Joe Schrantz, Tim Braun and Steve Camara.
The Maroons opened the season 9-1 (with the loss coming 93-68 to Division I Davidson), then hit a rough stretch, losing six of their next 11 games.
Roanoke finished the season strong with six straight victories before falling to Hampden-Sydney, the top-ranked team in the South Region, in the championship game of the ODAC tournament.
Roanoke earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and met up with Maryville on March 2 in the first round.
The Maroons got off to a bad start and battled back from 14 points down to take a five-point advantage in the second half. The lead changed hands several times down the stretch before Roanoke found itself with the ball and 42 seconds remaining.
The Maroons stalled briefly before Bishop drove to the basket. His attempt was blocked as the shot clock expired and the sophomore was called for a foul.
Maryville won the game 77-76 with two free throws in the final four seconds.
``It's just the luck of the draw,`` Moir said. ``I mean we were a shot and an offensive rebound from advancing. But then I think we'll have years where we advance farther than we should.
``We finished the season where we wanted to be - the NCAA Tournament. We just finished a few weeks before we wanted to.``
Playing the Scots was a different experience for the Roanoke men, who hadn't faced them since Maryville left the ODAC in 1988. But the Roanoke women know the Scots quite well.
Roanoke coach Susan Dunagan has led the Maroons to the national tournament the past six years. In three of those appearances, Roanoke has met up with Maryville for the right to advance.
In 1990, Roanoke became the first ODAC team to earn a bid to the women's Division III tournament. The Scots beat the Maroons in the first round with a two-point victory.
Roanoke faced Maryville in the tournament again in 1992 and earned revenge when Donna Cogar made a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer that won it for the Maroons.
``It's like the UVa women always having to play Tennessee. But the way we look at it is you've got to beat the best if you deserve to be there,`` said Dunagan, whose Maroons fell to the Scots 90-59 in the second round this season .
Dunagan said a lack of depth prompted her to pick Roanoke third in the ODAC in preseason voting, and third was exactly where the Maroons were midway through the season. But things changed Jan.31 when Roanoke defeated Maryville, then the top seed in the South Region.
``I think when we beat them, it helped both of us,'' Dunagan said. ``It gave us confidence to go finish the season strong and it gave them the revenge factor.''
The Maroons won their next seven games and earned the regular-season ODAC championship. They battled through three physical games to claim the ODAC tournament title and were rolling heading into their first-round NCAA game at Ferrum.
``By the time we got to the [NCAA] tournament, the kids needed to go with everything they had to beat Ferrum. By then, it was hard to get them back up to that level, physically and mentally [for Maryville],'' Dunagan said.
``As a coach, you can't help but sit down and say our chances are good, or it looks like this is going to be a lean year. ... I did not anticipate us doing as well as we did,'' Dunagan said.
The men's and women's NCAA Division III tournaments expanded to 64 teams this season, a move that Dunagan said will make bench depth even more imperative.
``You look at the ODAC and how much stronger the competition is getting and how much more competitive recruiting is getting. It's only going to get tougher and tougher,'' she said.
Moir said he thought expanding the tournament to the same number as the Division I event will have a positive effect.
``Two years ago we got left out when we should have gotten in,`` Moir said. ``I can't see where expanding the field will hurt the quality of the tournament.''
And if it's any consolation to Maroons fans, the Maryville men lost in the second round 88-86 to Millsaps (Miss.) in double overtime. The Maryville women fell to Wisconsin-Oshkosh 83-67 in the sectionals.
by CNB