Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 26, 1995 TAG: 9511280010
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
In track and field terms, Radford University's basketball team showed an outstanding closing kick Saturday night.
The Highlanders shot 57.1 percent from the floor and made all but one of their seven second-half free-throw attempts to pull away for a 92-77 victory over tiring Tennessee-Martin in Radford's season opener at the Dedmon Center.
``You always want to open with a victory, and that was a good one,'' said Radford guard Anthony Walker, who scored 20 points to go with a team-high six assists.
Walker shared team scoring honors with fellow guard Jason Lansdown, who added four assists.
``The usual guys, Anthony and Jason, carried us,'' Radford coach Ron Bradley said.
They didn't have to do all the heavy lifting as nine Highlanders scored.
It was the second game in as many nights for Tennessee-Martin (0-2), which opened with an 84-65 loss at Virginia on Friday.
``We were up late and left early and didn't have any time to go over much today,'' Skyhawks coach Cal Luther said. ``Radford is too good a team to play them without adequate preparation.''
The first half was engaging entertainment. Aside from the back-and-forth aerobics of the play itself, a politely reserved audience was given liberal looks at the new Radford players, including guard Marquiz Williamson and forwards Mike Petin (the North Carolina-Wilmington transfer) and Jermaine ``Kojak'' Williams.
An old player with a new look was forward Eric Bowens, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound junior muscleman from Durham, N.C. Bowens scored all eight of his first-half points in a 3-minute, 2-second burst starting with a short jumper at 13:49. He added five rebounds.
Bowens finished with 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds (Radford won that department 32-29).
``He's had a great fall,'' Bradley said.
Added Walker: ``He's ready to play now.''
Bowens, who has gone through knee surgery the past two years, was acting like a man who had rededicated himself.
``I understand my role now,'' he said. ``I've swallowed my pride. I'm humble. I've got my bench press up to 315, and I feel healthy and strong.''
Tennessee-Martin clearly loved the breakneck pace as much as Radford did. Flogged on by the near constant barking of their coach, the venerable 35-year veteran (Longwood among his stops) Luther, the Skyhawks got 13 points from forward Michael Hart to keep pace in the first half. Hart finished with 25 to lead a quartet of double-figure scorers.
For Tennessee-Martin, guard DeWayne Powell made the Skyhawks' only two 3-point field goals and made all five of his free throws to finish with 17 points. Guard DeMarco Wright made 6-of-8 free-throw attempts on the way to 12 points. As a team, Tennessee-Martin made 23 of 29 free-throw attempts, compared to Radford's 11-of-12 free-throw shooting.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB