Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 29, 1995 TAG: 9511290086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The 1995-96 season opener for Virginia Tech was a day at the beach.
Of course, what else would the nation's 22nd-ranked basketball team expect against Coastal Carolina.
Opening their season of high expectations in rousing fashion, the Hokies entertained a Cassell Coliseum crowd of 7,791 on Tuesday night with a 93-49 kick-sand-in the-face job of the visitors from Conway, S.C.
Coach Bill Foster, playing the role of traffic cop on his suddenly crowded Tech bench, got a good look at 12 of the 15 players on his roster.
``It was good to have a game like this now where we could play 12 guys,'' Foster said. ``It's different, I tell you. Last year [with basically seven players], I didn't have to make decisions, so I couldn't mess up.''
Junior forward Ace Custis, who lit up the crowd with five dunks, paced six Hokies scorers in double figures with 19 points.
Of the guys who didn't play last season, the most impressive was junior forward Jim Jackson. The twin brother of Tech swingman David Jackson had 15 points before spraining his left ankle with 5:06 to play.
``Last year it's my back. Now this,'' said Jim Jackson, who likely will miss Saturday's game at William and Mary. ``I'll be back, though.
``It was really fun to be back out there again. After sitting around last year, I was really eager to play.''
Play, Jackson & Co. did. Tech quickly made the Chanticleers (1-1) look like a bunch of beach bums, running off 17 points to take a 19-4 lead through 61/2 minutes.
``I think having all these guys really makes us stronger,'' Custis said. ``We want to play everybody every game. I don't think anybody on this team is head and shoulders better than anybody else.''
With the exception of point guard Shawn Good, all of Tech's five returning starters scored in double figures. Soon after scoring his only basket of the game - a steal on an inbounds play that was punctuated by one of his patented jump-to-the-rafters dunks - Good sat with a pulled left groin. He is listed as probable for the William and Mary game.
``Last year, it would would have really been tough on us with two guys doubtful after the first game,'' Foster said. ``We do have a lot of cards to play this year.''
Of the newcomers, Roanoke native Troy Manns, spelling Good at the point, had six points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. Post players Keefe Matthews and Alvaro Torwere limited to one point and three rebounds in 22 minutes.
Two other new faces, sophomore forward Shawn Browne and freshman forward Andre Ray, did not see action. Foster said he would like to redshirt both.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB