ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 30, 1996 TAG: 9601300107
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Virginia Tech's new basketball neighbors aren't exactly providing the Hokies with the Welcome Wagon treatment.
In yet another tough night at the Atlantic 10 Conference office, 13th-ranked Tech was pushed all the way before repelling stubborn St.Joseph's 85-76 before a crowd of 8,731 on Monday night at Cassell Coliseum.
``There's not going to be anything easy in this league,'' said Bill Foster, the Hokies' coach. ``I've been telling people all year that this is a tough league with a lot of good teams and tough places to play. I think people are starting to get the message.''
Tech played well. The Hokies had to in order to beat a good St.Joe's squad that took unbeaten and top-ranked Massassachusetts to overtime Jan.10.
The victory was the seventh in eight A-10 games for Tech (14-2 overall). Except for Saturday's 81-57 romp over Fordham, each has required a lot of effort.
``The biggest thing with the A-10 is we don't know what to expect from everybody,'' said Shawn Smith, a senior forward for Tech. ``But, honestly, the teams in this league are a little better, no question, than what I thought they'd be. No matter what your record is, they can take you down.''
The Hokies would have gone down Monday if not for some strong free-throw shooting. Tech went to the line a season-high 38 times, making 29. The Hokies, shooting 66.1 percent for the season, were 25-of-31 at the line in the second half. Twenty of the 24 points scored by Tech in the final 7:45 came from the stripe.
``We made a conscious effort to get the ball down low and draw some fouls,'' said Smith, who was 7-for-7 from the line en route to 13 points, all in the second half.
Guard Damon Watlington, who had 18 points to lead four Hokies scorers in double figures, was 10-for-10 at the line. Junior forward Ace Custis got seven of his 17 points courtesy via the free route.
``We've been working hard on our passing and offense the past couple of days,'' Custis said. ``We need to get back to getting the other team in foul trouble so we can get some easy points. Last year, we made more free throws than the other teams shot.''
Not quite, but close. Tech's opponents shot 614 free throws last season, 38 more than the Hokies made.
Tech's 29 free throws made were nine more than St.Joe's attempted. The Hawks were 18-of-20 from the stripe.
After the Hawks scored the first two baskets of the second half to take a 36-35 lead, the Hokies took the lead for good with a 6-0 run. Senior center Travis Jackson, who hit six of seven shots en route to 12 points, knocked down a jumper, then Smith canned back-to-back 17-footers.
Tech led 57-45 after Custis' layup with 8:57 to play, but the Hawks wouldn't quit. When guard Terrell Myers hit a short jumper with 3:02 left, the Hokies' lead was down to three, at 73-70.
But that's as close as the visitors from Philadelphia would get. Tech, getting fouled every trip down floor, put it away at the line, hitting 10 of 13 in the final 2:41.
Coach Phil Martelli, whose Hawks traveled to Blacksburg earlier this month only to see their Jan.7 game with Tech snowed out, left town impressed.
``I watch a lot of TV because I'm an insomniac,'' Martelli said. ``Anybody who doesn't believe that Virginia Tech is one of the top 10 teams in America is nuts.
``The Atlantic 10 must be the squeaky wheel or something. Tech loses one game [64-47 at George Washington on Thursday] and drops four spots in the poll, and an ACC team [Wake Forest] loses two games and and drops one. It's humorous.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM/Staff. Virginia Tech's Keefe Mathews dunks theby CNBball in front of St. Joseph's Duval Simmonds on Monday at Cassell
Coliseum in Blacksburg. The Hokies won 85-76. color.