ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602190132
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LEXINGTON
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
ALL FIVE KEYDETS starters hit double figures to keep their home record flawless.
All the numbers looked good for VMI on Saturday, but if you're picking four, try these: 7, 12, 37 and 3,878.
It was the Keydets' seventh consecutive victory, and 12th win in a row at home this year. They made 37 free throws (out of 46 attempts), pleasing a vast majority among the crowd of 3,878, the second-largest turnout of the season.
All five Keydet starters scored in double figures as VMI downed Southern Conference basketball opponent Marshall 103-94 at Cameron Hall.
Senior Lawrence Gullette led the Keydets with 26 points (21 in just 12 minutes in the first half), and freshman Brent Conley scored 20, the third consecutive game he has achieved that total.
VMI's Bobby Prince, the leading free-throw shooter in the conference, made 13 of 15 free throws while scoring 19 points, and Lester Johnson and Maurice Spencer contributed 14 points each.
Thus, VMI's starting unit accounted for 93 points, just one fewer than Marshall's entire squad.
``We're playing great as a team,'' Conley said. ``Everything's coming together; it's all happening for us.''
``I think the biggest key today was this great crowd,'' said Bart Bellairs, VMI's coach. ``Of course, everybody here today has got to come back Monday night and bring two more people with them.''
The Keydets seek to close their unbeaten season at home Monday against Davidson, which improved its record to 20-3 on Saturday with an 82-54 victory over The Citadel.
Davidson, unbeaten in conference play, will have an impressive string of its own on the line Monday: the Wildcats have reeled off 14 consecutive victories dating to December.
VMI (15-7 overall, 8-3 conference) started slowly against Marshall. The Thundering Herd (14-9, 6-5) vaulted to a 10-3 margin in the game's first two minutes, and increased its lead to eight (28-20) midway through the half.
But the Keydets outscored Marshall 35-14 during the last 10 minutes before halftime, and went to the locker room leading 55-42. Gullette was the catalyst, converting four 3-pointers in a four-minute span.
Marshall coach Billy Donovan was assessed a technical foul as the half ended, and Prince made both free throws to start the second half.
Donovan noted that VMI made all 10 of its free throws in the first half, and Marshall did not step to the line.
``I'm not saying the officials influenced this game,'' Donovan said. ``We were flat outplayed.''
VMI opened its largest lead of the game (69-48) with 15:26 remaining when Howard Byrd fed Johnson for an alley-oop jam. But then the Keydets cooled for a period, scoring only one field goal during the next nine minutes. The Herd managed to cut the margin to 12 (75-63) during VMI's drought.
``That may have been my fault,'' Bellairs said. ``We may have gotten a little tentative, playing not to lose. That's a natural thing when you're winning'' games.
The Keydets' final 18 points came from the free-throw line. VMI did not score another field goal after a Spencer jumper gave his team an 85-69 lead at the 3:34 mark.
Donovan elected to foul frequently as he attempted to cut the deficit. ``We were trying to get back into the game, and that was the only way to do it,'' he said.
VMI, ranked fourth in NCAA Division I in free-throw accuracy (.752) entering the game, upheld that percentage down the stretch by converting 18 of 24. By making several 3-pointers, Marshall closed to 93-84 with 1:38 left.
``They were doing what they wanted at the end,'' Prince said. ``That was smart coaching and smart playing. And we missed a few free throws.''
After Johnson missed two free-throw attempts with 1:27 left, Marshall's John Brannen had a chance to cut the deficit to six, but banged a 3-pointer off the back of the rim. ``I thought that was a key part of the game,'' Donovan said.
Jason Williams and John Brown paced the Herd's effort with 24 and 20 points, respectively.
``I think a motivating factor today was that we had not won lately against Marshall,'' Bellairs said. The Herd leads the all-time series 31-14, but VMI defeated Marshall in Lexington two years ago 82-78.
``I think [Cameron Hall] is the toughest place [for visitors] to play in the country,'' Gullette said.
``The crowd excites us,'' Conley said. ``They start screaming, and we get hyped.''
With Saturday's win, Bellairs raised his career record at VMI above .500 (25-24).
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff Marshall's Sidney Coles (50) puts up aby CNBshot in front of VMI's Brent Conley on Saturday at Cameron Hall in
Lexington.