ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.
AFTER A LONG WINTER, coach Carol Alfano's Hokies get a fresh start today as hosts for the Atlantic 10 Conference women's basketball tournament.
Forget the snow-removal crew, the Cassell Coliseum roof maintenance workers, the Sugar Bowl travel agents.
The most arduous task in Blacksburg this winter may have belonged to Carol Alfano.
In her 19th season as the Virginia Tech women's basketball coach, Alfano has dealt with enough crises to qualify as a disaster-control specialist.
``It's been a wild ride,'' Alfano said. ``Of course, I knew coming into this season that things weren't going to be easy.''
No kidding.
First, Tech lost four senior starters who had carried the Hokies to 46 victories and back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids in their last two seasons. Eighty percent of the offense gone.
Next, the Hokies were faced with playing in a new league - the Atlantic 10 Conference - which, in turn, brought strange places to play and different styles of basketball and officiating.
Then, as if she needed any more distractions, Alfano lost two potential inside contributors off the bench - freshman forward Kelly Drinka and redshirt sophomore forward Stacy Brown - to season-ending knee injuries in late January.
But through it all, the Hokies survived. After going 0-6, Tech split its final 20 games to finish 10-16 overall and 8-8 in the A-10.
Alfano said her young club is playing its best basketball of the season entering today's start of the A-10 tournament at Cassell. Tech, the No.3 seed in the West Division, faces East No.6 Fordham (9-16, 3-13) at 6 p.m. in one of four first-round games.
``We've played a lot better down the stretch,'' Alfano said. ``We've just had to take so many new faces and plug them into so many areas.''
``I think we did have some disappointing losses. I was kind of hoping we'd be .500; we're six [games] under and have some losses we didn't expect to have.
``I thought we'd be a little better in December, but it took us a lot longer to get good than I thought.''
Is Tech good enough to challenge for the A-10 title on its own floor?
``It's good we're at home, because we're definitely a better home-court team than we are on the road,'' said Alfano, pointing to the Hokies' 2-10 record at opponents' gyms. ``I think we can [win it] if our fans get there.
``What really concerns me is it's a four-day tournament, and that's tough for us because we're so thin inside. We're like a recovering alcoholic: We're taking it one game at a time.''
One positive aspect of the heavy graduation losses of the past season has been the emergence of Michelle Hollister. The 6-foot-1 sophomore, despite playing center for the first time, averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds during the regular season. Last season, her numbers were 2.4 and 2.1.
``If she's not first-team all-conference, I don't know what's wrong,'' said Alfano, before learning Wednesday that Hollister had been accorded second-team honors. ``She's just had an unbelievable year. We can't get the ball to her enough. And, to think, she's still learning the position. She's just getting better and better all the time and she's got a great future.''
Junior guard Sherry Banks, a former William Byrd High School standout, also has stepped up her game, increasing her scoring average from last season's 4.3 figure to 10.8.
Sophomore Lynette Nolley of Floyd County has been another new contributor, averaging nearly 10 points and five rebounds a game.
Freshman Katie O'Connor (9.3 ppg) and senior Terri Garland (6.3 ppg) of Pulaski County have handled most of the guard duties.
``We look good for the future, starting two sophomores, a freshman and a junior,'' Alfano said. ``We'll have four of our top five scorers back, plus a tremendous recruiting class for next season.''
Alfano won't concede this season is over, though.
``It will be hard for us to win it, but it could happen,'' Alfano said. ``Stranger things have happened.''
Especially in this strange season for the Tech women's basketball team.
LENGTH: Medium: 79 linesby CNB