ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603120029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GREENSBORO, N.C.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
LARON PROFIT PAYS big dividends for the Terrapins in a victory over Duke.
While the other ACC men's basketball teams seem to keep losing players, Maryland's bench production keeps growing game to game.
It made the difference Friday at the Greensboro Coliseum, where the reserves outscored the starters for Maryland in an 82-69 victory over Duke.
Duke didn't get a point from its bench until Jay Heaps made a 3-point field goal with 2:32 remaining. For the game, Maryland's substitutes outscored their Duke counterparts 44-3.
The Blue Devils, who had six recruited players in uniform, had a lineup on the floor at the end of the first half that included Heaps, who played in this year's NCAA soccer final, and former soccer player Stan Brunson.
``Jay's been in bigger games than anybody on our team except Jeff Capel,'' Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. ``They just haven't been in basketball.''
Heaps, a 5-foot-7, 128-pounder who will play this summer for the Roanoke (Va.) Riverdawgs soccer team, took over at point guard after Steve Wojciechowski suffered a sprained ankle. Chris Collins, who normally starts at the point, was in streetclothes with an ankle injury.
Maryland needed its bench after leading scorer Keith Booth got in foul trouble and Johnny Rhodes sustained a cut and required four stitches under his lip. Point guard Duane Simpkins became light-headed and almost fainted in the game's closing seconds.
``I thought Mario [Lucas] stepped up in the second half, along with a couple of our younger guys, Terrell Stokes and LaRon Profit,'' Maryland coach Gary Williams said. ``They carried us.''
Profit, coming off a career-high 22-point outing Monday night against Florida State, was 4-for-4 from 3-point range and finished with 19 points. Lucas, a senior, added 11 points and nine rebounds.
``I come from a small high school in a small state,'' said Profit, a 6-foot-6 freshman. ``I played in Delaware and a lot of people wondered, `Why'd he go to Maryland? He can't make it at Maryland. That's too much big time.'
``I felt the pressure of not playing early and knowing that people were saying, `I told him not to go to Maryland.' I wondered whether I should have gone to a smaller school, but deep down I knew I had made the right choice.''
Actually, Profit's decision came down to Virginia and Maryland. The Cavaliers were recruiting Profit and Darryl Presley. Presley committed to Virginia and Profit went to Maryland.
``I had a great relationship with one of the Virginia assistants, Anthony Solomon,'' Profit said. ``The determining factor was that they had a group of perimeter players coming back and, if I went there, I had to wait my turn.''
Profit was one of four reserves who played more than 20 minutes Friday as Maryland raised its record to 17-11 and virtually clinched an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. It was the Terps' 11th victory in their past 16 games.
The Blue Devils (18-12) also stand to receive an NCAA bid, despite chants of ``NIT, NIT,'' in the closing minutes. The Duke cheering section managed to quiet the Maryland fans by responding, ``SAT, SAT.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB