ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, November 25, 1996 TAG: 9611260073
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
VMI basketball coach Bart Bellairs had a dream Saturday night in which he and assistant Kirby Dean went to a bank in a shopping mall and found Wake Forest All-American center Tim Duncan guarding the automatic teller machine.
Unfortunately for VMI, the dream should also have included 7-foot freshman Loren Woods, 6-10 not-so-small forward Ricky Peral and anyone else who put a hand in the face of a Keydets player during Sunday's game. The Demon Deacons, ranked No.3 in the nation, blocked or tipped 14 VMI shots in a 92-63 victory at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Keydets made just 29.6 percent of their shots and had a five-minute scoring drought in the first half.
``We didn't shoot the ball real well and they did,'' Bellairs said. ``Those two things don't mix well, especially when you've got three 7-footers grabbing rebounds.''
VMI's leading scorer was sophomore forward Brent Conley. No surprise there. But on 4-of-19 shooting? ``They had a lot to do with that because of their height,'' said Conley, who added that Wake's physical advantage gave him a mental disadvantage. ``I rushed shots I usually make.''
The Demon Deacons (1-0), meanwhile, played as if they had watched miles of film of VMI (1-1). With a lead role played by guard Jerry Braswell, who hit his first five 3-point attempts on the way to 17 points, they were acting out VMI's typical game plan. They matched the Keydets loose-ball dive for loose-ball dive, took almost as many 3-pointers, and pressed just as much.
``Our goal today was trying to play as aggressive as we knew VMI would on both ends,'' Wake Forest coach Dave Odom said. ``They play a Kentucky style, obviously they don't have Kentucky players.''
The Keydets don't have a full roster of players. Two will become eligible this winter and three - center Chris DiNunzio and guards Darryl Faulkner and Bryan Taueg - have assorted knee and foot ailments.
Duncan and Woods each blocked four shots and Duncan's game-high 18 points and 15 rebounds were to be expected. That Bellairs dreamed about him is evidence of that.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Aaron Demory (34) of VMI pressures Jerry Braswell asby CNBthe Wake Forest guard brings the ball up the court Sunday. The Demon
Deacons won 92-63.