ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 11, 1996 TAG: 9612110034
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
Radford University used every bit of energy it could muster to beat VMI at its own game. The Highlanders outran, outhustled, outassisted and outshot the Keydets for a 70-68 win at the Dedmon Center on Tuesday night.
But the run-and-gun tempo of the first 30 minutes of play almost spelled disaster for the Highlanders. Obviously drained from their fourth basketball game in eight days, Radford (4-3) let an 18-point lead midway through the second-half dwindle to 66-63 with 2:15 to play.
"Coach just told us to find something within us to pull this win out," Radford senior Anthony Walker said of assistant coach Dick Bender, who was filling in for an ailing Ron Bradley. "We're a tired team right now, but we've won three of four in this home stretch and we'll try to knock out number five Thursday. Then, we get a break."
Forward Kevin Robinson extended the Highlanders' lead to five on a layup with 1:44 remaining and a Walker free throw made the score 69-63. But just when Radford thought it had put away a victory, VMI senior Maurice Spencer nailed a 3-pointer from the left baseline to give the Keydets one last chance.
Robinson made his biggest play of the game on defense, swatting away a Darryl Faulkner shot inside with less than 10 seconds remaining to secure the win.
"We were down by 18 points and had a chance to win and that says a lot about our character," VMI coach Bart Bellairs said. "I don't like to lose, but I thought our kids lost with class and through adversity."
The Keydets top player, sophomore forward Brent Conley (8.5 rebounds and 15.8 points per game) was serving a one-game suspension for violating academic policy.
VMI was also without the services of center Chris DiNunzio, who is out with a broken foot, guard Jason Bell and forward Warren Johnson, who will not be eligible academically until Dec.18.
``We've got a possible four starters sitting on the bench still,'' said Bellairs. ``So our kids realized what we've got. It hurts to be without them, but good teams learn to play with who's available.''
The real difference in the game, however, was the sharp-shooting of Radford's Corey Reed. The junior raced to a career-high 25 points on 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point land. As a team, the Highlanders drained 50 percent from behind the arc and 49 percent from the field. VMI (2-3) hit 45 percent of its shots both inside and outside the line.
"Corey Reed stepped it up tonight," Bender said. "He's a mature kid, and what he lacks in athleticism and quickness he certainly makes up for with a great knowledge of the game."
"The credit should go to Anthony [Walker] and Marquiz [Williamson]," Reed said. "The guards were penetrating and kicking it out to me for the open shots and I knocked them down. That's my job."
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