ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 3, 1997 TAG: 9701030107
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
THE CROWD WAS the only thing that was groggy about Thursday's A-10 opener.
As wonderful as 1996 was to Virginia Tech's basketball program, this current batch of Hokies is glad to see it go.
Tech rang in a new year and dubbed it a new season by clocking St. Bonaventure 92-80 in the Atlantic 10 Conference opener for both teams before 4,062 Cassell Coliseum fans who at times still seemed to be recovering from a post-Orange Bowl hangover.
The Hokies, though, rocked the joint and rang out the old by ringing up their highest scoring output ever in an A-10 game. In stopping a two-game skid, Tech (5-4 overall, 1-0 A-10) didn't resemble the team that had failed to score more than 66 points or shoot better than 44 percent in its past four games.
``It's a great way to start the new year,'' said Tech coach Bill Foster. ``We tried to sell the guys on the idea that this is a new year in more ways than one.''
Tech big man Ace Custis concurred. ``It's a new season,'' he said.
Tech shot a season-high 58.9 percent from the floor (33-for-56) against a team that was holding opponents to a league-low 37.1 shooting percentage. The 33 baskets resulted from 28 assists, led by Troy Manns' school record-tying 12.
Jim Jackson tied a personal-best with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting, Custis poured in 21, Myron Guillory scored 16 and made all three of his 3-point attempts and Keefe Matthews added 11 points, matching his total offensive output in five games since the team returned from a season-opening trip to Hawaii.
``It was just a total team effort,'' said Manns, a senior point guard who had nine points, six rebounds and just two turnovers.
It was the best 40-minute effort the Hokies had given since hitting the mainland and it was highlighted by Manns' ability to run Tech's offense, move the basketball and find open men. His assist total tied the record set by Dave Sensibaugh against Oregon on Dec. 19, 1975, and matched by Bimbo Coles against Missouri on Dec. 16, 1987.
``When my teammates fill the lanes, my job as the point guard is to get them the ball,'' said Manns, a Roanoker who played at Patrick Henry High School and at George Mason before transferring to Tech. The assist total is ``my favorite stat. That's kind of selfish. A point guard should be selfish about steals and assists. It was time to step up and be a leader and stop doing silly things. I still didn't take my first charge of the year, though.''
But he took charge. He ran Tech's press break that plowed through the Bonnies' fullcourt press the way Hokie running back Ken Oxendine plowed through Nebraska's defense in Tech's Orange Bowl loss on New Year's Eve. Maybe it was more like the way the Cornhuskers found the holes in the Hokies defense.
``Early in the game, the first [inbounds] pass never went to a guard,'' Foster said of the press break. ``We threw it to a big man then to a ballhandler. It was a little uglier getting it in but our guards didn't get trapped.''
Said Custis: ``We've been working on the press. The teams coming up [Xavier and Duquesne] press a lot. Tonight, we got easy baskets and dunks.''
Tech shot 60 percent in the first half (18-for-30) in taking a 42-32 halftime lead and led by as many as 18 points in the second half before St. Bonaventure (6-3, 0-1) cut it to five.
The Bonnies, who had won three in a row and were coming off a championship in the Arizona State/Tribune Classic over the weekend, made six of their 10 3-pointers in the second half to get close. Kenny McFarland lived up to his last name, making five of eight 3-pointers, two during a 17-6 run to make it 76-71 with 5:57 remaining.
However, after McFarland fouled out with 19 points and with 6:20 left, he was the St. Bonaventure player with the biggest shoes to fill since Bob Lanier. The Bonnies had the ball down by five when Tim Winn was whistled for a charge with 5:18 left. On Tech's next possession, Manns found Matthews underneath for a two-handed slam that was part of a 7-0 spurt that sealed it.
Tech held the Bonnies to 42.9 percent shooting (27-for-63). Rashaan Palmer scored 17 points for the Bonnies and Winn had 14.
``They stepped up and made the shots,'' said St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron. ``We thought they might be tired a little bit. We like playing that [fast-paced] style, but by the same token, if we're not shooting, we need to slow it down.''
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM STAFF. Virginia Tech point guard Troy Mannsby CNBtries to control a loose ball as he is tripped up by St.
Bonaventure's Rashaan Palmer during the first half of the Hokies'
Atlantic 10-opening victory.