ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 6, 1997 TAG: 9701060134
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
How nerve-racking it must have been for Goucher men's basketball coach Leonard Trevino. This is a man that never sits in his seat during a game. This is a man who never looks when his team shoots free throws, a habit he picked up a few years ago when his team never seemed to miss if he never watched.
How terrible it must have been, then, to watch Roanoke forward Jon Maher light up the scoreboard Sunday in the Maroons' 85-81 overtime victory in the final of the Domino's Pizza Lewis-Gale Classic at the Bast Center. It was Roanoke's fourth consecutive tournament championship, and Maher was voted the MVP.
Maher scored a career-high 24 points and teamed with reserve forward Michael Ball, the stickback stud, to bring the Maroons from as many as 12 points down.
``John really got it done,'' said Maroons coach Page Moir. ``That's been the mark of our team; if somebody's not playing well, somebody steps up for him.''
Goucher (7-3) didn't allow Roanoke (7-0) to play well, answering every Maroons' maneuver with a steal here and an easy layup there. Moir went with his starters as long as he could, but in the second half he inserted a makeshift lineup of Maher (the only starter), Ball, and other reserves Derek Bryant, Dewayne Bullock and Courtney Fitch.
With that quintet on the court, Roanoke rallied from seven down to tie it at 48-48 with 11:32 to play. ``That was the key point of the game,'' Moir said.
Moir replaced that lineup, however, and leads were traded until 2:07 was left.
At that point, Roanoke took its first lead since the first minute of the game. Nathan Hungate bounced a pass to - appropriately enough - Ball, who laid it in for a 68-67 lead.
Maher tried to win it for the Maroons with 17.9 seconds left when he swished a baseline jumper, but Goucher's Predrag Durkovic banged inside for an easy layup with 4.5 seconds left to send it to overtime at 73-73.
Moir had made this season's schedule with this kind of competition in mind. Roanoke didn't want to have to wait for the NCAA Tournament to play an out-of-conference game like this one. Aside from another overtime game with Ferrum on Nov. 24, it hadn't had one.
``I don't know if we were ready for a team like Goucher,'' Moir said. ``They play like we do. The blowouts have been coming too easy.
``When you get a reality check and still win, it's great.''
And how great is this? Roanoke, at 7-0, is off to its best start since 1983-84, when it began the season 16-0. By beating Goucher in overtime Sunday, they sent the Gophers to their first loss in a game they led at halftime.
The extra period apparently gave Bryant, from Franklin County, the time he needed to find his trademark 3-point stroke. Ball (four overtime points) and Bryant (eight) accounted for all of Roanoke's overtime scoring. Hungate, recognizing Bryant's effort, let loose a nice outlet pass that Bryant gathered and converted into an open layup for the final margin.
``Derek got off Christmas break in the second half,'' Moir said.
It took everything Roanoke had to overcome Goucher, a team that mirrors the Maroons in style of play and style of scheduling. Trevino said he was glad to offer up the challenge, even if at times he could barely watch.
``I honestly believe we can play with anybody in the country,'' he said.
``We played extremely hard,'' Moir said. ``As hard as we've ever played.''
'NOKE NOTES: Jason Bishop broke the Roanoke career steals record Saturday. His three thefts against Allentown gave him 187 for his career, eclipsing the old mark of 186 set by Reggie Thomas from 1981-85. He had six more against Goucher on Sunday.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB