ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 12, 1997 TAG: 9701140018
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS
Senior forward Eric Bowens led a balanced Radford University offense with 15 points as the Highlanders dumped Maryland-Baltimore County 79-66 on Saturday in a Big South Conference game in Baltimore.
Radford (7-7 overall, 1-1 conference) led 39-31 at halftime, and the Retrievers (1-12, 0-3) trailed 65-56 with 5:03 to play. Bowens and Anthony Walker converted four consecutive free throws and Jon Belt and Marquiz Williamson hit back-to-back driving layups to put the Highlanders ahead 73-56 with 3:24 remaining.
Center Kevin Robinson and Walker, Radford's leading scorer, each had 12 points and Belt scored 10 points. Walker arrived shortly before the game, having just attended his father's funeral in Columbus, Ohio.
UMBC was led by sophomore guard Alhamisi Simms and freshman guard Jason Womble with 13 points each. Freshman Isaac Green added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Retrievers.
In other games involving Virginia teams:
Old Dominion 79, East Carolina 70: Former Laurel Park High School star Odell Hodge scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots as the Monarchs snapped the Pirates' five-game winning streak.
The victory in Norfolk gave ODU (12-3, 3-0) sole possession of first place in the CAA. East Carolina, off to its best start in the conference, is 10-3 overall and 3-1 in the CAA.
Tim Basham (Patrick Henry) had 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Pirates.
Richmond 82, William and Mary 72: Rick Edwards scored a career-high 23 points, and Jarod Stevenson had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Spiders past the Tribe in a CAA game in Richmond.
The Spiders (5-4, 2-1) won the game at the free-throw line, shooting a season-high 26-for-32. William and Mary (4-8, 1-2) was 9-for-12 from the line.
Randy Bracy, who was sidelined for a month with back problems, led the Tribe with 17 points before fouling out with 1:03 remaining.
James Madison 81, American 78: After getting burned for 18 points by Thomas Treadwell in the first half, the Dukes (8-4, 2-1) put Fred Boyd on the Eagles forward and the switch was the key to a Colonial Athletic Association victory in Washington.
Treadwell was 3-of-15 from the field in the second half, when he was shadowed by 6-foot-7 Boyd with help from Eugene Atkinson. He finished with a career-high 31 points on 11-for-12 shooting from the free-throw line, but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime for American (3-10, 0-4).
Chatney Howard led JMU with 20 points.
Virginia Commonwealth 75, UNC Wilmington 53: Patrick Lee and Marcus Reed each scored 15 points to lead the Rams (6-6, 2-1) past the Seahawks (6-9, 1-2) in a CAA game in Richmond.
Oleg Kojenets led the Seahawks with 15 points.
The game was the 600th for VCU head coach Sonny Smith, who has a career record of 322-278.
UNC Asheville 64, Liberty 55: Josh Pittman had 19 points as the Bulldogs won their sixth consecutive game, beating the Flames in Asheville, N.C.
UNC Asheville (8-6, 3-0) built on a two-point halftime lead by shooting 69 percent in the second half. Larry Jackson led Liberty (10-5, 0-1) with 11 points, and Peter Aluma and Erik Sorenson each scored 10.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines KEYWORDS: BASKETBALLby CNB