ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 13, 1997 TAG: 9701140028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: AMHERST, MASS.
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
VIRGINIA TECH shows signs of life in a 63-47 pounding of Massachusetts.
Don't put the Virginia Tech men's basketball team out to pasture just yet.
Conducting a huge Sunday afternoon revival session in front of 6,818 disbelieving witnesses, the Hokies put a jolt back into their rapidly short-circuiting season with a 63-47 Atlantic 10 shocker of Massachusetts.
Dominating the final 36 minutes, Tech dealt UMass its second-worst loss ever at the Mullins Center. Before Sunday, UMass had won 42 of 46 games in its cozy home barn since it opened in 1993.
``This is a huge win, especially how we beat them. It wasn't by just one point or something,'' said Tech forward David Jackson, whose nine second-half points helped keep the frustrated hosts at bay.
Tech (7-6 overall, 2-2 A-10) took care of business by playing, for a change, 40 minutes of solid basketball. The Hokies executed and shot well on offense. And they played defense like they haven't all season.
UMass, after making its first six shots to go up 13-7, hit just 16 of its final 50 field-goal attempts. The Minutemen guards, so pivotal on last season's 35-2 Final Four team, were a combined 7-for-29 from the floor.
While UMass was a UMess on offense, give credit to the Hokies. For the first time against a top-flight opponent this season, Tech played in-your-face defense.
``That's one thing that impressed me today,'' said Jackson, whose twin brother, Jim, wore UMass' top outside threat, guard Carmelo Travieso, like a glove.
``Everybody was playing defense, everybody was where they needed to be,'' David Jackson said. ``People weren't getting burned on the dribble like we have been.''
After weathering UMass' early barrage, the Hokies took control. Down 13-7, Tech scored 22 of the final 30 points of the first half to take a 29-21 lead to the locker room.
UMass went scoreless for a 6:33 span midway in the half. The Minutemen then failed to scratch in the final 3:33 of the half, allowing Tech to run off the final eight points - the last six coming on two Ace Custis 3-pointers - before halftime.
Tyrone Weeks' basket to open the second half cut Tech's lead to six, but the Minutemen would not get any closer. The relentless Hokies pushed the lead to as much as 61-41 with 5:44 left.
By that point many of the disturbed UMass faithful already had filed for the exits. They had another team to root for - the New England Patriots in the AFC title game.
Custis, who was a career-best 4-for-4 on 3-pointers, led Tech with 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Much-maligned center Keefe Matthews contributed 13 points, while David Jackson finished with 12.
The victory was pivotal for a Tech club that appeared done a week ago after crushing 35- and 13-point league road losses to Xavier and Duquesne.
``It's one game, but it's very encouraging for us,'' Tech coach Bill Foster said. ``Hopefully, we can take it and build on it.''
Consider it done, David Jackson said.
``We talked about a game that was going to be the crossroads for us, and I think this is one,'' Jackson said. ``It gets your confidence back up. We know we can win. This was a huge step for us to take. Now we need to take it and go.''
Custis, whose two bombs to end the first half came just minutes after he was dazed by a Weeks' elbow in the face, said the effort rekindled memories of last year's 23-6 NCAA club.
``It reminded me of old times,'' Custis said. ``We adjusted to what they were doing and got them out of their game plan. That's the way the old Hokies used to do it.''
Custis said the lopsided victory on the home court of a high-profile opponent can spur Tech to bigger things.
``Just the name UMass, even though they're down this year, does a lot for your confidence,'' Custis said. ``A lot of people just figured, `Oh, you're going to UMass, that's an automatic loss.'''
Foster and his bench staff also had a big game, running circles around first-year UMass boss Bruiser Flint & Co.
After 6-foot-10, 270-pound Lari Ketner beat Tech inside for three early hoops, the Hokies adjusted by doubling down low on the post.
UMass inexplicably never took advantage of Tech's doubling on Ketner.
After the game, Flint was in no hurry to explain why. The rookie coach huddled with his troops for more than an hour, keeping the media on hold.
Ketner said UMass' woes are not Flint's fault.
``We just stopped listening basically,'' said Ketner, who had a game-high 18 points. ``When I came here I had a sense that everything was `team.' Now it seems like everybody is doing their own thing. It's nothing a coach can coach, really.'' see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 91 linesby CNB