ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 21, 1997 TAG: 9701210104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
ROANOKE shoots from way out and pulls away from Randolph-Macon and the rest of the ODAC.
Randolph-Macon brought a five-game win streak and a second-place standing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to Roanoke College on Monday.
The Yellow Jackets, however, forgot to bring their shooting strokes. Randolph-Macon made just six of 30 field-goal tries in the first half, and Roanoke pulled away for a 79-61 men's basketball victory at the Bast Center.
While the Yellow Jackets were missing one easy layup or open shot after another, the Maroons were busy making eight of their first 11 3-point attempts and 13 of 18 for the game. That helped the Maroons take a 34-10 lead with 2:54 before halftime.
Randolph-Macon coach Hal Nunnally said the game was over sooner than that. ``Probably the first five minutes,'' he said.
``If you go back and look at the tape, we got good shots. It was like we went into the ballgame with no poise at all. It was like we were in awe of playing Roanoke, and I don't know why.''
The Yellow Jackets had no reason to be in awe. They had their win streak, and with Bridgewater losing its two games this past week, the Yellow Jackets (7-7 overall, 5-3 ODAC) had as much claim as anybody to being the league's second-best team.
First place, however, is even less in doubt after the Maroon's latest march. This was Roanoke's 17th consecutive conference victory and its 10th win in its past 12 meetings with Randolph-Macon.
``The last four games we've done a tremendous job on the defensive boards,'' said Maroons coach Page Moir. ``That really makes things look good for us.''
Roanoke (12-1, 7-0) didn't let Randolph-Macon's starters look good when it hit so many early shots, and Nunnally didn't like what he saw, either. He pulled his starters in a five-man substitution five minutes into the game and made another five-man switch with 6:38 to go in the first half.
Nunnally said he intended to make the substitutions before the game. He said he did it twice to try to find someone to play better perimeter defense, particularly on Roanoke's Derek Bryant.
The junior forward had his fourth game of five 3-pointers this season and led the Maroons with 15 points. Center Tim Braun was next with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
With the midway point of the season coming Saturday against these same Yellow Jackets, Roanoke has a three-game lead on second-place Virginia Wesleyan.
``It's too early to call anything in the conference,'' Moir said. ``Our next three are on the road and that's huge. Everybody's got three losses except us, and that's huge, also.
``Macon's got a team that night in and night out is able to beat anybody.''
Every night, that is, except this one. NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 linesby CNB