ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701270122
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
The Liberty Bell wasn't the only thing cracked in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday night.
So was the Virginia Tech men's basketball team.
Getting their bells rung in front of 3,200 witnesses, the Hokies were pummeled 68-50 by St. Joseph's at sold-out Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
Forget a fieldhouse. This Atlantic 10 Conference affair belonged in the outhouse as far as the Hokies were concerned.
``We got our butts kicked,'' said Tech's Jim Jackson.
The Hokies (10-8 overall, 3-4 A-10) shot 37.5 percent from the floor and got pounded 43-24 on the backboards. That margin included a 16-4 differential on the offensive glass.
``We had one offensive rebound the first 27 minutes,'' said Tech coach Bill Foster, shaking his head in disbelief. ``We missed enough shots that a blind man could find a couple'' of rebounds.
``I think two words sum it up. First, we played with no emotion it's like we made 'em play the game tonight. We came out with no emotion and no intelligence.
``If this team doesn't play with emotion, we've got no chance. If we play without emotion and intelligence, we might as well mail in the score.''
The Hokies were ugly in the first 20 minutes, producing just 18 points - a season-low output for a half - and found themselves down by 16.
Tech couldn't shoot, couldn't rebound and couldn't defend. Other than that, everything was OK.
The Hokies hit eight of 23 field-goal attempts, including zip-for-8 from 3-point territory. And when the Hokies missed, there were no second chances.
Besides Ace Custis and Keefe Matthews, who combined to hit seven of 12 shots for 14 points, Tech got nothing in the half. The other three starters - Troy Manns and the Jacksons, Jim and David - were a collective 0-for-10 from the floor for no points.
The Hawks, meanwhile, were doing damage inside and outside. Pounding Tech 21-12 on the boards, including 8-1 on the offensive glass, St.Joe's scored one second-chance hoop after another.
The Hawks (11-4, 5-1) killed Tech from downtown, hitting six of 14 3-point attempts. Dmtri Domani, a 6-foot-7 Russian forward averaging 7.5 points per game, hit three bombs en route to a game-high 16 points.
``We dug ourselves a huge hole in the first half and it was too much to climb out of,'' Jim Jackson said. ``It's frustrating. We play a couple good games, then we go play like this. I don't know the answer why.''
After the listless first half, Tech turned it up somewhat in the final 20 minutes. The Hokies started the second half with an 11-3 run to close to 37-29 with 15:47 remaining.
But the Hawks weren't going to fold in the cozy gym where they've lost once in the past two seasons.
St. Joe's responded with a 5-0 spurt that built the cushion back to 13 and it was over. The hosts' mascot - The Hawk - was going to quit flapping his arms before the Hokies won this game.
Custis, who hit only four of 12 shots, was the only Tech scorer in double figures. The senior forward finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, two on the offensive end.
``They just beat us on the glass,'' Custis said. ``They were rebounding over the top of us. They were pushing us under the glass, and we weren't responding and getting our rebounds. They just killed us on second-chance opportunities.
``It's very frustrating. We wanted to come in here and play well, and we didn't play well at all. It's upsetting.''
Foster, whose club now faces the Herculean task of playing fourth-ranked Wake Forest (15-1) on Tuesday in Winston-Salem, N.C., was upset, too.
The coach, who was given some golf balls as a retirement present before the game by St. Joe's' officials, needed something else.
``I need Pepcid AC and Maalox,'' Foster said.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB