ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 28, 1997 basketball TAG: 9701280082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LEXINGTON
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
Eh, Marshall. Who needs 'em?
Playing its last game at Cameron Hall for the foreseeable future Monday, the Herd dropped its first game in the Southern Conference this season, 97-92 to VMI.
Marshall is off to the Mid-American Conference next season, and after this one, it probably doesn't have much interest in coming back to Lexington. The Thundering Herd can offer coaches (including VMI's Bart Bellairs) twice the money of VMI, a bigger recruiting budget and even a gold-embossed media guide.
But on this night, no one from Marshall had it as good as the Keydets.
Three VMI players (Bryan Taueg, Jason Bell and Aaron Demory) had season and/or career highs in points, freshman center Eric Mann had three blocks and VMI beat Marshall 22-13 on the offensive boards. That's why Bellairs had such a difficult time giving out the kudos after the game.
``I hate to talk about one person,'' he said.
The lead changed hands 14 times in the middle of the second half before Taueg made two free throws with 6:41 left to forge a 79-78 Keydets lead. Apparently tired of trading baskets, VMI promptly went on a 10-2 run. The Keydets pulled ahead 93-85 with 56 seconds left, but Derrick Wright hit a hook shot and Keith Veney made his ninth 3-pointer of the game to bring Marshall to 93-92. Twenty-seven seconds remained.
``They don't need a second to shoot the basketball,'' Bellairs said.
They do need space, however, and VMI didn't let them have it anymore. Demory swatted away a 3-point attempt by the conference's second-leading scorer, John Brannen, with 17 seconds left, and Bell blocked Veney's 19th 3-point attempt of the game with six seconds left to seal it.
Marshall's six-game win streak ended; VMI's win streak moved to four. The Keydets (9-10 overall, 5-2 Southern) are one game behind first-place Marshall (14-4, 6-1) in the conference's North Division.
The locker room consensus had it that it was the biggest VMI victory that any of the current Keydets could remember. ``One of the best we've had for a long time,'' said senior forward Mike Spinelli.
VMI is 5-1 since Jan.13, when it lost sophomore starters Brent Conley and Andre Quarles to season-long suspensions.
``When adversity hits a team, you have to pull together,'' Bellairs said. ``VMI's not a fun place to be, it's a great place to be from.''
The Herd didn't have any fun here, either. As is called for in league play, however, VMI will make its final trip to Marshall on Feb.15.
``I wish them the best of luck until they come to Marshall,'' said Herd coach Greg White.
No matter the wish, odds are the Keydets will have a better visit there than Marshall had here.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB