ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, February 4, 1997              TAG: 9702040113
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-2  EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports


BROWN, POSEY LEAD XAVIER OVER LA SALLE

Lenny Brown scored 23 points Monday and James Posey tied a career high with 20 as No. 17 Xavier beat La Salle 83-67 in an Atlantic 10 game in Philadelphia.

The Musketeers (16-3, 7-2) also got 14 points from Gary Lumpkin and 13 from Torraye Braggs.

The Explorers' high-scoring freshman, Donnie Carr, was held to 17 points. Carr entered the game as the nation's third-leading scorer with a 25.8 average.

La Salle (7-11, 2-6), which has lost six straight, was tied at halftime. But the Musketeers, who have beaten La Salle 10 straight times, scored the first eight points of the second half to take a 44-36 lead.

Braggs started the spurt with a jumper, but the next three baskets - by Posey, Lumpkin and T.J. Johnson - all came from close range. Meanwhile, La Salle didn't hit a shot for nearly four minutes.

Posey, Brown and Braggs combined for 19 points during a run that gave Xavier a 65-50 lead with 9:50 left.

The Explorers scored eight straight points to cut Xavier's lead to 71-60 with 4:50 remaining, but the rally came too late.

In other games:

Texas 83, No. 23 Texas Tech 67: Kris Clack scored 13 points in a decisive 19-0 run midway through the second half as the Longhorns ripped the Red Raiders in Austin, Texas.

Texas (12-7, 6-3 Big 12), which dropped out of the Top 25 earlier in the day following two straight losses, snapped the skid with increased defensive pressure and Clack's acrobatic play.

Texas Tech (13-6, 5-4) trailed only 51-50 with 10:31 left before Texas went on its game-breaking run.

The game matched the top two scoring teams in the Big 12 and the top two scorers in the league - Texas' Reggie Freeman (23.5 points per game) and Tech's Cory Carr (22.6 points).

Freeman and Clack each scored 23 points for Texas, while Carr led Tech with 20.

Massachusetts 75, Fordham 54: Carmelo Travieso had 12 of his 18 points on 3-pointers to lead the Minutemen over the Rams in an Atlantic 10 game in New York.

Travieso shot 6-for-11, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Tyrone Weeks added 17 points for Massachusetts (12-10, 6-3) and Charlton Clarke had 10. Edgar Padilla had 11 assists and three steals. The senior has 534 career assists, second-best total in UMass history.

Massachusetts finished 5-for-8 from 3-point range and is 43-for-90 in the past six games. The Minutemen were 55-for-205 over the first 16 games.

Ray Carroll had 12 points for the Rams (6-12, 1-7), who have lost six of the past seven.

UNC Wilmington 81, George Mason 61: The Seahawks broke a school record for 3-point field goals in a Colonial Athletic Association game by hitting 11 of 19 attempts in beating the Patriots in Fairfax.

The Seahawks' long-distance shootout was led by Stan Simmons, who went 4-for-8 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 22 points.

George Mason (9-11, 3-8A) got 22 points from Nate Langley, but the Patriots scored under 70 points for just the second time this season - both times against the Seahawks (12-11, 7-4).

UNCW guard Mark Byington (Salem) scored all 12 of his points from 3-point range, and the Seahawks also got 17 points from Billy Donlon and 15 from reserve Keith Spencer.

Ferrum 79, Greensboro 59: Rodney Ponzo erupted for 29 points - including 15 of 22 from the free-throw line - as the Panthers rolled past the Pride in a Dixie Conference game in Ferrum.

Michael Hunter added 13 points and Pat Brooks 11 for Ferrum (12-6, 4-2).

Toby Lancaster led Greensboro (6-11, 3-3) with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Women

No. 10 Virginia 73, Maryland 49: DeMya Walker scored 22 points, including seven in an 18-3 first-half run that propelled the Cavaliers past the Terrapins in an Atlantic Coast Conference game in College Park, Md.

Tora Suber had 14 points for Virginia (16-4, 9-2), which won its 12th straight game against Maryland. Walker was 10-for-12 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Sonia Chase scored 14 for the Terrapins (15-5, 6-4), who had won six straight since losing by 18 at Virginia on Jan.9. Maryland shot 31 percent from the field (19-for-62).

The Cavaliers trailed 21-18 before Monick Foote hit a 3-pointer, Lesley Brown made a layup and Suber sank two free throws to put Virginia up by four. After a Maryland basket, Walker and Suber scored to make it 29-23.

Lillian Purvis made a foul shot for the Terrapins, but Walker followed with a three-point play and a putback. Tiffany Bower capped the run with a layup to put the Cavaliers ahead by 12.

The Terrapins trailed 40-31 early in the second half before Walker reeled off five straight points. After Maryland cut the gap to 10, the Cavaliers used an 11-2 run to pull away.

The victory moved second-place Virginia within 11/2 games of North Carolina in the ACC standings. Maryland, which was vying for its fourth win over a ranked opponent, fell into a third-place tie with Duke.

Virginia Tech 63, Fordham 61: Kim Seaver scored on a putback with three seconds remaining as the Hokies snapped a five-game losing streak with an Atlantic 10 victory over the Rams in Blacksburg.

Seaver finished with 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

``I think our kids showed character tonight in staying with Fordham and getting the win,'' said Carol Alfano, Tech's coach. ``Kim Seaver was huge inside for us and showed what a presence she can be in the paint.''

Lynette Nolley (Floyd County) added 12 points, Sherry Banks (William Byrd) 11 and Kelly Drinka 10 for the Hokies (7-15, 2-9).

Suzanne Maguire and Chandra Lambert scored 12 points apiece to lead Fordham (10-11, 3-8).

Ferrum 58, Greensboro 54: Marlo Ferguson (Magna Vista) scored a team-high 15 points, including a 3-point basket that completed a 10-point comeback, as the Panthers won a Dixie Conference game in Ferrum.

Ferguson's 3 gave Ferrum (9-9, 3-3) a 45-42 lead with 9:50 remaining and capped a 25-12 run against the Pride (11-6, 4-2). Ferguson needs just 18 points to reach the career 1,000-point plateau, a mark previously achieved by only five others in the program's history.

Ryan Holsclaw added 11 points and Cassi Carter and Kate Sullivan each tossed in 10 in the victory. Tina Lineberry paced Greensboro with 12 points and 16 rebounds.


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