ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 4, 1997 TAG: 9702040118
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LEXINGTON
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
MAURICE SPENCER PUMPS in 29 points as VMI wins for the sixth time in eight games, 78-65 over Appalachian State.
In a single game, Maurice Spencer took a page out of Bobby Prince's playbook and nearly scratched Ramon Williams' name out of part of the VMI basketball record book.
Spencer scored 29 points, his career high against a Division I team, as the Keydets topped Appalachian State 78-65 Monday at Cameron Hall.
``He hit some huge shots for us tonight," said VMI coach Bart Bellairs.
The victory did a number of things for the Keydets (10-11 overall, 6-3 Southern Conference). It kept them firmly in second place in the Southern Conference's North Division, it gave them six victories in their past eight games and it gave them a regular-season split against the Mountaineers, a division rival.
In its only practice before Monday's game, VMI spent at least 60 percent of the time (according to estimates by forward Mike Spinelli) walking through the Mountaineers' plays.
``It was more than usual," said junior point guard Darryl Faulkner. ``Even though we're coming off a loss against Davidson, we're still fighting for number one."
Spencer was most ready for battle against Appalachian. The senior guard from Martinsville scored 13 points in the first half, going 3-for-4 from 3-point range. His last 3-pointer of the half gave the Keydets their biggest lead to that point, 40-29.
``I was kind of looking for him," Faulkner said. ``I had seen he was hot."
Spencer made the Mountaineers sweat even more in the second half, again going 3-for-4 from 3-point range. None of those shots made Appalachian fidget more than a quick bomb from the wing with 9:07 left to play. The Mountaineers had moved within six points, 53-47, with 10:40 left, causing Bellairs to call time out.
``When we cut it to six, VMI responded and for the rest of the game we were out of sync," said Buzz Peterson, Appalachian State's first-year coach.
Spencer gave a perfect illustration of Peterson's assessment with 5:19 left. The Mountaineers were on a 6-0 run when Spencer had one of his few misses. The ball, however, had gone out of bounds off an Appalachian player.
Spencer stepped to the baseline to throw the ball in, but instead of looking for a teammate, he looked for Mountaineers center Kareem Livingston. Spencer banked the ball off Livingston's backside and then tried to bank it off the backboard. Spencer missed, but was fouled. He had made the same play earlier in the game, but even that wasn't the first time.
``Paul Beard, William Byrd, 1993 regional finals," Spencer said, recalling his last victim. ``Same play, and I scored twice from the free-throw line. I saw him a few weeks ago."
As good as he was Monday, Spencer didn't take all the credit. He learned that inbounds move from former VMI and Lord Botetourt point guard Prince.
Spencer also couldn't take all the credit for Monday's victory. Spinelli hit three more of his trademark baseline turnarounds and Faulkner scored 18 and had six assists. Of course, Spencer had five of those, too, to go with his six 3-pointers.
The six treys tied a season-high held by Faulkner and Spencer. The record for 3-pointers in a single game belongs to former Roanoker and Keydet Williams, who as usual was on the VMI bench Monday as an assistant coach.
``I told him every time he gets close to it, I'd have to take him out," Williams joked.
Spencer stayed in the game until the end and kept the Keydets in the conference race.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB