ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 11, 1997 TAG: 9702110090
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
The ACC men's basketball tournament will feature two games on Thursday nights beginning next year in an effort to eliminate the stigma of the current play-in game.
The new format was announced Monday along with the awarding of the 2001 tournament to the Georgia Dome and the search panel for a commissioner to replace departing Gene Corrigan.
The tournament will feature two games on Thursday, pairing the seventh- and eighth-seeded teams followed by a game between the league's No.1 seed versus No.9.
The winner of the Thursday No.7-No.8 game will face the No.2 seed in Friday's only afternoon game - currently there are two games. The winner of the No.1-No.9 game gets a bye to Saturday's semifinals.
There will be a total of three games Friday instead of the current four. The Friday night session will feature the 4th and 5th seeds followed by the No.3 seed playing the No.6 seed.
As in past tournaments, the two semifinal games will be held Saturday and the championship on Sunday.
The play-in game - used since 1992 when Florida State became the ninth conference member - pits the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams in a qualifying game that determines which team gets into the tournament and plays the top-seeded team on Friday. The Thursday night play-in game will be used this year at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Conference officials also voted to add Atlanta's Georgia Dome to the ACC tournament rotation, with Charlotte Coliseum now scheduled for 2002 and Greensboro Coliseum in 2003 and 2004. Previously, Charlotte was scheduled for 2001 and Greensboro for 2002 and 2003.
Meanwhile, a nine-member committee led by Wake Forest University President Thomas Hearn Jr. will begin the search for the conference's fourth full-time commissioner, replacing Corrigan.
Corrigan, a former athletic director at Virginia, will retire in August after 10 years as commissioner and more than 2 1/2 years as NCAA president.
In other college basketball news:
SWAN SONG FOR BYRDSONG: Ricky Byrdsong, his team last in the Big Ten and struggling with a 6-16 record, was fired as Northwestern's basketball coach, a dismissal that takes effect after the season.
``We are concerned with the lack of progress the men's basketball team has made during the past three years,'' athletic director Rick Taylor said. ``The university believes the program needs to be headed in a different direction and that it is appropriate to make a change at this juncture.''
While Northwestern's football program has been one of the great success stories, the basketball squad has gone from bad to worse.
Saturday's 56-44 loss to Wisconsin dropped the Wildcats to 6-16 and 1-10 in the Big Ten. Northwestern shares the conference cellar with Penn State.
Now in his fourth season at Northwestern, the easygoing Byrdsong has a 33-72 record. His teams at Northwestern have been hard hit by transfers and injuries.
Byrdsong did not attend a news conference announcing the move. He released a statement quoting the Bible: ``Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.''
In February 1994, Byrdsong took his infamous stroll, leaving the Northwestern team's bench during a game at Minnesota, wandering into the stands and slapping hands with Gopher fans and their mascot. After a leave of absence, Byrdsong returned as Northwestern's coach.
Monday's games
North Carolina-Asheville 68, Liberty 65, 2OT: In Lynchburg, solid free-throw shooting and a timely layup by Dirk Lommerse gave the Bulldogs a double-overtime Big South victory over the Flames.
With his team ahead by a point, Lommerse scored with 11 seconds remaining in the second overtime to ice the game for North Carolina-Asheville (14-9, 8-3). Mike Matthews and Josh Pittman each scored a pair of free throws in the final period.
Pittman and Robert Stevenson led UNCA with 17 points apiece, and Kevin Martin added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Peter Aluma scored a game-high 22 points for Liberty (17-8, 7-3). Mark Reed has 17 points and Erik Sorensen contributed 11 rebounds.
Western Carolina 84, VMI 65: In Cullowhee, N.C., Bobby Phillips scored 23 points and Jarvis Graham added 17 as the Catamounts rallied for a Southern Conference win over the Keydets.
VMI (10-13, 6-5) led 38-31 at halftime, but Western Carolina (11-12, 4-7) held the Keydets to 25 percent shooting in the second half while hitting 55 percent from the field.
Western also committed only eight turnovers in the second period, compared to 14 in the first half.
Western outrebounded VMI 47-37, with Larry Mayo and Ken Gibson getting nine each.
Jason Bell led VMI with 19 points and eight rebounds.
Randolph Macon 73, Washington and Lee 62: Center Matt Meehan scored 26 points to lead the Yellow Jackets past the Generals in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference game in Ashland. Joe Goldin added 20 points for R-MC, which won its fifth straight game.
W&L (2-18, 1-13) trailed 12-2 to start the game, but Rich Peterson scored 15 first-half points to cut it to 38-32 at halftime. W&L shot just 39 percent from the floor and committed 10 turnovers in the second half as Randolph-Macon (12-10, 10-6) pulled away.
Peterson finished with 21 points and seven rebounds for the Generals.
Hampton 70, Morgan St. 67: In Baltimore, guard Al Bell scored 20 points to lead the Pirates over the Bears.
Hampton's cause was helped by hot shooting in the first half and uneven free-throw shooting by Morgan State. Efrem Carter and Marcus Jenkins were also in double figures for the Pirates (7-15), scoring 11 points apiece.
Morgan State (6-14) was led by Chris Watson with 20 points. Freshman O'tes Alston and Rasheed Sparks added 13 points each.
William and Mary 64, American 55: In Williamsburg, Shaka Arnold and Terence Jennings scored four points each during an 8-0 second-half run that boosted the Tribe to its fourth straight victory.
William and Mary (9-13, 6-6 Colonial Athletic Association) led 41-30 after David Grabuloff scored with 14:27 left, then saw the Eagles (8-13, 5-7) score 15 of the next 19 points to tie it at 45 with 7:25 remaining.
The Eagles closed to within two twice, but each time the Tribe countered, first on Sam Steen's jumper from the top of the key with 1:46 left, then on Randy Bracy's jumper from the left side with 1:04 remaining.
Jennings led the Tribe with 15 points and Grabuloff had 13. Bobby Fitzgibbons and Bracy each added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Nathan Smith scored 21 points for the Eagles, and Dave Small added 15 points and eight rebounds.
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