ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 24, 1997 TAG: 9702250074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Jack Bogaczyk
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
The semifinal opener of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's tournament wasn't played only on a basketball court. It was played on the edge.
It was close, mouthy, pushy and, finally, ugly.
What has become the ODAC's fiercest hoops rivalry bubbled over Sunday at the Salem Civic Center, as Roanoke and Hampden-Sydney met, with the winner probably getting a home game in the NCAA Division III South Regional next week.
It's too bad. The 2,179 spectators could have been talking about a title to be decided tonight - for the first time in the ODAC's 21 years - by two teams from the bottom half of the seeds.
The Tigers beat Roanoke for the third time this season, 63-62, when the Maroons' final two shots rolled off the rim and into a boiling pot of heated attitudes.
There were eight ties and nine lead changes. The biggest scoreboard difference was six - too close for comfort, it turned out.
After the horn, what began as a Tigers celebration near one free-throw circle ended with game official Greg Bennett having the ODAC's player of the year, Jason Bishop, in a headlock, safely escorting him from a crowd.
A couple of young male fans from the Hampden-Sydney student section ran onto the floor. There was pushing, shoving and the potential for a major problem.
After a game in which neither team could shoot, the best defense came from Mike Brightwell, a senior patrolman with the City of Salem police department.
Brightwell's quickness did a lot to get those off the floor who didn't belong. There were no arrests, just embarrassment for the two schools and the ODAC.
As for Bishop, the Roanoke guard said he was trying to protect a teammate and was swung at by a Hampden-Sydney player.
We'll see. At least, ODAC commissioner Dan Wooldridge will try to see it. After Sunday's game, he went to the local television stations with videographers at the game and asked if he could see a copy of their tapes by today.
``If somebody deliberately hit somebody, if someone deliberately decked somebody, we'll take appropriate action,'' Wooldridge said.
He would not speculate on whether such disciplinary action, if warranted, could come as early as tonight's championship game between the Tigers (20-6) and double-upset winner Lynchburg (13-13).
As the final horn sounded, Roanoke's Michael Ball and Hampden-Sydney sophomore Maurice Ross were falling out of bounds together in front of the Roanoke bench in pursuit of the ball.
Bishop said another Tigers player picked up the basketball and dropped it on Ball, and Ross kicked at Ball. Then, a Roanoke player - Bishop told one reporter it was Derek Bryant - went after Ross.
``We went after the guy, protecting Mike,'' Bishop said. ``Then a guy from Sydney, I don't know who, swung on me. I swung back. That's when someone grabbed me.''
It was Bennett, the official, with that save.
Ross denied kicking Ball, and it appeared no punches connected.
Because the game was over, the officials had no jurisdiction over the skirmish. Their version of what occurred, however, wasn't available.
ODAC administrators Wooldridge and Brad Bankston said Bennett, Mike Ruckman and Les Jones would have no statement to the media on the melee.
Wooldridge did go into their dressing room to get the officials' version of the events, however. Later, as he was leaving the arena, Bennett said, ``You'll have to look at it [a tape]. I really have no comment.''
Roanoke coach Page Moir said he was walking in the opposite direction toward the Tigers' bench and a postgame handshake with coach Tony Shaver when he turned and saw Shaver heading onto the floor.
``It looked like their kids went into a natural celebration,'' Moir said, ``and then all of a sudden it wasn't a happy scene.''
Moir also said he thought the officials should be sought out for their version. ``They might know, as well as anybody, what happened,'' said the Maroons' coach.
Shaver said he listened to his players' version of the post-buzzer brouhaha, but he wouldn't discuss who said what in his locker room.
``I didn't see a thing, to be honest with you,'' the Tigers' coach said when asked how a victory dance went downhill. ``All I would do is apologize to the league and the fans.
``To see a great game finish like that is a shame. ... We'll just watch the film and see what happened.''
What the league must do is take whatever steps are necessary to ensure it doesn't happen again. The ODAC knows these programs already don't like each other.
Shaver said he didn't think the game was more physical than other recent contests between the schools, but said it was ``emotionally charged, yes.''
``The tension was so high, you could cut it with a knife,'' Shaver said. ``That's a difficult atmosphere to play well in. I thought both teams played about as hard as they could possibly play.''
It's been a very competitive season in the ODAC, but someone should tell Roanoke and Hampden-Sydney that wrestling was dropped as a conference sport in 1980.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 linesby CNB