ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 27, 1997 TAG: 9702270051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Even though its best player was a vague approximation of his usual self, even though it never led until the very end, even though the biggest play of the game could only be charitably described as extremely fortunate, Radford University's men's basketball team enjoyed one of its greatest victories Wednesday night.
Radford rallied from 16 points down and found a way to beat UNC Greensboro 78-76 in the quarterfinals of the Big South Conference tournament under circumstances that scarcely seemed possible.
Spartans coach Randy Peele grappled with his emotions, his voice cracking and his eyes moist, throughout his postgame remarks. In the end, he refused to criticize an officials call some 50 feet from the basket with under a second left that gave Radford's Corey Reed a chance to win the game.
"He made the call that he felt was right in that situation,'' said Peele, who coached his last Big South game before the Spartans move to the Southern Conference. "It's a tough way to lose the game.''
Peele said he would have preferred the players be given the chance to settle the issue on the floor. One player did get that chance: Reed.
After being fouled on an inbounds play by Jeremy Davis, Reed strode to the line and buried both free throws. The Spartans never had the time to answer.
"Wasn't that our only lead of the game?'' Reed wanted to know. When told it was, he said, "This has got to give us some confidence because we sure didn't play very well.''
Radford could use all the confidence it can round up when it takes on Liberty, an 83-69 winner over Winthrop, at 8 p.m. Friday at the Vines Center. Radford won for the ninth time in 12 opening-round Big South tournament games. Beyond that, it has won only once previously in the semifinals. Radford is the only charter member of the conference never to have won the tournament.
Confidence was something the Highlanders (15-12) didn't have much of Monday after their star, senior guard Anthony Walker went down in practice with a reinjured ankle.
"The blood kind of drained out of everybody's faces when that happened,'' Bradley said.
Walker gave it a game effort and played 29 minutes, but he did not make a shot from the floor and finished with just two free throws for two points, more than 13 off his average.
"Anthony really tried,'' Bradley said. "He just couldn't go.''
Walker would have been the primary operator, had he been well, as Radford battled back from a 16-point second-half deficit, but he didn't play for most of the last nine minutes. Instead, Radford relied on guards Rian Everett, a freshman, Leslie Ballard, a sophomore, and Marquiz Williamson, a senior who had been benched during the last part of the season.
All performed remarkably well, especially Williamson.
"I can't say enough about Marquiz,'' Reed said. "That's the perfect exhibition of what a senior captain should be.''
Williamson and fellow senior Eric Bowens made play after play down the stretch. Williamson, who didn't play in the first half, made five of seven free throws in the last five minutes, including one that capped a spectacular three-point play that tied the score for the first time with 1:39 left.
"Coach benched me but he still had confidence in me,'' Williamson said. "Just like the whole team had confidence in me and I in them.''
Williamson finished with nine points, as did Ballard. Everett added 10 points and was a cool-headed 3-for-4 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Bowens was the extent of the inside offense with 19 points, 11 in the second half, and a team-leading eight rebounds.
Reed played the most minutes (34) and contributed the most consistent play. Had Bradley hand-picked anybody but Walker for Davis to foul, it probably would have been Reed.
"Corey's father is a coach and he was sitting in the stands tonight,'' Bradley said. "No way was he going to miss those free throws.'' NOTE: please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB