THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 18, 1995 TAG: 9501180548
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 124 lines
At some point in Thursday night's game against Virginia Union, Norfolk State's Lisa Rice will make a pass, one of her teammates will score and play will stop.
One of the officials will hand the ball to Norfolk State athletic director Dick Price, and Price will present it to Rice, who will at that moment have more career assists than any woman in the history of Division II basketball.
That Thursday will be the night Rice breaks the career assist record of 927, held by Selina Bynum of Albany State, is not doubted by anyone connected with the Spartanettes. She needs eight assists to break it, and as coach James Sweat says, ``You can put her down for 10 or more every game.''
The only question seems to be what kind of pass it will be. Behind the back on the fast break? A lookaway? A lob? A seeing-eye bounce threaded through traffic?
Then again, it could be something no one's seen yet.
``I always expect something different from Lisa,'' says forward Kristi Greene, Norfolk State's leading scorer.
If her teammates have learned anything from playing with Rice, it's to expect the unexpected.
``Just keep your hands out all the time,'' says Spartanettes guard Rolanda Dent.
Dent was trailing Rice on the break last Wednesday when Rice went up for a layup - or so it appeared. Instead, Rice flipped the ball blindly over her shoulder to Dent, who made a layup.
``And then we played it off like I knew it was coming,'' Dent says, laughing. ``I was like, `Nice pass.' ''
LaTina Bullock remembers a play last season when she was filling the lane on the break. Rice looked away from Bullock, then hit her on stride with a behind-the-back delivery.
``I didn't expect it,'' she says.
But she converted it.
``Oh yes,'' Bullock says.
Rice's passes can be so pretty that her teammates feel a special obligation to finish the play. The act of scoring is the cup of coffee after the great meal.
``You have to make it,'' says forward Trina Blair. ``You want to finish for her.''
As many times as Rice surprises a teammates with a great pass, there are many more when she gives them the routine pass, the bread-and-butter dish that wins games.
Rice, like many point guards, knows exactly where the scorers on her team want the ball, and how to deliver it to them.
``You make eye contact and she fires it in there,'' Greene says. ``Even if you're double-teamed, she hits you that second you're open.''
Greene, the All-American forward, ``likes to get the ball in the post,'' Rice says. ``With her turnaround jumper, I don't think anyone can stop her in the paint.''
Dent ``likes to get the ball on the fast break. She fills the lane for me.''
Bullock is another inside player. ``If you get her the ball on the block, she's going to score or get fouled,'' Rice says.
Center Danielle Hill ``has a little hook shot she likes to use in the post.''
Rice studies the game, and although she has great vision and instincts, hers is a case of a point guard being made, not born.
Rice, 22, was a point guard at Gloucester High, but she was more of a scorer than a passer, she says.
Rice came to Norfolk State and didn't expect the reins of the team to be handed to her immediately.
Sweat tried to break her in gradually, telling her not to worry about scoring but to concentrate on getting everyone involved in the offense, and showing leadership.
Rice's break-in period ended quickly, and soon she was breaking records. She set single-game and season assist records as a freshman. ``It (passing) became my thing,'' Rice says.
It still is. Rice broke her own single-season assist record as a sophomore. Last year, she was asked to score a little more, but she still averaged 8.4 assists. This year, she's averaging 10.5 points and nine assists.
``She's not one-dimensional,'' Sweat says. ``If you tell her that she needs to score on a certain night, she can get you 20 points. And she can rebound better than just about anyone her size.''
The 5-foot-3 Rice is at her best in the open floor, pounding the ball hard and keeping her head up, always looking for a teammate.
Rice says most of her flashy passes come during the flow of the game, but occasionally she'll try to do something spectacular.
``Sometimes at the girls' game it's all dead, compared to the guys, who are dunking and everything,'' Rice says. ``I just try to do a fancy pass to get the crowd involved, and also to get my teammates hyped.''
Sweat says that on occasion he'll ask Rice to pull something out of her bag of tricks, especially during road games. It gets her teammates going and sometimes gets opposing crowds cheering - for Rice.
``We've won 40-something straight road games in the conference, and I attribute it to her playing so well on the road,'' Sweat says.
Rice had nine assists at halftime Saturday night at St. Paul's and might have broken the record there. But Sweat pulled her out of the game so she could break it at home.
``My parents will be there, and I wanted them to see it,'' Rice says. ``And I wanted to be at home, with the home crowd.''
Rice has been aware of the record for some time but is not obsessed with it. She says more important goals are to become a Division II All-American - she's been honorable mention twice - and to win a national championship. The Spartanettes have been to the Elite Eight the past two years.
Rice recently surpassed 1,000 career points, and she says she'd like 1,000 assists as well. If she does that, she could pass the Division III career mark of 1,002, held by another Hampton Roads product, Karen Barefoot of Christopher Newport. The assists leader for all divisions is Suzie McConnell of Penn State, with 1,307.
After Rice breaks the Division II record Thursday, they'll do more than stop the game for a minute. Price and Sweat are planning a ceremony at halftime of the men's game.
And again, Sweat says, it's not a question of if she'll break it Thursday, but when she'll break it Thursday.
``We won't do anything special,'' Sweat says. ``She'll get it just by playing.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
TAMARA VONINSKI/Staff
Felton Fontenette, 3, son of Spartanette LaMonica Filer, looks up to
5-foot-3 Lisa Rice, who stands tall in the Division II record book.
by CNB