THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 28, 1995 TAG: 9501280353
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
It was the low point of Norfolk State's season.
An upset loss to UMass-Lowell in the second game of the season was alarming enough. But just when the Spartans appeared to have put that behind them - winning two in a row - Norfolk State traveled to Virginia State and was upset in overtime, 89-87.
The loss dropped Norfolk State to 3-2 and knocked the Spartans out of the Division II top 20 after starting the year at No. 2.
It wasn't so much the loss but the way the Spartans lost that rankled coach Mike Bernard. They played poor defense inside and missed 5 of 6 free throws in the final 44 seconds of regulation.
``It was just one of those games we gave away,'' Bernard said.
Seven weeks later, a vastly different Norfolk State team hosts Virginia State tonight at 8 (WNSB 91.1-FM) at Echols Arena. Norfolk State (15-2, 10-1) has won 12 in a row since the Virginia State loss and has climbed back to No. 4 in the nation.
Still, they have not forgotten the Virginia State loss.
``I think they'll be up for this one,'' Bernard said. ``There can be a certain amount of satisfaction in having an opportunity to play a team we blew a game to earlier.''
The sting of losing to Virginia State prompted a little soul-searching among the Spartans, who held a team meeting.
``We just decided to start playing together,'' guard Marvin Stinson said.
Sounds simple, but it's worked. Norfolk State has played its way back onto the national map.
As for Virginia State (9-9, 4-7 CIAA), the Trojans were riding a six-game winning streak of their own but have dropped four of their last five, three of them in overtime.
Virginia State has been led by guard Reggie Frisby (16.4 ppg), but the 6-foot-2 junior missed Monday's game against Winston-Salem State with an ankle injury and is questionable for tonight's game. If Frisby can't go, the Trojans may have to look inside to big men Douglas Hines and Kelvin Kinney, who combined for 43 points in the win over Norfolk State.
But then again, the Spartans don't need to be reminded of that.
``Right after the last game (Wednesday, against Shaw), we started getting up for this one,'' point guard Maurice Whitfield said. by CNB