THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 12, 1995 TAG: 9502120184
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Most freshman college athletes take a year, maybe two, to make the adjustment from high school, but Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball player Percy Slight has put that theory on the back burner.
Slight, a 6-foot-5 post player out of Indian River High School, has been a hit so far, and his numbers prove it.
He is 12th in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in scoring (14.1 ppg), leading the Marlins, and is second on the team in rebounds (5.6 rpg) to Sean Blackwell.
Slight, who always seems to be around the ball, doesn't mind the pressure of starting as a freshman and realizes the kind of competition he must face.
``I am playing against guys that are older and sometimes better than me,'' Slight said. ``I know that there are times I have to raise my level of play to perform.''
Slight and Blackwell have formed a sort of dynamic frontcourt duo. Both are having tremendous seasons.
``Sean and I have a good chemistry going,'' Slight said. ``We both look to pass to the other.''
According to Slight, it has taken him a while to get adjusted to head coach Terry Butterfield's system.
``At first I felt uncomfortable in the system,'' Slight said. ``But I've learned to adjust and he (Butterfield) helps me by teaching me the game.''
Currently, Slight is shooting 61 percent from the field. He is on pace to break the single-season school record of 58 percent set by Butch Sheppard in 1976-77.
MARLIN REPORT: ODAC preseason rankings have been released for spring sports. The Virginia Wesleyan lacrosse team is picked sixth out of seventh teams. ... The defending regular-season ODAC baseball champion Marlins have been picked second to Bridgewater. The Marlins finished the 1993-94 season at 28-6 and lost only one conference game. ... Freshman Ryan Bradford, who is shooting 48 percent from 3-point land, is on pace to break the school single-season 3-point percentage mark set by Tom Palombo in 1986-87 (44.5 percent). ... Senior guard David Cohen needs 32 assists in the Marlins' last four games to break Barry Whitehead's single-season assist record. Cohen currently has 114 assists. ... The Lady Marlins are shooting 71.2 percent from the line, putting them sixth in the nation in free-throw percentage. ... Andrea Beisch (Kempsville) is fourth in the nation in free-throw percentage at 85.7 percent. Twin sister Amy Beisch (Kempsville) is eighth in the ODAC in scoring (13.9 ppg).
NORFOLK STATE WRESTLING: Corey Williams (Princess Anne), a 5-8 junior wrestling at 134 pounds for Norfolk State, was named the Apprentice Invitational's most outstanding wrestler. In the finals Williams pinned Norman Smith (Gloucester) in 5:55. Williams finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-0, with three pins at 134. He also had a 9-2 record at 142. ... Felton Woodson (Deep Creek) finished third in the Apprentice Invitational at 150. Woodson was 3-1 at 150 pounds and 11-10 at 158. ... Nathan Kennedy (Deep Creek) finished 5-4 at 142. Charles Daniels (First Colonial) was 21-3 at 167 pounds. The team finished at 4-11 on the season.
ALUMNI UPDATE: Eric Vaughan (Bayside) is second on Christopher Newport's men's basketball team in scoring at 16.0. He was named Dixie Conference rookie of the week for the fourth time this season. In two games Vaughan averaged 22.5 points and 16.5 rebounds. He shot 51 percent from the floor and had seven blocks. ... Megan Reese (Kempsville) of the Mary Washington women's swimming team finished first in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles at Washington and Lee. three nationally ranked teams: third-ranked Nebraska, 13th-ranked Arkansas and No. 22 Clemson. Williams finished first in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.71 and second in hurdles with a time of 24.16. Her time in the hurdles qualifies her for the NCAA championships in March. Illinois won the meet with 59 points. ... Tony Bobalinsky (Kempsville), a wrestler at Penn State, is 11-9 overall and 3-4 in duals at 158 pounds. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Percy Slight leads the Marlins in scoring at 14.1 ppg.
by CNB