THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 13, 1995 TAG: 9502130136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
A few years ago, Jeff Capel sent off for tapes on how to run Paul Westhead's fast-breaking and pressing system and attempted to institute it at Division II Fayetteville State.
Capel's team practiced it for a couple of weeks. A few injuries made it hard to sustain and, besides, Capel decided it was not his style of play. So he scrapped it.
Westhead, in his second season at George Mason, has had plenty of struggles with his system this season, but he hasn't scrapped it. The Patriots, losers of 13 of their last 14, visit Scope tonight for a 7 p.m. game (TV: HTS).
Westhead has been asked more than once this season whether he has the personnel to run his demanding system, and he hasn't disputed that he might not.
``You have to dance with what brung you,'' he said a couple weeks ago. ``We have enough personnel to be better at what we do. Sure, I'd like to be able to go out and pick five players who have lightning speed, can shoot the 3-pointer and rebound every miss.''
The Patriots may not have all those elements, but they will have one advantage over ODU tonight: George Mason (6-15, 1-8 Colonial Athletic Association) has not played since last Monday. The Monarchs also had a game that night and have played two others since. Tonight's game is the fifth in 10 days for ODU, which leads the CAA by a game over James Madison.
ODU started the stretch with two of its most lopsided losses this season, to JMU and Virginia Commonwealth. But the Monarchs (14-10, 9-1) have bounced back nicely, winning two in a row and putting together one of their most balanced attacks of the season Saturday in a 91-74 victory over American.
ODU forward Petey Sessoms, whose 22.5 scoring average is tied for the league lead with James Madison's Louis Rowe, said the two blowout losses woke the Monarchs up.
``It made us recognize we've got to get focused on what we want to accomplish, and that's to win a championship,'' Sessoms said. ``We talked about how we've got to concentrate and work hard and treat our remaining games like a brand new season.''
In the Monarchs' last outing, they snapped a four-game stretch in which they had been outrebounded. George Mason is the only CAA team with a lower rebound margin (minus-6.7) than ODU (minus-3.2). That bodes well for the Monarchs, who are 10-1 when they outrebound opponents, 4-9 when they lose or tie in the battle of the boards. by CNB