THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 16, 1995 TAG: 9502160529
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Norfolk State got a reminder Wednesday night of how much easier life can be when your All-American candidate plays like one.
The 10th-ranked Spartans, paced by a season-high 32 points from Corey Williams, sprinted away from St. Augustine's in the second half, cruising to an 82-63 CIAA victory in front of 1,283 at at Emery Gymnasium.
Williams, a 6-8 senior, scored 22 points in the second half, including 11 straight in one three-minute stretch to put the game out of reach.
``He was much more active on both ends of the floor,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. ``When he's that active, he plays well.''
For much of the year, Bernard has tried to prevent his team from relying too heavily on Williams, whose scoring average is off about three points from last year's 23-point pace.
But with the postseason approaching, Bernard says the team needs Williams to step forward.
``It's now time for him to turn it up, and he knows it,'' Bernard said. ``It's time for him to provide leadership through his play.''
Norfolk State (20-4, 15-3 CIAA) was watching a 14-point lead slip away when Williams got busy, scoring nine points in 90 seconds to turn a four-point lead into a 13-point spread, 62-49, with 7:43 left in the game.
``We always come out so-so in the second half,'' Williams said. ``I was just trying to keep the intensity up.
``I'm the only senior, so if I go out and play hard, I figure everybody else will feed off of me.''
It was the first time Williams hit the 30-point mark this year after doing it five times last year. He also had nine rebounds and four assists.
St. Augustine's (10-14, 8-10) stayed with Norfolk State through the game's first 18 minutes, but Norfolk State scored eight straight in the final two minutes of the first half to take a 34-27 halftime lead.
The Spartans built the lead to 14 before the Falcons came back by hitting three 3-pointers in a two-minute stretch.
``They just hit a couple of good shots,'' Norfolk State point guard Maurice Whitfield said. ``We slacked up on our defense a little.''
But then Williams got hot, Carnell Penn kicked in with 12 second-half points and the Falcons were through. Penn finished with 14 points, and Whitfield added 10.
It was a solid win, but not enough to make anyone forget Saturday's 73-70 loss to Hampton, a game in which Norfolk State blew a 17-point lead at home, and, it turns out, a chance at winning the CIAA Northern Division outright.
``We let that one slide away,'' Whitfield said. ``This is a good start, to get back in the groove heading into the (CIAA) tournament.''
With Virginia Union's upset loss to Elizabeth City Monday, the Spartans, who are 8-3 in the CIAA North, can tie the Panthers for the division title with a win over Elizabeth City Saturday. The tie would be broken by a coin flip, according to the CIAA office, and the winner would receive a bye in the first round of the tournament. by CNB