THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 27, 1995 TAG: 9502270123
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
It's Norfolk State's move.
Virginia Union coach Dave Robbins called Saturday's CIAA tournament championship game a ``chess match.'' It was an apt metaphor, not only for the game, but also for the parrying that has gone on between the two schools over the past two seasons. Last season, Norfolk State won the first meeting, Virginia Union won the next two, and the Spartans won the fourth, at the South Atlantic Regional tournament.
This year, Norfolk State again won the first meeting and Virginia Union took the next two, including Saturday's 61-56 victory at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
Will the Spartans and Panthers meet again in the South Atlantic Regional final on March 11? Robbins wouldn't bet against it.
``We always seem to meet four times,'' he said.
Virginia Union won Saturday's game by holding Norfolk State to 37 percent from the floor while getting 30 points from its big shooting guards, Thomas Meredith and Maurice Greene.
But Robbins didn't see much point in breaking the game down afterward.
``I just think we know each other's strengths and weaknesses so well,'' he said. ``Some nights it goes in for us, some nights for them.''
The Spartans can only hope the shots fall for them next time. Their only consolation Saturday was that they will likely meet Union again, and if they beat the Panthers, they can still realize their goal of returning to the NCAA Elite Eight.
``That's all we have to hope for now, is to move on,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. ``The biggest prize of all could still be a reality.''
Bernard was in the same position six years ago, when his North Carolina Central club lost in the CIAA final but won the national championship.
TO THE FUTURE: Greensboro city officials were on hand at the tournament, and a CIAA official said the city is interested in bidding for the tournament in 1996-97, when its three-year run in Winston-Salem will be through.
The question is: What type of event would Greensboro be getting?
With Hampton leaving the CIAA next year and Norfolk State set to follow in 1997, the conference is losing its two flagship schools. In Norfolk State, it also loses the school with the largest following.
A tournament without Norfolk State and Hampton might not be the attraction that it was this year, when 14,000 fans attended the championship game.
Hampton officials are holding out hope that a two-tier conference, one Division I, the other Division II, could be created. But CIAA commissioner Leon Kerry said he is not optimistic that can happen.
For a two-tier conference to work, the CIAA would probably need to lure a few teams from the Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Hampton and Norfolk State have been invited to join the MEAC. Norfolk State officials have indicated they'll accept, but Hampton is still shopping around and may spend its first Division I season as an independent.
TIDBITS: Norfolk State has agreed to pay Sun Belt Video Sports for damage done to a camera broken by Bernard after Saturday's game, Kerry said. Bernard became annoyed at a cameraman who was shooting the NSU bench after the game, and he slapped the camera, sending the lens flying. Kerry said NSU president Harrison B. Wilson told him the school will pay for the damage. . . . Wilson and former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder were among the more demonstrative fans at Saturday's title game. At one point, in the heat of second-half action, they were waving their arms at each other. Wilder is a Virginia Union graduate. . . to leave by Kerry on Thursday. Kerry had said that Mitchell, who was known for parading around in colorful suits, could come back if he ``acted right.'' The tournament icon was asked to leave because he was using a coliseum restroom to change his clothes between strolls. by CNB