THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 17, 1995 TAG: 9503170673
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ALBANY, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
A 12 seed and a 13 won NCAA tournament first-round games Thursday.
How about a 14 today?
Old Dominion will try to join Miami of Ohio and Manhattan as first-round dragon-slayers when it meets Villanova in the East Regional at Knickerbocker Arena (7:40 p.m., WTKR). The Monarchs are the East's 14th seed, Villanova No. 3.
``I want to stick around awhile,'' ODU guard Mike Jones said.
It's the annual dream for the lower-rung seeds, realized most years when at least a couple lightly-regarded teams penciled in for one-and-done status send the likes of Arizona or Oklahoma packing.
``It motivates us to go out and play hard when we have our chance to get knocked out and make sure that it doesn't happen to us,'' said Villanova All-American Kerry Kittles.
The Big East champion Wildcats (25-7), led by conference Player of the Year Kittles, are picked by some for the Final Four.
``I'm sure there are some people who picked Arizona to be in the Final Four, but today they got knocked out,'' Monarch forward Petey Sessoms said.
Old Dominion (20-11), a 12-point underdog, likely will need to play a near-perfect game and catch a few breaks to upset Villanova. Providence coach Pete Gillen said earlier this season the Wildcats ``have a dream team,'' noting their inside-outside balance, prototype bodies at each position and overall skill.
Three keys for the Monarchs are to shoot a high percentage, rebound well and take care of the basketball.
``If our perimeter players can make some jump shots, that gives us a chance,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said. ``Any time you've got guys who can shoot the basketball, you've got a chance.''
Jones and Sessoms provide the outside threat and the chance for ODU. But as good as they are at shooting 3-pointers, Villanova counters with two who are better in wing players Kittles and Eric Eberz, as well as point guard Jonathan Haynes.
``If we limit the number of times they touch the ball and don't give them open looks, we should be fine,'' Jones said.
Villanova is 21-1 when it shoots better than 44 percent from the field, 4-6 when it shoots below 44 percent.
``Obviously their ability to contain Kittles and Eberz would help,'' Wildcats coach Steve Lappas said when asked how Old Dominion could beat his team. ``And at the same time contain our inside game, because we have pretty good balance between the two.''
Center Jason Lawson is the Wildcats' primary inside threat, although his 12.7 scoring average is well below those of Kittles (21.4) and Eberz (16.2). Lawson also is the leading rebounder on a Villanova team that - like Old Dominion - is merely average on the boards.
Rebounding has been a telltale stat for the Monarchs all season. They are 15-1 when they win the battle of the boards, 5-10 when they do not.
``We've got to go to work on the glass,'' Capel said.
Villanova was No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll. ODU is 1-8 versus nationally ranked opponents the past nine seasons.
Capel said his team disregards talk that it can't win. He said the Monarchs' nonconference schedule - in which ODU went 1-5 against teams that made the tournament field - was ``in preparation for this moment.
``We're ready to play . . . we're loose but serious,'' Capel said. ``That's how we want to be. We want to be serious, but not so tight we squeak when we walk.'' by CNB