THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512060557
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 142 lines
Old Dominion offered a glimpse into the future Tuesday. Coach Jeff Capel liked what he saw, even in a losing effort.
Capel started three freshmen against South Florida, which handed the Monarchs a 67-61 loss at Scope. It's the first time ODU has lost back-to-back home games since 1991-92, which was also the last time it started a season as poorly as this edition's 2-4 beginning.
But that's history, which is lost on a team with its eyes fixed on the future. ODU had three freshmen on the floor most of the night - four at one point - and the newcomers accounted for 105 of the team's 200 minutes played.
Capel got the intensity he's been longing for from his players.
``I think this is the best effort that we've gotten from our kids this year,'' he said. ``The only thing that didn't happen was we didn't win, but we know that will come. It's just a matter of time. We took a big step tonight.''
Joe Bunn, ODU's leading scorer and rebounder, was on the bench in street clothes because of a contusion and sprain to his right big toe. Freshman Skipper Youngblood started in his place at power forward, and both he and fellow freshman Reggie Bassette played their most minutes of the season. They combined for just one point but had six blocked shots and nine rebounds between them.
But Bunn was missed. ODU was outrebounded by 10 and got to the free-throw line just nine times compared to 18 for the Bulls.
Capel said Bunn will be re-evaluated Friday before ODU leaves for Saturday's game at Toledo.
Sophomore point guard Brion Dunlap, who had started all 38 games of his ODU career, never got off the bench. Capel called it a ``team decision'' and would not say whether Dunlap will play Saturday.
Center Odell Hodge, who was questionable because of a strained right shoulder, started and scored 16 points, sharing the scoring load with a pair of freshmen. Forward Mark Poag hit five 3-pointers for 17 points, and guard Mike Byers had 15 points.
``Myself and the other guys, we're going to have to grow up early,'' Byers said. ``There's going to be a time when coach is not going to accept freshman mistakes. We need to start playing like sophomores, juniors and seniors. I thought we played hard for 40 minutes; it just didn't work out well tonight.''
South Florida's Chucky Atkins (19 points) and Eric Kinslow (16) had a lot to do with that.
The Bulls came into the game shooting 24 percent from 3-point range and had just nine in two games, which prompted ODU to play zone most of the night. Atkins dropped in five treys and Kinslow came off the bench to hit four.
South Florida (3-0) held off ODU in the second half despite making just 8 of 28 shots from the field. The Bulls made just three of their first 16 attempts while the Monarchs made 9 of 15 to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a 54-50 lead with eight minutes remaining.
Then Atkins got hot. The Bulls' senior guard made three 3-pointers in a span of 93 seconds to put South Florida on top 59-54.
The Monarchs tied the game at 61 with 3:04 left on a Hodge turnaround jumper. That would be ODU's final points, as the Monarchs missed their last four field goals and the front end of a one-and-one.
The Bulls weren't much more accurate, so ODU was still in the game until the final seconds. Byers' shot on a drive to the basket was blocked by James Harper with 48 seconds remaining and the Monarchs down by two.
At the other end, Youngblood blocked a shot by Atkins out of bounds with 17.9 seconds left. Six seconds remained on the shot clock, enough for Atkins to drive the lane and sink a floater over E.J. Sherod for a 65-61 lead with 14 seconds left.
``We got beat by a good team and a great player,'' Capel said. ``That shot he hit with six seconds left on the shot clock, I can see why the NBA scouts are here drooling over him.''
NORFOLK - Old Dominion offered a glimpse into the future Tuesday. Coach Jeff Capel liked what he saw, even in a losing effort.
Capel started three freshmen against South Florida, which handed the Monarchs a 67-61 loss at Scope. It's the first time ODU has lost back-to-back home games since 1991-92, which was also the last time it started a season as poorly as this edition's 2-4 beginning.
But that's history, which is lost on a team with its eyes fixed on the future. ODU had three freshmen on the floor most of the night - four at one point - and the newcomers accounted for 105 of the team's 200 minutes played.
Capel got the intensity he's been longing for from his players.
``I think this is the best effort that we've gotten from our kids this year,'' he said. ``The only thing that didn't happen was we didn't win, but we know that will come. It's just a matter of time. We took a big step tonight.''
Joe Bunn, ODU's leading scorer and rebounder, was on the bench in street clothes because of a contusion and sprain to his right big toe. Freshman Skipper Youngblood started in his place at power forward, and both he and fellow freshman Reggie Bassette played their most minutes of the season. They combined for just one point but had six blocked shots and nine rebounds between them.
But Bunn was missed. ODU was outrebounded by 10 and got to the free-throw line just nine times compared to 18 for the Bulls.
Capel said Bunn will be re-evaluated by the doctor Friday before ODU departs for Saturday's game at Toledo.
Sophomore point guard Brion Dunlap, who had started all 38 games of his ODU career, never got off the bench Tuesday. Capel called it a ``team decision'' and would not say whether Dunlap will play Saturday.
Center Odell Hodge, who was questionable because of a strained right shoulder, started and scored 16 points, sharing the scoring load with a pair of freshmen. Forward Mark Poag hit five 3-pointers for 17 points, and guard Mike Byers had 15 points.
``Myself and the other guys, we're going to have to grow up early,'' Byers said. ``There's going to be a time when coach is not going to accept freshman mistakes. We need to start playing like sophomores, juniors and seniors.
``I thought we played hard for 40 minutes; it just didn't work out well tonight.''
South Florida's Chucky Atkins (19 points) and Eric Kinslow (16) had a lot to do with that.
The Bulls came into the game shooting 24 percent from 3-point range and had just nine in two games, which prompted ODU to play zone most of the night. Atkins dropped in five treys and Kinslow came off the bench to hit four.
South Florida (3-0) held off ODU in the second half despite making just 8 of 28 shots from the field (28.6 percent). The Bulls made just three of their first 16 attempts while the Monarchs made 9 of 15 to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a 54-50 lead with eight minutes remaining.
Then Atkins got hot. The Bulls' senior guard made three 3-pointers in a span of 93 seconds to put South Florida on top 59-54.
``They happened to leave me open a couple times,'' Atkins said.
The Monarchs tied the game at 61 with 3:04 left on a Hodge turnaround jumper. That would be ODU's final points, as the Monarchs missed their last four field goals and the front end of a one-and-one.
The Bulls weren't much more accurate, so ODU was still in the game until the final seconds. Byers' shot on a drive to the basket was blocked by James Harper with 48 seconds remaining and the Monarchs down by two.
At the other end, Youngblood blocked a shot by Atkins out of bounds with 17.9 seconds left. Six seconds remained on the shot clock, enough for Atkins to drive the lane and sink a floating jumper over E.J. Sherod for a 65-61 lead with 14 seconds left.
``We got beat by a good team and a great player,'' Capel said. ``That shot he hit with six seconds left on the shot clock, I can see why the NBA scouts are here drooling over him.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/The Virginian-Pilot
ODU's Mike Byers soars over South Florida's James Harper to battle
for a rebound. Byers, one of three freshmen to start for the
Monarchs, finished with 15 points Tuesday night.
by CNB