THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 1995 TAG: 9512200563
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LARAMIE, WYO. LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
E.J. Sherod was projected as Old Dominion's shooting guard, but he started at small forward in the season opener. Monday, he got his first start at point guard.
Versatility has been the trademark of Sherod's ODU career. He's always been a role player who could get a rebound or play some defense, but he's never been the offensive threat he was Monday night in the Monarchs' 89-84 loss to undefeated Texas Tech.
Sherod scored a career-high 19 points - his previous high was 14 his freshman year against New Hampshire - and made 7 of 8 field goals and 3 of 4 3-pointers. The junior from Richmond had just one assist, but did not turn the ball over and made two steals in 30 minutes of action.
``He really played well,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said. ``He took good shots and got the ball to other players where they could do something with the basketball. He's coming around and starting to emerge as one of the leaders for this team.''
Sherod is expected to start again at the point tonight when the Monarchs (2-6) try to halt a four-game losing streak at Wyoming (4-2).
Sherod's season started as rocky as the team's. ODU hasn't pulled out of its slump, but Sherod seems to have shaken his.
Through five games Sherod was averaging 3.4 points and shooting 20 percent from both the field and 3-point range. In the last three games he has averaged 12.7 points while shooting 65 percent from the field and 57 percent from beyond the arc.
He's made 11 of 13 from the field and 4 of 5 3-pointers in the last two games, including back-to-back treys late Monday that kept ODU in the game until the closing seconds.
``Those did a lot for my confidence,'' Sherod said. ``If I keep being aggressive and doing the things coach asks me to do, those things will come.''
UNDESIRABLE HISTORY: ODU is off to its worst start since the program moved to Division I in 1976-77. The last time ODU began a season 2-6 was 1971-72.
If the Monarchs lose tonight, it will be the school's worst start since the 1941-42 squad went 0-14, losing to the likes of Langley Field and Norfolk Naval Hospital.
LOSING SKID: Tonight's game is the third of five in a row away from home and the second in three days for ODU.
``Physically I think we'll be OK, but emotionally we're bruised and battered,'' Capel said Tuesday after the Monarchs caught two flights and then bused 2 1/2 hours from Denver to Laramie. ``We have to regroup and put forth the effort we did in the last game.''
If ODU drops its fifth consecutive game, it will match the Monarchs' longest losing streak of the last eight seasons.
Center Odell Hodge said this team, which was picked to win the Colonial Athletic Association, is trying to remain positive.
``We're getting close to conference time and you want to go into conference play with momentum,'' Hodge said. ``It's very, very important to get a win. We're struggling right now, but we're going to get a winning streak going.'' by CNB