THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 1996 TAG: 9601070257
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The Norfolk State Spartans were as cold as the weather Saturday night in the first half against Johnson C. Smith.
Then a heat wave hit in the form of Carnell Penn.
The senior guard canned five 3-pointers and scored 29 points to pace Norfolk State's 74-60 come-from-behind victory over the Golden Bulls.
Penn, who has averaged 23.5 points in the Spartans' last four games, came up three points shy of his career high as Norfolk State improved to 7-1 overall, 3-0 in the CIAA. All three CIAA victories have come against Southern Division foes and the Spartans travel to meet a fourth, Fayetteville State, Wednesday night.
``Carnell's out there to score,'' teammate Derrick Bryant said. ``That's what he does best. He kept us in that game tonight when things weren't going too well.''
The Spartans trailed 40-35 at the half and it would have been much worse had Penn not scored 16 first-half points.
``He was our savior,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. ``He dug us out of a hole when we had no offensive continuity.''
After Norfolk State center Blitz Wooten picked up his second foul at the seven-minute mark and had to go to the bench, Johnson C. Smith forward Alex Thompson took full advantage of Wooten's absence, scoring 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting and grabbing eight first-half rebounds.
``Thompson surprised me with his strength,'' Bryant said about the junior college transfer. ``And he's very fundamentally sound.''
But according to Johnson C. Smith coach Steve Joyner, Thompson and his teammates made themselves easier targets in the second half by not being as active. Thompson had just two points and two rebounds after the break.
``Norfolk State just physically wore us down,'' Joyner said. ``We knew they were more physical than us and that we couldn't just stand around and let them lean on us. But that's what we let them do after the half.''
Twelve second-half turnovers didn't help the Golden Bulls (4-6, 2-3), who scored just 20 points after the break, shooting 38 percent from the field after making 53 percent of their first-half shots.
Many of their problems were caused by a Norfolk State defensive effort that improved dramatically in the second half.
``That was a great 12 minutes we played to start the second half and that was the best half of basketball we've played all season, no question,'' Bernard said. ``I think it was clear to the guys that they weren't putting out. The threat of a loss is what keyed it.''
A 3-pointer by Penn with 13:30 remaining gave the Spartans a 49-47 lead and started a 14-2 run that ended with another Penn 3-pointer and a 60-49 lead. The Golden Bulls never got closer than nine after that. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/The Virginian-Pilot
Norfolk State guard Maurice Whitfield tries to drive around Johnson
C. Smith forward Erasto Hattchett. Whitfield had 14 points for the
Spartans.
by CNB