THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 14, 1996 TAG: 9601140232
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
It takes a special type of player to succeed as a sixth man. The role calls for a player who can come off the bench cold and immediately heat up.
Rodney Carmichael thinks he might be the kind of guy who can do just that.
The 6-foot-5 junior forward, who has started much of this season for Norfolk State, came off the bench Saturday night to score 13 points and grab 11 rebounds as the Spartans fought off a much-improved St. Paul's squad for an 80-65 victory at Echols Arena.
The victory lifted the Spartans' record to 9-1 overall, 5-0 CIAA, and set up a showdown with unbeaten Virginia Union, the top-ranked team in Division II, Thursday at the Ashe Center in Richmond.
Carmichael was relegated to a reserve role earlier this week when a bout with the flu forced him to miss practice time. When 6-8 sophomore Sean Blackwell responded well to his spot start against Fayetteville on Wednesday, coach Mike Bernard decided to keep that lineup.
But when center Blitz Wooten got into early foul trouble and stayed in it, fouling out in just 13 minutes of action, Carmichael became a most valuable asset.
``We had some foul troubles because of some very adverse conditions,'' Bernard said, refusing to elaborate. ``We weren't getting any rebounds, so we needed that. And I wanted Rodney to get our transition game going and to score. He did all three very well.''
Carmichael's rebound total was a career high and he added four steals in 31 minutes.
``I found out tonight that it really doesn't matter who starts,'' Carmichael said. ``I got the same number of minutes.''
Spartans forward Derrick Bryant had an uncommonly cool first half, not scoring until the final tick of the half. But he added 12 second-half points and finished with 13 rebounds and 14 points. Seven of those points came in the game's most crucial stretch.
With 6:38 remaining, the Tigers (4-8, 0-7) cut Norfolk State's lead to 56-53 on a free throw by Cleon Hill.
But the Spartans went on a 12-point run for a 68-53 lead, a slam by Bryant on a fast-break feed from Carnell Penn at the five-minute mark shifting the momentum near the beginning of the spurt.
``Derrick and Rodney did a tremendous job,'' said Penn, who finished with a game-high 19 points. ``Especially Rodney, he came in and got us going when we were in a drought and when we needed him.''
For five minutes of the first half, the Spartans actually looked like an average-sized high school team as the 6-4 Bryant manned the center spot, Carmichael played power forward and three guards filled the perimeter. That unit went on an 8-0 run to give Spartans a 33-22 lead at the half.
``I've always wanted to play center,'' Bryant grinned. ``Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Me and Rodney like it down low,and when the other guys are taller we see it as a challenge worth answering.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/The Virginian-Pilot
Norfolk State point guard Maurice Whitfield, who had 14 points and
eight assists Saturday night, gets off a shot.
by CNB