THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240526
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Coach Jeff Capel said it was obvious Old Dominion's freshmen were rattled when the team emerged from the locker room at East Carolina on Saturday night.
The crowd was loud, involved and right on top of the court. It was probably the most hostile crowd the Monarchs had faced on the road this season. They fell behind quickly, rallied late but failed to complete the comeback.
``The freshmen weren't prepared for the atmosphere there,'' said Capel, who will take his team into James Madison at 7:35 tonight. ``The freshmen took half a step back on Saturday, but that's to be expected.''
James Madison (5-12, 1-5 CAA) normally enjoys one of the best home-court advantages in the league, but in a down season for the Dukes, a trip to the JMU Convocation Center may not be as daunting as usual.
Capel said the loss at ECU - Old Dominion's first there since 1970 and just the Pirates' second victory in the last 15 games of the series - illustrated that the Monarchs (8-9, 3-2) sometimes lack leadership. He said sophomores Brion Dunlap and Joe Bunn are the team's best natural leaders, but it's difficult for sophomores to assume that role.
``This is a very fragile team,'' Capel said. ``We don't handle success very well and we don't handle adversity very well. That's just youthfulness.
``. . . Not only did we graduate three good players last year, but most of our toughness left us.''
ATMOSPHERIC READINGS: Capel applauded the atmosphere at ECU after Saturday's game.
``This is one of the toughest places in the league to play,'' he said. ``The fans are great. They get on you, but it's fun. I wish we could create an atmosphere like this.''
So what could ODU do toward that end?
``I don't know if we can create that at Scope,'' Capel said. ``If we had our on-campus facility, it would be a lot easier.''
That's in the works but is at least a few years away.
MULLEN MUSINGS: Mario Mullen played for the first time in six games Saturday at East Carolina. The 14 minutes of action took a toll on his aching back.
``He was really sore on Sunday and wasn't able to practice (Monday),'' Capel said Tuesday morning. ``We'll see what he's able to do today and if he he's going to be able to help us Wednesday.''
According to Capel, the inflamed disc in Mullen's back is going to be a problem the rest of his senior year.
``Our trainers tell us it's as good as it's going to get,'' Capel said. ``It's a matter of how much pain he's able to deal with.''
AN AMERICAN TALE: American, picked to finish seventh in the CAA, is in third place at 4-1, half a game behind league-leading Virginia Commonwealth and UNC-Wilmington. It's a new view of the world for the Eagles (8-6), who have averaged just under 10 wins per season the last four years.
``But with all of the tough years, we've always been at least a couple games over .500 in the league,'' coach Chris Knoche said. ``I've always tried to stress to people around here - particularly people who make decisions on my contract - to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.''
The Eagles open a five-game road trip tonight in which they will play the other four teams that make up the top five in the CAA, beginning with Virginia Commonwealth.
TIP-INS: Old Dominion is 8-1 when it leads at the half, 0-8 when it trails. Carolina. . . . Richmond guard Kevin Connor, suspended indefinitely for allegedly striking a former girlfriend, goes to court today. . . . The 26 rebounds grabbed by William and Mary's David Cully against VMI was the single-game high this season in college basketball. Cully has 49 blocked shots, more than every CAA team except Old Dominion and Virginia Commonwealth. by CNB