THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996                 TAG: 9603070180
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST           PAGE: 17   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   35 lines

WEEK WAS DISAPPOINTING FOR ECSU THE VIKINGS' HOPES FOR CIAA HONORS WERE DASHED.

The week of Feb. 26 was a tough one for the Elizabeth City State University men's basketball team.

Despite a successful campaign in which first-year head coach Barry Hamler and a host of new players turned the program around to win 15 games, the Vikings faced perhaps their most disappointing week of the season.

First, Hamler, who many thought would receive CIAA Coach of the Year honors, was beat out for the award by Livingstone College head coach Charles McCullough.

McCullough guided the Bears to a 10-16 record in his second season.

Then, when the All-CIAA team was announced, Vikings leading scorer Theron Curry was left off the team.

Curry sparked the offense all season and led the CIAA in 3-point baskets.

The final blow was a 94-83 loss to J.C. Smith in the first round of the CIAA tournament.

The Vikings entered the tourney with high hopes as the third seed, having won five of seven regular season games in February.

Smith entered the game 11-15 and had lost to the Vikings 88-72 in January. Norfolk State won the tournament.

In the Vikings' final game, Curry scored 24 points but shot just 35 percent from the floor.

Sharano Woodley scored 17 points, and Bernard Cooper added 15 for ECSU. by CNB