THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210522
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
It looked like a pratfall from a comedy skit, but Massachusetts didn't enjoy the joke much when Carmelo Travieso fell off the stage Wednesday.
The UMass guard walked onto a platform with his teammates for a press conference at the Georgia Dome. As he stepped around Marcus Camby, Travieso leaned into a curtain at the back of the platform. His left foot missed the edge of the stage and he fell backward 4 feet onto a cement floor.
His fall broken some by a ladder, Travieso landed on his back on a metal bar, suffering a bruised lower back and buttock, UMass trainer Ron Laham said.
After several tense moments as medical personnel tended to Travieso, teammate Edgar Padilla was heard speaking Spanish to his friend - they were born in Puerto Rico on the same day in 1975 - and laughter broke out.
``He'll be shooting 3-pointers tomorrow,'' forward Donta Bright said of the Minutemen's primary threat from beyond the arc.
Travieso iced his back in the Georgia Dome locker room, coming out to shoot free throws with the team. But Laham said he should be able to start when UMass meets Arkansas in the second East semifinal.
``It will be sore tonight, it will be sore tomorrow,'' Laham said. ``But I would be surprised if he doesn't play.''
``We normally don't have guys get hurt at press conferences.''
UMass coach John Calipari did not seem amused, though he quipped: ``We were running a play, a back-door cut.''
Earlier Calipari said there was a ``consensus'' that his team, ranked No. 1 most of the season, wouldn't make it out of the regional. The coach would hope that doesn't happen in part because Travieso, who's averaged 17.4 points in the Atlantic-10 and NCAA tournaments, fell on his back at a press conference.
``He told me `Coach, thank God there was a ladder there I could grab or I might have fallen on my head,' '' Calipari said. MEMO: The Associated Press and N.Y. Times contributed to this report. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
Carmelo Travieso hurt his lower back and buttock toppling off a
platform at a news conference. Later he and coach John Calipari
shared a laugh.
by CNB