THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 23, 1997 TAG: 9701230526
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: CIAA REPORT
SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 55 lines
Not many coaches can count on a sure thing when one of their players goes to the line. Certainly not Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard.
In Monday's 57-44 victory over St. Paul's, NSU was just 8 for 20 from the free-throw line. The Spartans have shot better from the the field (47 percent) than from the foul line in their last two games.
``It's a lack of concentration,'' said captain Maurice Whitfield, a 60 percent free-throw shooter. ``We've got to concentrate more when we get to the line.''
For the season, the Spartans (9-5, 4-2 CIAA) have fallen near the bottom of the CIAA in free-throw shooting at 62 percent.
``It's a very disturbing stat,'' Bernard said. ``I credit two losses to the free-throw line. If we continue to shoot in the same manner, we can certainly lose a couple of more games, and that is not something you look forward to.''
While extra free-throw shooting has been a presence in practice, Bernard stresses a more basic solution - concentration.
ROOKIE HONORS: NSU freshman Dion Woods earned CIAA rookie of the week honors after helping the Spartans earn two victories in three games last week.
Woods started in all three games and scored a total of 39 points. Not bad for a first-year player who played 10 minutes in the previous 10 games and had scored only four points. ``Basically, I was not used to the system,'' Woods said.
The 6-foot-1 guard from Lansing, Mich., had difficulty in getting around picks, knowing when to dribble and being patient with a set offense. He also had trouble adjusting to the point guard position, a spot Bernard wanted him to learn in addition to his natural position of shooting guard.
He's proved he knows a thing or two about playing shooting guard. Woods already has made more three-pointers (15) than any other Spartan.
And how did Woods respond to Sunday's announcement? He scored season and game highs of 21 points against St. Paul's.
CIAA SCORING LEADER: Virginia State guard Elgren Green has benefitted this season from the arrival of a new coach and the departure of three scorers. The Norcom High alumnus, once buried in the shadow of Douglas Hines and Reggie Frisby, leads the CIAA with 21.9 points a game.
``The new coach basically put everything around me,'' Green said of Ralph Traynham. ``I knew I could do it, I just never had the opportunity.''
The Trojans (5-11, 2-6) will visit Norfolk State on Saturday.
Green, the only returning starting from last season, averaged 5.9 rebounds and 5.6 points a game. He was overshadowed by two starters and a reserve who all averaged more than 10 points a game a year ago. This season, though, the junior is running the show.
``He's a allowed me to show my abilities - shoot, take players off the dribble and penetrate,'' Green said.
His individual success, however, has not translated to immediate results for the program. The Trojans are second in the conference in scoring at more than 79 points a game but also allow more than 80 points a contest.