DATE: Saturday, March 1, 1997               TAG: 9703010674

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.               LENGTH:   83 lines

SPARTANETTES' CIAA RUN ENDS IN SEMIFINALS

The Spartanettes' CIAA finale was far from sparkling Friday afternoon.

Norfolk State committed 37 turnovers and hit only 48 percent of its free throws in an 86-76 loss to Fayetteville State in a semifinal of the CIAA Tournament at Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum before a crowd of 1,871.

Norfolk State has applied for Division I status and anticipates playing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference next season.

``The key to the game was we didn't handle their press,'' said Norfolk State coach James Sweat, whose Spartanettes had won five of the previous six tournament titles. ``Our senior kids had to step up and they didn't.''

While Sweat had gotten plenty of production from the supporting cast, Norfolk State (20-8) relied on seniors Michelle Sessoms and LaTina Bullock to carry the load. Only Sessoms was able to provide production comparable to her season averages.

Sessoms finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds, both team highs. However, she also committed eight turnovers.

Bullock, who has played with a bulky knee brace because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament sustained early in the season, was out of sync the entire afternoon. The two-time all-conference forward finished with 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting.

``We knew their strategy was to go inside to Bullock and Sessoms,'' Fayetteville State coach Eric Tucker said. ``We knew she (Bullock) couldn't really get planted with the knee. We put a body on her and she really couldn't get going.''

But the Lady Broncos (24-3), who play Bowie State (27-1) in the final tonight at 6:30, got going. And more specifically, Tammy Brown got into the flow for Fayetteville State.

Brown, a junior forward, did not score her first points until nine minutes remained in the opening half. However, she scored 15 in the first half, including eight in a 92-second stretch, and finished with 31.

Complementing Brown inside was Deidre Justice, who added 20 on 7-of-12 shooting.

``It didn't matter who they put on the floor if you don't play defense,'' Sweat said. ``We didn't play defense.''

Sweat used four defenses: Box-and-one, diamond-and-one, 1-3-1 zone and four-guard man press. And even though Fayetteville State shot only 37 percent (26 of 69) and was outrebouned 69-49, none of the defenses worked to Sweat's satisfaction.

Yet despite all that went wrong for the Spartanettes, they were never out of the game.

Norfolk State led by five points midway through the opening half and never trailed by more than eight until the final minute. However, turnovers, bad shot selection and missed free throws kept the Spartanettes from getting no closer than 50-49 with 17:52 left in the game. Norfolk State was 5 of 13 (39 percent) from the foul line in the second half.

``Our press played a big role and our intensity helped us maintain a lead,'' Brown said.

And hasten Norfolk State's exit from the CIAA.

In Friday's other game:

Bowie State 58, St. Augustine's 57: Brandey Lemons hit a layup with 18 seconds left and St. Augustine's missed a pair of shots in the waning seconds as the Lady Bulldogs (27-1) survived the upset attempt to win their 25th game in a row. Lemons scored 22 points for Bowie State; Anastacia Sands scored 18 points for the Lady Falcons (14-14).

FAYETTEVILLE STATE: Justice 7-12 6-10 20, Brown 11-23 6-8 31, Walker 4-9 0-2 8, Johnson 2-9 8-9 12, Deloatch 0-7 2-6 2, Pearson 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 0-2 0-3 0, Morgan 0-0 1-5 1, Purcell 0-2 2-2 2, Scott 1-4 6-7 8. Totals 26-69 31-52 86.

NORFOLK STATE: LaTina Bullock 4-17 5-8 13, Jackson 5-13 1-2 13, Sessoms 8-16 2-7 18, Butler 2-4 2-3 6, Fayton 2-12 1-3 5, Good 1-2 1-2 3, McSwain 0-0 0-0 0, Coffey 0-0 0-2 0, Bowers 5-10 2-2 14, LaTrina Bullock 1-1 0-0 2, Cary 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 29-77 14-29 76.

Halftime: Fayetteville State 44-39. 3-point goals: Fayetteville State 3-14 (Brown 3-10, Deloatch 0-4), Norfolk State 4-14 (Bowers 2-5, Jackson 2-4, LaTina Bullock 0-3, Butler 0-1, Fayton 0-1). Fouled out: Morgan, Butler, Fayton, Bowers. Rebounds: Fayetteville State 49 (Justice 7), Norfolk State 69 (Sessoms 16). Assists: Fayetteville State 15 (Johnson 8), Norfolk State 15 (Bowers, Jackson 3). Total fouls: Fayetteville State 27, Norfolk State 38. A: 1,871. ILLUSTRATION: VP GRAPHIC

CIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]

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