DATE: Thursday, March 6, 1997               TAG: 9703060575

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   52 lines

S.C. STATE RALLIES AS STAR FINDS HIS STROKE

Roderick ``Moo Moo'' Blakney's play in the first half of South Carolina State's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament opener might have had the 450 or so folks at Norfolk State's Echols Arena wondering how the 5-foot-11 junior guard ever got named his conference's Player of the Year.

Then he came out for the second half.

Oh, so that's why.

Blakney shook off a six-point, 3-of-11 first half and lit up Delaware State for 29 points in the next 20 minutes and overtime to lead the second-seeded and defending tournament champion Bulldogs past the seventh-seeded Hornets 85-82 in the MEAC men's quarterfinals.

The defeat was a heartbreaker for Delaware State (7-20), which scored the first 14 points of the game, led by as many as 20 and remained in front until Blakney drilled a 3-pointer with three seconds left to force overtime. Blakney nailed two 3-pointers in the final 12 seconds of the second half and scored 19 of his points in the final 2:30 of regulation and overtime.

``Blakney didn't have a really good game,'' South Carolina State coach Cy Alexander said. ``But when it was time to step up and make plays, he made plays. That's why he's the Player of the Year.''

The loss spoiled the homecoming of Art Perry, the Hornets' first-year coach. Perry spent five years as an assistant at Old Dominion.

Coppin State 90

Maryland-Eastern Shore 88

The top-seeded Eagles responded to a three-point deficit in overtime with a 12-2 run to shake the ninth-seeded Hawks (10-17). Maryland-Eastern Shore, which needed to win a play-in game Monday just to qualify for this tournament, forced overtime when Cryhten Langhorne hit a 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer. Danny Singletary scored 29 points and Reggie Welch added 22 points and 14 rebounds for Coppin State (19-8), winner of five in a row and 15 of its last 16. Langhorne led the Hawks with 24 points.

Women's quarterfinals

Howard 83, Hampton 59: Two-time all-MEAC forward Alisha Hill scored 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting as the Lady Bison (22-5) streaked to their 21st straight win. Conference Player of the Year Amanda Hayes added 15 points for Howard, who finished with five players in double figures. Nisha Wilson led all scorers with 21 points for Hampton (9-18). Danielle Dawson, the MEAC Rookie of the Year from Menchville High, added 13.

Florida A&M 76, Delaware State 58: The second-seeded Lady Rattlers held seventh-seeded Delaware State scoreless through the opening 6 1/2 minutes and ran up a 31-point first-half lead before coasting to their sixth straight win. Aquenda Clark and Shantell Jackson each scored 17 points to pace Florida State (19-8). Keesha Tice's 16 points led Delaware State (7-21).

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