December 1986
The Columns
4
Lady Canes are Shifting Gears
By STEVE ANDREWS
With an 86-71 victory over
Lees McRae last Saturday, the
Lady Hurricane basketball
team got into the win column
for the first time this season.
Louisburg’s attack was led by
sophomore Stephanie Newton,
who ended with 22 points and
13 rebounds. Newton also
played a good defensive game
by recording four steals.
Freshman Cathy Bivens came
off the bench to add 19 second-
half points, including 9 for 9
from the free-throw line.
April Ford chipped in 14
points, while Joann Whitfield
scored 11 and Cynthia Jones
tossed in 10.
Head coach Sheilah Cotten
hopes this win will get the ball
rolling after losing the first
three games of the season.
“Sometimes the first win is
the hardest one to get,” said
Cotten. “We know what it
takes to win now."
Two of the Hurricanes first
three losses were to North
Greenville, 96-62 in the first
game of the season, then 68-66
in the first home game of the
season. The other loss was to
Anderson, 93-72.
“It’s tough to open the
season with the first two games
on the road,” said Gotten.
To keep on winning. Gotten
feels the Hurricanes will have
to Improve their inside game
and reduce the turnovers.
“Inside, we’ve got to box out
and rebound,” she said, “and
we need to do a better job
posting up for the ball.”
In the first two games,
Lx)uisburg had more turnovers
than rebounds.
“The turnovers will decrease
as the guards get more
experience,” said ^tten.
The Hurricanes will also get
an added boost by the return of
Gloria Duggins, who returned
on Dec. 12, and Valerie
Gardner, who is due back on
Jan. 9. ^
Through the first four games,
Newton is leading the team in
scoring with 19.3 points a game
and in rebounds, with 9.3 a
game. Ford is leading in assists
with 4.8 a game.
Louisburg played in the
Hagerstown (Md.) Classic this
past weekend, but results were
not available at press time.
ACC Preview
Tech, Hammonds,
Are Ready For ^86
Season
ELWORTH SMITH NETS HOMECOMING SLAM
Hinnanfs UU Sets New High
By STEVE ANDREWS
As the college basketball
season begins to heat up, the
Atlantic Coast Conference is set
to take on the world. In the
midst of all the action is last
year’s ACC “Rookie of the
Year”, Tom Hammonds of
Georgia Tech.
Hammonds, a 6' 8" forward
for the Yellow Jackets,
averaged 12.2 points a game last
year, to edge out North
Carolina’s Jeff Lebo and
Duke’s Danny Ferry as the
ACC’s top freshman. He said
he doesn’t feel any added
pressure coming back this year,
after winning the award.
“I don’t think it’ll be as much
pressure as it was last year,”
he said “because I’m a little oldt
er and have^some experience.”
As far as Georgia Tech as a
team, they are returning three
starters from last year’s 27-7
squad. Accompanying
Hammond’s will be two other
ACC “Rookie of the Year’s”,
forward Duane Ferrell, who
won the award two years ago
and 6' 4" guard Bruce
Dalrymple, who was the top
rookie three years ago.
The Yellow Jackets lost their
two leading scorers of the past
season to graduation. All-
American guard Mark Price led
the team with 17.4 points per
game, while 7 foot center John
Salley tossed in 13.1 points per
game. Both are currently on
NBA rosters.
“We won’t be able to depend
on any two people this year,”
said Hainnionds. “Everybody’s
going to have to go out and do
their job.”
Hammonds, a former high
school all-American from
Crestview, Florida, feels it
might take Tech a little while
to get rolling. “But by the end
of the season, we’ll be better
than last year’s team.”
North Carolina’s J.R. Reid is
expected to be the ACC’s best
freshman this year, which
could spoil the Yellow Jackets
hopes at having a fifth
consecutive “Rookie of the
Year.” Tech’s two major
freshman hopes will be 6' 11"
center James Munlyn and high
school All-American guard,
Brian Oliver.
The ACC had three teams in
the Associated Press’s pre
season top 20. The Tar Heels
received top honors, followed
by Tech at no. 6 and North
Carolina State taking the 17th
spot.
“North Carolina will always
be tough”, said Hammonds,
“and Kenny Smith will really
make a big contribution.”
Other players that should
make an impact on the ACC
this season are Wolfpack center
Charles Shakleford and
Clemson forward Horace
Grant, who had 16.4 points and
10.5 rebounds a game last year.
The Sporting News says that
Grant could be the nation’s best
kept secret.
“We’ll just have to make
adjustments to play against
those guys,” said Hammonds.
The ACC will begin its inter
conference games on Jan. 3,
when Duke takes on Virginia,
and Georgia Tech travels to
Wake Forest.
By STEVE ANDREWS'
Behind a school record 44
points by freshman Mickey
Hinnant last Friday night, the
Louisburg men’s basketball
team defeated Anderson 88-86
in three overtimes, for their
sixth win of the season. The
old record was 43 points set by
Russel Davis in 1973.
“I take the points as they
^ come, whether it’s 44 or six,”
said Hinnant. “As long as
we’re winning, that’s all that
matters.”
Unfortunately for the
Hurricanes, they were defeated
the next night by the nation’s
fifth ranked team, Allegany 66-
61, to drop their record to 6-3.
“If we had shot a little better,
we would have beat them,” said
Head Coach Enid Drake.
■ Drake feels good about how
good the team has played so far
and gives a lot of credit to the
defensive play.
“I have to feel good about it,
because we’ve played better
than I expected before the
season started,” said Drake.
“And I think our defensive play
has been responsible for the
number ot wins we have.”
Hinnant is leading the team
in scoring, averaging 24.4
points a game, on his way to
winning two consecutive
Region 10“Piayerof the Week”
awards, already, this season.
cont. on pg.. 5