12 The Compass Friday, March 8, 1996
Winston-Salem blues...
Vikes knocked out
of CIAA Tourney
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Anthony Harris (no. 32) kept the fans and team’s enthusiasm high during the
Vikings’ disappointing loss to Virginia Union Feb. 13. Although they won five of
their seven games In February, the Vikings were knocked out of the CIAA
Tournament by J.C. Smith. Photo by Tonia Polston
from staff reports
Sixth-seeded Johnson C. Smith up
set ECSU's Vikings in the first round of
the CIAA Tournament Wednesday, Feb.
28, in Winston Salem.
The Bulls' 94-83 victory ended a win
ning streak for the Vikes, along with
hopes for the CIAA championship.
ECSU won five of its seven games in
February.
The Golden Bulls leaped to a 22-11
lead at the 12:37 mark, then increased
the lead to 17 by the second half.
Viking seniors Theron Curry and
Sharano Woodley made the most
points, 24 and 17 respectively. The
Golden Bulls' Melvin Abrams, the
CIAA's leading scorer, kicked in 25 of
his game-high 33 points for the Bulls.
He also made 12 of 14 foul shots.
"Going into the game we had the
utmost confidence in the world," said
Curry. "We had to be ready to face
anything, because anything can hap
pen. You're playing teams that are
cocked and ready. But we thought we
had faced a lot of adversity during the
season. We felt strong as a team. We
felt like we had gelled.
"We came out pretty flat in the first
half," continued Curry. "We had dug
ourselves a big hole in the first half.
You've got to give J.C. Smith credit.
They just himg in there and kept hit
ting their shots."
J.C. Smith hit 34 free throws, com
pared to 10 for the Vikings. The Golden
Bulls (11-15) finished the regular sea
son tied for last in the Central Intercol
legiate Athletic Association's Southern
Division.
Smith players Ahmed Evans and
Erasto Hattchett scored 12 and 13
points in the first half, which left J.C.
Smith with a 45-31 lead. Evans scored
a total of 20 points and Hatchett
made 14.
J.C. Smith dominated the entire game,
building an 18-point lead after a three-
pointer by Abrams with 18:23 left. The
Vikings soon rallied, however. Bernard
Cooper scored six points in a Viking
run that cut J.C. Smith's lead to 61-57.
But the Golden Bulls increased the
gap to 68-57 with 7:56 to play. The team
was helped by one intentional foul on
a breakaway, and a technical foul on
the Elizabeth City bench for the result
ing argument.
With 4:55 left in the game the Vikes
cut the Bull's lead before the Bulls
brought it all home at the free throw
line.
Maurice Mincey, the Vikes' second
leading scorer in the regular season
behind Curry, finished with two points.
Anthony Harris made seven points.
In a further disappointment to the
Vikings, the day before the team's loss
to Johnson C. Smith Viking Coach Barry
Hamler and senior guard Theron Curry
were passed over by the conference's
sports information directors. The SIDs
selected Livingstone College's Charles
McCullough as Coach of the Year,
rather than Hamler.
ECSU was selected to finish second
to last in the Northern Division but
Hamler had his team in CIAA champi
onship contention with three games
remaining in the regular division be
fore finishing third.
New coach
by Carlos McCormick
On May 15, 1995 Barry Hamler was
officially introduced to the Viking fam
ily as the new head coach at ECSU.
Hamler, former Booker T. Washington
High School Coach in Norfolk, Va., de
clared it to be a "new day."
"We are going to do business differ
ent from how it's been done in the
past," said Hamler.
Hamler, who had three ineligible
players at the start of the second se
mester, said this situation should teach
student athletes a great lesson.
"We are here to earn a degree and as
long as I am head coach, that is how it
will be," he said.
Hamler has backed up his rhetoric
with action. Before the start of the sea
son, he has insisted that athletes at
tend a mandatory study hall in the li
brary each day. He also requests weekly
progress reports on his athletes from
their instructors.
‘loves’ job
"We want to make sure these kids
are making satisfactory progress in
class," he said, "and also have good
attendance."
Hamler feels that the young men he
recruits are going to conduct them
selves as "young black role models "
who do positive things for the com
munity and University.
"Football and basketball players are
high profile, and when they are off the
court you want them to be doing the
right thing to represent ECSU," he said.
Hamler said it was his lifelong dream
to be a coach.
Hamler said after living in Norfolk
for eight years he was ready for a
change.
"Elizabeth City is a nice community,
low in crime, and it reminds me of
where I grew up," he said. "Also I love
basketball, and ECSU was giving me a
chance to do what I love—and that is
to coach."
Viking Basebail Scheduie
Spring, 1 996
MARCH
*8 — Chowan College (DH)
(Home) 2 p.m.
18 — St. Paul’s College
Lawrenceville, Va 2 p.m.
22 — St. Augustine’s College (DH)
(Home) 1 p.m.
24 — Virginia State University (DH)
(Home) 1 p.m.
26 — St. Paul’s College (DH)
Lawrenceville, Va 11 a.m.
28 — Norfolk State University
(Home) 2 p.m.
30 — St. Augustine’s College
Raleigh, N.C 2 p.m.
31 — Shaw University (DH)
Raleigh, N.C 1 p.m.
APRIL
2 — Virginia State University
Petersburg, Va 1 p.m.
5 — Bowie State University
(Home) 2 p.m.
8 — Bowie State University (DH)
Bowie. MD 1 p.m.
10 — Norfolk State University (DH)
Norfolk, Va 1 p.m.
13 — Shaw University
(Home) 2 p.m.
18 — CIAA TOURNAMENT
Raleigh, N.C TBA
*23 — Longwood College (DH)
(Home) 1 p.m.
DH—Doubleheader (seven inning games)
•Non-conference games