FTCC is now 17-n
By Chronida St^ff
Forsyth Tech just keeps rolling right along on its way to an undefeated
season on the hardwood. Last week, Tech swooped to two more wins, giving
them an overall record of 17-0. They ended regular season play in the commu
nity college conference by trouncing Alamance Community College to run
their conference record to 8-0. In the City Industrial League, they handled TFI
and now carry a 9-0 mark in that league.
Alamance is ambushed
The Techsters came out sluggish in the first half of their game against Ala
mance. But they ended in a flurry by burying Alamance 125-80.
FTCC has six folks scoring in double figures. Melvin Little and Winzo
Caesar scored 26 and 22 points respectively. Elston Johnson had 18 and Monte
Odom scored 14. Darryl Keller and Byron Witherspoon chipped in with 13
points apiece.
Tech came out uncharacteristically flat against Alamance. At the end of
the first half, they held a 58-48 lead. "We played like a Jekyll and Hyde team," .
says Richard O'Pharrow, Tech's coach. MIt was as if our guys were saying to
them: 'you go down and score and well get the ball and score anytime we want
to. We didn't play defense like we should have in the first half."
O'Pharrow carried on the bulk of the conversation during intermission.
Defensive pressure is his philosophy and wanted to make sure that his team got
the message. It is the reason why nobody has beaten them in 17 games and the j
reason why they're champions of the Community College Conference.
"The second half was much better," the coach says. "They knew they !
weren't playing defense like they were capable. So they went out and showed
me that they could do it"
That's an understatement 4
In the second half, FTCC erupted for 67 points to totally dash any hopes
that Alamance had of coming away with an upset Little and Eddie Eastland
. became more authoritative on the glass to crarfc up the running game and
Keller ran the fast break to O'Pharrow's liking.
Greater intensity vs. TFI
- Apparently, FTCC still had somewhat of a sour taste in their mouths
because of the inconsistent performance against Alamance. It was TFTs misfor
tune to be the team to play Tech as the next opponent
i ne reensters jumped to a 4tK2y lead ana the game was pretty much over
from that point oa Caesar led the offensive charge with 26 points and Little
added 21. Keller got in the offense with 12 points.
"I was pleased with what I saw in that game," O'Pharrow adds. "They
came out and played the way I want to play. And when they do that, we win."
CIAA Basketball Standings
As of February 12, 1969
Northern Division
Norfolk State
Virginia Union
Elizabeth City State
Hampton University
St. Paul's
Virginia State
Bowie State
Southern Division
North Carolina Central
Shaw University
St^Auoustine's
Fayetteville State
Division
8-1
9-2
6-4
5-5
3-7
2-7
1-8
Division
8-0
4-4
_3-5
3-5
3-5
3-5
Conference
13-2
15-2
10-6
10-5
6-9
7-8
2-13
Conference
11-3
6-9
6-*
4-11
4-10
4-11
Overall
21-2
21 2
14-8
_1 5-6
7-15
11-9
4-17
Overall
18-3
9-14
10-13
9-14
5-17
5-15
Johnson C. Smith
WInston-Salam Stats
Livingstone College*
because of the measles ^ December
ketbttrioumtnmHIn
MEAC Basketball Standings
As of February 1 2, 1989
South Carolina State
Florida A &M :
Morgan State
Coppin State
North Carolina A 4 T
Bethune-Cookman
Delaware State
Howard University
Maryland/Eastern Shore
Conference
11-1
7-4
7-5
5-7
5-7
4-7
3-8
1-10
Overall
19-6
44-8
12-10
13-10
8-14
8-14
9-13
7-15
1-21
^ STIC
BOILING
POINT
TERRIFIED?
CONFUSED ?
HELP
GRADES
SEX
PARENTS
GOT A
QUESTION
NEED
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DEPRESSED
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GOT A
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LISTENER
This is not a vintage year for Gaines
By CRAIG T. GREENLEE
Chronicle Sport* Editor
If you're an ardent WSSU basket
ball loyalite who has become accus
tomed to Rams victories on the hard
Photo by Craig T. Greenlee
It's been a trying season for
Gaines. His quest for career
victory No. 800 wiil have to
continue next season.
wood, you're having a tough time cop
ing with the team's hard-to-believe
dismal season.
You might be led to believe that
there's a grinch lurking somewhere
who has stolen the Rams basketball
season for the '88-'89 campaign. For
Rams coach Clarence "Bighouse"
OaiaesrJhis has been a yeair of unex
pected lows. The Rams were 6-1$ at
presstime and aren't likely to get past
the first round of the CI A A Basketball
, Tournament which starts next week in
Norfolk, Va.
The season hasn't been all thun
dershowers and hailstones though.
Gaines has seen a few bright rays of
sunshine peaking through the clouds.
"I can see some development in
our players," he says, "Boris Battle,
Maurice Edmonds* and Toby Barber
are coming along. Barber is doing
well as a rebounder - he leads the
conference in thatdepartraent (13.6 a
game).
Gaines quickly admits that it's
not too early to start thinking about
next year. It should be the year when
he captures college career coaching
victory No. 800. But for. now, the
800th win is something that will have
to wait "Actually, I've been looking
forward to next season for quite a few
weeks/' Gaines says with a chuckle*
In athletics, it's clear that coach
ing wizardry by itself, isn't going to
guarantee winning records. Flayers
are and will always be what enables a
coach to reach beyond the .500 mark
and avoid mediocrity. *
"At our level (Division II), ,
coaches realize that you're not going
to get the super kids to sign up and
play for your program early. To even
have a good chance at getting those ?
top caliber players, you have to have
radar. You have to know who those
kids are and that they won't be able to
attend a Kentucky, or Indiana, or
Georgetown."
The CI A A coaching dean is blunt
when he describes the present skill
level of his current team* "One of our
biggest problems is that we don't have
enough competition on this team
where we can go into practices and
beat up on each other That^ the onl>r||
way a team is going to get better,* .. ?
With the conference tournament
fast approaching, Rams fans are won
dering aloud if it's worth the team's
effort in making the trip to Norfolk.
Many observers ait picking the RamsL
to exit after game one in the tourney*
But in Gaines mind, having his team
pick up a win or two isn't all that
unrealistic. w s - - s -
"We're going to beat somebody,"
he insists, "It's really a matter of us r
having a point guard that wilt take
charge. Michael Lesane has been
playing at lot at the point for us, but
he's really not a point guard. He's
more suited to the shooting guard:
position. But still, some of bur proN||
Jems are involve us not getting the ?
kind of leadership from the older guysff
that we need. It's just not there,
"If we can just cut down on the
misukes that we've been making,;!;
Well beat some people." ? :
u.
* m. . -ini.jiwT ? . . Hi, 1 1, v ,i
III! Photo by Craig T. Orilifritill
Itoby Barter ?? the CIAA*# !
'top i: f ?bounder - -at <1*9.6 ^
k
Early on Mamie Lyons taught her twins, Vincent and Elliot, a very important lesson:
Life only gives you what you have the courage to demand. So they demanded excellence.
And they got it, from themselves and from others. That's why they were able to graduate from a
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with challenging summer jobs through the GM internship program.
Looking toward the future, General Motors has made a commitment to community development.
It's the reason we invest in promising young people like Vincent and Elliot by establishing scholarships
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dollars in property daimage insurance managed by minority insurance brokers.
At General Motors we realize that standing behind the people who buy our Chevrolets, Pontiacs,
Oldsmobiles, Buicks, Cadillacs and niTMrn *1 ynrnnr
GMC Trucks is more than just a * UBKBIWI.>Wlwno
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