Radford

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Hold the fan buses, the band and the dance group right where they are on the UMBC campus.There will be no need for a trip to Liberty University today to watch UMBC play in the championship game of the Big South tournament.The UMBC basketball youth movement isn't ready to flirt seriously with a cherished berth in the NCAA tournament's 64-team field.The young Retrievers found out just where they stood last night when a senior-dominated Radford team took them to school with an impressive 88-69 victory in the Big South semifinals.

The three players that UMBC relies on for much of its offense weren't much help last night.And because of it, the Retrievers didn't stand much of a chance of overtaking Radford.Seniors Tony Thompson and Kevin Bellinger and freshman Alhamisi Simms combined for six field goals, and UMBC couldn't sustain its fast start in losing to the Highlanders, 73-63, in a Big South Conference game at UMBC Fieldhouse.The Retrievers (3-16, 1-7) scored 20 points in the opening six minutes to build a 20-8 lead, then went dry. They made seven field goals and shot 28 percent in the second half, as the Highlanders (10-10, 4-4)

On a night when basketball fever returned to UMBC in full force, a well-drilled and experienced Radford University team ruined the fun with a come-from-behind 73-68 victory over the Retrievers in a showdown for second place in the Big South Conference.UMBC (10-9, 4-4) entered the game on an 8-3 roll and had charged into third place in the Big South, one-half game behind second-place Radford (11-9, 5-2), and there was talk about the youthful Retrievers making a late-season charge that might carry them through the league's postseason tournament into the NCAA tourney.

Second-ranked Virginia got four goals each from Doug Knight, Mark Murphy and David Bruce in blasting VMI, 31-4, yesterday in men's lacrosse in Lexington, Va. It was the Cavaliers' fifth straight win.The Cavaliers (6-2) raced to a 17-1 lead in the second period and held the Keydets (1-6) scoreless until 2: 46 of the fourth quarter. A year ago, Virginia beat VMI, 38-5.Maryland 21, Radford 2: Bob Hanna and James Mollica each got his first career hat trick as fourth-ranked Maryland (5-2) crushed Radford at Byrd Stadium.

When lacrosse star Steve Marohl graduated from UMBC last year and took his school career-record 242 points with him, it was assumed the Retrievers' offense would fall off.Not so, obviously.The Retrievers shot out to an 8-0 lead over Radford yesterday early in the second quarter, led by 12 at the half and, with coach Dick Watts substituting liberally, breezed to a 22-4 victory.In its two games, UMBC has scored 42 goals. The team opened with a 20-11 win over Ohio State last Sunday.Yesterday's win was nearly a repeat of the win over Ohio State, when UMBC got off to first-half lead of 15-4.

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Thanks to wise old veteran center Eric Poiesz, a young and flashy UMBC team is headed to the Big South tournament semifinals tomorrow night against Radford.The 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior, just 16 days shy of his 24th birthday, was easily the oldest player on the court last night for the Retrievers, but he quickly established a strong inside presence against Winthrop, and UMBC went on to an easy 67-55 victory in the opening round of the tournament at Liberty University.Third seed UMBC will meet second seed Radford tomorrow night at 8 in the semis.

This one will go down hard with the University of Maryland Baltimore County basketball team.The Retrievers had future Big South Conference rival Radford on the ropes last night at the UMBC Fieldhouse, but couldn't apply the knockout punch.And, in the end, they wasted five seconds before getting a timeout with the clock expiring and lost, 89-88, to the Highlanders before 1,114.The ball bounced around in the UMBC backcourt after Radford's 6-foot-3 Stephen Barber scored the winning basket with eight seconds left, his second straight score on a post-up move against 6-0 Skip Saunders.

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- When the seniors on the Radford University basketball team were freshmen, Chibi Johnson and Corey Reed had dreams similar to the ones held by Division I players all over the country."

The University of Maryland Baltimore County scored 11 goals in a nearly perfect second quarter, as the Retreivers routed Radford College, 23-6, yesterday in the UMBC tournament.UMBC (3-1) will play Virginia Military Institute (2-1) today at 3 p.m. in the final. Ohio State (1-1) will play Radford (0-4) at noon in the consolation. VMI defeated Ohio State yesterday, 9-6.Attackmen Vince Pasko, Mike Lamdin and midfielder Stewar Walker led UMBC with four goals each. Attackman Jason Smith also had six assists.

At 6 feet 1, he was one of the smallest players on the basketball court last night, but that didn't stop Radford's Doug Day from having his way against Morgan State last night.The junior guard with the rapid-fire release scored 39 points -- four shy of the Radford single-game record -- in just 26 minutes as the visiting Highlanders made good on their first visit to Hill Field House with a 95-60 win before a sparse holiday weekend crowd.A native of Blacksburg, Va., Day set the tone of the game by scoring his team's first 14 points on the way to a 27-point half.