Allen opens as MVP, Dunlap secures
first win
By Kyle Ringo
The Metropolitan
Before the season started, Metro womenâs basketball coach Darryl Smith did his best impression of Lou Holtz.
Holtz, the former Notre Dame football coach, is renowned for playing up the competition while frowning on his teamsâ skills.
Smith had said his team had little chance of winning in its first action of the year at the West Texas A&M Invitational in Canyon, Texas. He was wrong.
The Roadrunners took the tournament crown after a stunning upset of West Texas A&M University 60-53 in the championship game.
The West Texas Buffaloes hold an National Collegiate Athletic Association record home court advantage, winning 119 of their last 123 home games.
The record is good at any level of NCAA competition ÷ men or women.
Afterwards, Smith called it one of his programâs biggest wins.
ãWe got every loose ball, and we took like three or four charges,ä Smith said. ãWe just played great defense.ä
Smith said he was impressed with the way his team handled playing in an arena where the fans refuse to sit until the visitors make a basket. Sometimes it can take a while.
ãOne year I told them to sit down after we made one in the warm-up,ä Smith said.
That happened to be the season when the Roadrunners lost to the Buffaloes by 70 points.
Sophomore guard Stephanie Allen led Metro with 23 points in the championship game and said the atmosphere can be intimidating.
ãThere was a big crowd,ä Allen said. ãTheyâre all rude and mean, and they scream at you.
ãWe talked about not being timid.ä
Allenâs effort earned her the tournamentâs Most Valuable Player Award.
ãShe played great,ä Smith said. ãShe controlled the game.ä
Metro defeated MidWestern State University 63-52 to advance to the championship game.
Smith praised the play of his post players, including Farrah Magee, who joined Allen on the all-tournament team, Heidi Lake and Kristin Weider.
ãThey were way bigger than us,ä Smith said. ãI canât say that we dominated them on the inside, but we controlled them.ä
The winds of change that have blown through the menâs basketball program at Metro since the end of last season now seem dwarfed by the blow-out the 1997 Roadrunners laid on the College of Notre Dame in the Nov. 15 season opener.
The Roadrunners gave coach Mike Dunlap his first win at Metro in grand style 95-65.
Apparently, Dunlap hadnât given it much thought.
ãI expect to win,ä Dunlap said. ãAdrian Navarro came up to me and shook my hand.
ãIf it wasnât for that I wouldnât have paid it much mind.ä
Navarro is one of only five holdovers from last season.
The Roadrunners wasted no time Nov. 17 getting Dunlap win No. 2 by defeating Cal-State Stanislaus 89-80 in Turlock Calif.
Starters Navarro, Lee Barlow, DeMarcos Anzures, David Adler and Phillip DeGraffenreid handled the bulk of the scoring for the Roadrunners.
DeGraffenreid nailed nine of 12 three-point shots and led all Metro scorers in the two games with 32 points.
Barlow hauled in 18 rebounds.
