USIU Wins but Is Envious : College basketball: Florida International absorbed a 137-113 loss but next year will have something the Gulls have only dreamed about--a conference to call home.
Florida International did not leave Golden Hall with much after U.S. International picked its game apart in a 137-113 rout Thursday night. But at least Rich Walker, the Golden Panthers’ coach, knew he had something USIU Coach Gary Zarecky might even give up star guard Kevin Bradshaw for.
A conference.
Florida International, an independent since moving to NCAA Division I three years ago, was one of the main forces, along with USIU, behind forming a conference consisting of other independents.
But the Golden Panthers (6-19) will join the Trans America Conference starting next season, leaving USIU and Athletic Director Al Palmiotto without one of its key brethren.
Palmiotto said after the Gulls’ rout of Florida International that USIU (10-16) may nevertheless be closer to forming a new conference than ever before.
“Chicago State call me today and said they were in,” Palmiotto said. “Northeastern Illinois and University of Missouri-Kansas City have already committed, and so has Milwaukee-Wisconsin (which moves to Division I next year).
“We’re still sitting on the fence with Wright State and Youngstown,” Palmiotto said. “The big hangup is that schools are waiting to see if the NCAA makes Division I schools that play Division II or III football also make their football programs Division I.”
Palmiotto said that measure will be voted on the NCAA in March or April. If the NCAA doesn’t require schools to align their football teams with the rest of their program, Palmiotto thinks the conference could be operating by the 1991-92 season.
“(Independents) are going to have to make a move soon,” Palmiotto said. “With everyone moving to conferences, the independents are getting squeezed out. They’ll have nobody to left to play.”
Getting into a conference is so important that Florida International jumped at the chance to join the Trans America Conference rather than waiting for the chance that a new one would be formed.
“We were talking to (USIU) and anyone else who wanted to be in a conference,” Walker said. “Being an independent is insanity. The travel. And your treatment on the road is horrendous.”
That is an opinion that drew Walker a technical foul in the first half of Thursday’s game. With USIU leading, 22-15, early in the first half, Walker was called after complaining about a call.
The Gulls turned it into a five-point play as Bradshaw made both free throws and then hit a three-pointer to give USIU a 27-15 lead.
Florida International pulled within 73-63 early in the second half, but USIU outscored the Golden Panthers, 10-1, and FIU never threatened.
USIU did about anything it wanted in the second half, exploiting a FIU team that started three freshmen, a sophomore and a senior.
Bradshaw, who had his second-highest point total of the season with 41 points, hit a three-pointer with one second remaining to give USIU 137 points--tying for third most total for a USIU team and the most in a Gull victory.
Demetrius Laffitte had 14 rebounds in the second half and tied Brett Crawford (vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1984) for the school record with 21 for the game. Steve Smith also tied a school record with 14 assists. Zach Lieberman had the same number against Cal State Los Angeles in 1983.
Laffitte finished with 31 points, and Paul Wilson added 26.