Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 9, 1990 TAG: 9003091730
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The Lancers' junior made four free throws and a layup in the final 1:18 Thursday to lift Laurel Park over Marion 72-69 in first round of the Group A boys' high school basketball tournament.
The victory puts the Lancers (20-8) in a semifinal today at 7 p.m. against top-ranked R.E. Lee-Staunton (26-0), which trounced Gloucester 58-37.
Hairston had missed three consecutive free throws, including a crucial bonus shot with 1:45 left.
"I had to make a serious adjustment on my free throws," Hairston said. "I was shooting with no arch; I had to put more arch in my shots.
"I didn't hit a free throw in warmups, and then I finally realized at the last moment what I was doing."
Hairston's final free throws increased Laurel Park's lead to 70-64 with 38 seconds left. Marion (20-7) turned over the ball, but the Scarlet Hurricane, as it proved all afternoon, was not finished.
The Lancers missed three shots inside, including one by leading scorer Odell Hodge, who had 23 points. Marion's Robbie Jones got the rebound on the last one, was fouled, and made both free throws with 14 seconds left.
Even when Laurel Park's Kemal Dillard sank two free throws with 10 seconds left to make it 72-66, Marion didn't give up.
Eric Hungate made a 3-pointer and the Hurricane called time out with two seconds remaining.
"I wanted them to foul Hodge," said Marion coach K.W. Lawson, who said he realized the 6-foot-7 sophomore was 1-of-6 from the line.
The foul never came and time ran out.
The Scarlet Hurricane seemingly was out of the game when Laurel Park, behind the inside games Hodge and 6-4 Lemont Wells, led by 13 points three times in the third quarter.
Marion finally found its outside shooting to complement Jones' play inside. David Keith and Archer each sank 3-pointers to help Marion rally in the fourth quarter.
"He's real tough and he took it to me," said Hodge of Jones, who had 20 points and nine rebounds.
"We wanted to go at them," Lawson said. "The times we did, we were successful.
"Tonight, our outside game [7-of-18 shooting from 3-point range] wasn't up to snuff, but our inside game was."
The Lancers threatened to break open the game in the first half, but couldn't put it away.
"I think it makes you a better team when you win a close one. Not that I was trying to make it close," said coach Frank Scott, whose Laurel Park team has won 18 of 21 games but has lost to Martinsville twice by two points in that span.
Laurel Park led 58-54 with 4:36 left when it went to a delay game. That backfired with a turnover, and Keith made a 3-point shot to cut the lead to one.
Archer's free throw with 3:20 gave Marion its first tie since the opening quarter, but Hairston made a jumper 13 seconds later to give Laurel Park the lead for good.
After Hungate hit one free throw, reserve Lancers guard Chauncey Strange drove the middle for a layup and Hodge followed with a basket to give the Lancers a cushion.
"We thought we could penetrate with the ball," Scott said of the drives by Strange and Hairston. "Deronde's drive was a big one that we needed."
Marion couldn't control Hodge with any consistency before shutting him down in part of the fourth quarter.
"They couldn't get the ball to me late, but it's nice when the guards take over," Hodge said. "It's good to have five people who can play."
LAUREL PARK (72)
Wells 7-13 2-3 16, Morrison 2-7 0-0 4, Hodge 11-16 1-6 23, D. Hairston 4-8 4-7 12, Dillard 6-10 2-3 15, Strange 1-1 0-0 2, L. Hairston 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-56 9-19 72 MARION (69)
Archer 3-12 4-6 13, Null 2-6 3-4 7, Jones 9-12 2-3 20, Keith 7-19 0-1 17, Hungate 4-9 2-4 11, Winters 0-0 1-2 1, Boothe 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 25-62 12-20 69. Laurel Park 16161921-72 Marion 9161826-69
Three-point goals-Laurel Park 1-2 (Dillard 1-2), Marion 7-18 (Archer 3-9, Keith 3-7, Hungate 1-2). Assists-Laurel Park 13 (Dillard 5), Marion 15 (Archer 5). Steals-Laurel Park 4 (D. Hairston 2), Marion 4 (Keith 2). Turnovers-Laurel Park 14 (Hodge 4), Marion 11 (Archer 3). Team fouls-Laurel Park 19, Marion 14. Fouled out-Wells.
by CNB