Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 1, 1992 TAG: 9202020175
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MIKE ASHLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
LINEBURG'S LATE HEROICS LIFT RADFORD
While the Christiansburg Blue Demons were shooting themselves in the foot, the Radford Bobcats found just enough weapons of their own to pull off a 49-46 New River District boys' basketball victory Friday night.Duane Pierson's 17 points led the Bobcats (3-12 overall, 1-2 New River) to the victory, but it was Wayne Lineburg's 12 points, including the last five, that decided matters.
"Offensively, we don't have the arsenal where we can score 60 or 70 points," Radford coach Brenda King said. "We have to limit opponents and get something from everybody in our lineup."
King got that on this night, but it nearly wasn't enough against Christiansburg and a torrid-shooting Chris Collins. Collins scored 17 points, including 10 in a furious third quarter in which the lead changed hands four times and the teams were tied on four more occasions.
Collins' fourth-quarter jumper gave the Blue Demons (5-9, 1-2) a 46-44 lead with 1:29 to play, but that was all the scoring for Christiansburg. Eddie Bentley stripped Radford's Kris Smith from behind on the baseline with a little less than a minute to play on the next possession, and Christiansburg looked primed to hand Radford a seventh straight defeat.
However, on an ensuing inbounds play, Mike Smith couldn't handle Bentley's pass and the ball went back to the Bobcats, one of five fourth-quarter turnovers for Christiansburg.
The Bobcats worked the game clock down to 28 seconds before Lineburg connected on a 3-pointer, one of five long-range bombs Radford had for the game. Collins was glued to Pierson, with four 3-pointers, on that possession but Pierson's drive into the paint freed up Lineburg from the baseline.
"I really wasn't looking for the shot at all, but when I saw Duane drive and kick it out, I was open," Lineburg said.
"We wanted to make sure we didn't give up a three in [that situation]," Christiansburg coach Gerald Thompson said. "Then we come out with no worse than a tie and, if they miss, I like our chances of getting the rebound."
The taller Demons owned a narrow 26-21 rebounding margin, but the inside tandem of Steve Gregory (eight points, seven rebounds) and Mike Smith (eight points, six rebounds) was effective on the occasions either player could get the ball down low. Radford threw a triangle-and-two defense at Christiansburg, concentrating on keeping the ball out of Bentley's hands, who finished with six points.
The effectiveness of the defense showed up as the Blue Demons shot nary a free throw, a statistic usually indicative of getting the ball inside. Of course, the gimmick defense also was aided by Christiansburg clanking several open jumpers.
The Demons made 22 of 49 field-goal attempts (44.8 percent), and Radford found the range on 20 of 41 shots (48.8 percent), including 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.
Lineburg forced another turnover with 22 seconds remaining and sank two free throws on Radford's last possession with 10 seconds to go. Smith launched a 3-pointer with four seconds to play but he was off the mark, as was Bentley on a follow in the paint at the buzzer.
"How many open shots did we miss?" asked Thompson. "We've got enough scorers where a triangle-and-two shouldn't affect us that much."
The game was a see-saw affair throughout. An 11-4 run over the last 4:45 of the first half sent the Bobcats into the locker room with a 22-19 lead. Pierson started the spree with a 3-pointer and Kris Smith's short turnaround jumper in traffic at the buzzer gave the 'Cats their biggest lead of the second quarter. \
see microfilm for box score