Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 8, 1992 TAG: 9202080310
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
BLACKSBURG CRUISES
Matt Smith of Blacksburg High got his just reward Friday night.He was banished to the end of the bench.
From there, he was able to whoop it up with his pals as the rest of the Indians mopped up in an 84-44 basketball strangulation of Radford.
Smith triggered a 3-point second-quarter barrage that tamed the Bobcats and gave the Indians at least a tie for the New River District regular-season title.
Blacksburg is 13-4 overall, 4-0 in the district. Radford continued its painful year by falling to 3-14, 1-3.
Smith scored 10 of his game his 19 points in the last 4:41 of the first half. Nine of the points during that run were on 3-pointers. Smith, who had shown increasing vigor in seeking the outside shot over the season, had four treys.
"Coach [Bob Trear] came to practice the other day and said, `I'm not telling any of you not to shoot,' " Smith said. "That gives you confidence to look for the shot."
Matters got out of hand so swiftly for Radford. After holding the high-octane Indians to a deliberate pace, the Bobcats drew to 20-19 on a Kris Smith 3-pointer with 3:51 left in the second quarter. First Duane Pierson then Smith had matched Smith's long bombs with 3-pointers of their own.
But then Blacksburg roared off. Travis Bishop hit a three, then a Radford turnover was followed by two free throws from the Indians' Jon Maher. Smith finished with a steal and a 3-pointer.
Bishop added another trey (all nine of his points came from 3-pointers). Darren Morton closed out the half with six points in 24 seconds, the last four coming on a four-point play when he was fouled while hitting a 3-pointer.
Radford, meanwhile, went turnover-miss-turnover-miss-miss-turnover.
"That was the difference in the game," Radford coach Brenda King said. "We came down and shot every eight seconds and we can't play at that pace. That was a mistake on our part. . . . When [Blacksburg] is feeling it like that, you can't give it back to them so soon."
Continuing from the 4:41 mark of the second to the end of the third quarter, Blacksburg made 17 of 21 shots (80.9 percent) including their last seven of the first half. Seven of the field goals were 3-pointers.
"What really broke it open for us was our [matchup] zone defense," Smith said. "They couldn't score against it."
Maher added 12 points for Blacksburg and point guard Morton chipped in 10 to go with his usual intelligent floor game. Seven Blacksburg players had eight or more points.
Radford, which hung in for a 70-66 loss to the Indians in the initial meeting, was paced by Pierson's 12 this time.
Said Smith: "That was our best game of the year." \
see microfilm for box score