Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 8, 1992 TAG: 9202080353
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
JAMES RIVER CONNECTS
The way the first half played out, Glenvar's strategy for the final 16 minutes couldn't be faulted.With James River displaying woeful field-goal and free-throw shooting, Glenvar was determined to make the Knights prove they could score from the perimeter and the free-throw line if they were to win Friday's Pioneer District basketball game.
James River did both.
The Knights reversed their shooting fortunes and took over second place in the district by winning 60-46 at Glenvar.
After shooting 28 percent (9-of-32) and missing nine of 14 free throws in the first half, James River bounced back to make 11 of 22 shots in the second against an active 3-2 Glenvar zone.
The Knights (11-5 overall, 11-3 in Pioneer) sank 11 of 15 free throws in the final five minutes to turn a 43-41 lead into a 14-point victory.
"We've been doing that all season," James River coach John Shotwell said. "The second half we always get going. I don't know why we keep doing that."
James River's turnaround started in the waning moments of the second quarter.
With the Knights down 27-20, Solan Wooden rebounded a miss and converted a stick-back basket with eight seconds left. Glenvar (10-5, 10-4) threw the inbounds pass away and, with 3.1 seconds remaining, Ryan Shotwell, who finished with 16 points, drained a 3-pointer to pull James River to 27-25 at the half.
"It started right before the half," Glenvar coach Art Lawrence said. "They made that little run to make it close."
After three lead changes and three ties in the third quarter, Jody Steger scored a layup in the final 30 seconds to give James River a 37-35 lead after three.
The game stayed tight for the first part of the fourth quarter, but things began to fall apart for Glenvar when guard Wes Jones, who had scored 10 points, fouled out with 4:20 left.
Steger made two free throws to put the Knights up four and, after Wooden deflected a shot, Troy Thompson passed to Chad Caldwell for a transition layup and a 47-41 lead.
Things got worse for Glenvar.
Panicking at a six-point deficit, the Highlanders got into a pattern of missing 3-point shots, then committing fouls.
In the final 2 1/2 minutes, the Highlanders missed 13 consecutive 3-point attempts and sent James River to the free-throw line for nine bonus opportunities.
James River scored 11 straight points, nine from free throws, and pushed the margin to 58-41 with 50.1 seconds left.
"We wanted to go for the easy two and, if we didn't have it, pull it back out for the 3-pointer," Lawrence said. "Sometimes the kids don't do what you want them to. We just started shooting up threes, and they weren't going in."
John Shotwell credited the victory to a defense that held Glenvar to 18.8 percent shooting (6-of-32) in the second half.
"When you play good defense," Shotwell said, "you'll get offense because you get loose balls or turnovers or rebounds for easy baskets." \
see microfilm for box score