Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 27, 1992 TAG: 9202270107
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
CARROLL COUNTY DROPS DEMONS
Carroll County couldn't miss and Christiansburg couldn't connect in the first quarter Wednesday night.As a result, the Cavaliers will be making their second straight trip to the Region IV tournament.
They took a quick lead and never relented, downing Christiansburg 59-52 in the semifinals of the New River District boys' basketball tournament at Blacksburg High.
Carroll County (14-8) will meet regular-season champion and tournament host Blacksburg in the final Saturday night.
Christiansburg (7-14) lost to the Cavaliers for the second straight time after edging them in the district opener in January. This loss ended the Blue Demons' season.
The Cavaliers came out and made their first four shots for an 8-1 lead.
"We talked on the way down here," said Jason Gallimore, who had three baskets in the opening stretch. "We didn't want to be saying what we could have done [after the game]. We wanted to come out saying what we did tonight."
Carroll County finished the quarter 9-of-11 (82 percent) and leading 18-7.
The Blue Demons got only one basket in the period - a jumper from Mike Smith, who had a game-high 24 points. They missed their other six shots.
"I don't have an explanation," Christiansburg coach Gerald Thompson said. "We were getting the ball in. We were getting them in foul trouble. There were two or three shots that could have gone in - they weren't uncontested but they weren't that that hard. If we could have made a couple of those field goals, it would have been a different game."
And the early-game success opened things for Joey Marshall, who made three 3-pointers in the middle two quarters.