COLONELS SLIP PAST COUGARS IN OT

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 27, 1992                   TAG: 9202270138
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
COLONELS SLIP PAST COUGARS IN OT
You've caught this act before if you've followed Roanoke Valley District boys' basketball.
On Wednesday night, William Fleming earned its 14th consecutive trip to the Group AAA Northwestern Region tournament, but this one was possibly the most difficult one of the string that started in 1980.
The Colonels (13-8) rallied, held their breath as a 3-point attempt barely missed, then celebrated an 86-83 overtime victory over Pulaski County (12-10).
Fleming hit a little more than 60 percent of its free throws in regulation or else the game might never have reached overtime. In the extra session, the Colonels won by hitting 10 of 11 free throws, the biggest ones coming from freshman Derrick Hines, who hit two with 15 seconds remaining for an 85-80 lead.
But the game wasn't over. Kevin Alexander, who earlier in the overtime missed two out of three free throws, hit a 3-pointer to make it 85-83. It was the senior's fifth 3-pointer and second in overtime, when he scored nine of his game-high 26 points.
Fleming's David Williams, who had made six straight free throws in overtime, was fouled and made one with four seconds left. The Cougars rebounded the miss, and Mark Quesenberry's running attempt from near midcourt just missed tying the score at the buzzer.
Fleming never trailed in overtime and never breathed easy, even after Carlos Rhodes, the district's leading scorer, hit a 3-pointer that made it 77-70.
That's because Alexander brought his team back despite the missed free throws when he was fouled on a 3-point attempt. The senior point guard shook it off.
"It was just a good game, the kind you like to play," said Alexander. "You can't worry about what happened earlier. I couldn't quit when no one on the team quit."
That Fleming made the free throws in overtime wasn't surprising. That the Colonels made only 17 of 28 in regulation was a shocker.
"We're shooting 71 percent as a team," said Paye. "So I don't know what happened."
The Cougars led by 12 points in the first half, but their only big man, Chris Foster, was in foul trouble the last half and left with 3:06 left in regulation

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB