Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 8, 1992 TAG: 9203080168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: PHYLLIS A. FAIR SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: DALEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The defending Group A champion defeated Covington 66-63 to win the Region C boys' basketball title Saturday night at Lord Botetourt High School.
Lebanon advances to the state quarterfinal next Saturday. The Pioneers will play the Region D winner at a site still to be determined.
Although Covington lost, it also advances to the quarterfinal. The Cougars will play the Region D runner-up at a site to be announced.
Several the Pioneers were members of last year's championship team and, when a game is close in the final minutes, they are hard to beat, Lebanon coach Sam Blevins said.
"This is kind of like old hat," Blevins said. "We have guys who have experience with this type of pressure."
The Cougars were ahead 63-57 with 1:52 to go in the game, when Lebanon staged its comeback.
The Pioneers (21-4) went on a 7-0 run and took the lead when Brian Summers stole the ball and scored on a layup with 1:07 remaining.
Covington had a chance to regain the lead. The Cougars (22-4) were on the line for a one-and-one, but they missed the first free throw and Lebanon got the rebound.
The Cougars fouled Eric Meadows with 22 seconds left, hoping he would miss both, but the senior guard made both to put Lebanon up 66-63.
Covington moved the ball up court and threw the ball away against the Pioneers' press.
"Twenty-two seconds is plenty of time left," Covington coach Brad Morton said. "We just didn't get a shot off."
Lebanon took the ball and ran out the clock for the victory.
"I said all year that things are going to happen to us off our defense, and we showed that tonight," Blevins said.
Morton looked at the loss matter-of-factly. "You know in a crucial game like this there will be mistakes. It just happened to be us.
"They got a couple of turnovers in the last part. That was the big thing that helped the with their comeback."
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB