Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 20, 1993 TAG: 9303200194
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
LAUREL PARK LOSES BIG LEAD, GAME
Greensville County has its basketball faults, but overreacting in dire straits is not one of them.The Eagles kept a level head and a sharp eye for the basket to vaporize a 16-point Laurel Park lead and storm back for a 63-60 victory in the semifinals of the Group AA tournament Friday afternoon at University Hall.
It's not as though Greensville County (20-8) hadn't been in a desperate fix before. Among many binds that the Eagles have hacked their way out of this season, being 21 points in arrears to Louisa County before winning 71-63 might have qualified for the most death-defying. But Eagles coach Terry E. Hill said the two comebacks didn't compare.
"It was never that low [against Laurel Park], but it also wasn't against the No. 1 team in the state. Not that I remember."
The Lancers (25-2) have been the top-ranked team in the state the entire year, just as they were for much of last season. But they went home empty-handed again. This was the fourth straight state tournament for Laurel Park, but it has never made it past the semifinals.
"We had a good year," Lancers coach Frank Scott said. "I guess the guys played so hard today that they just got tired."
Greensville County takes on Spotswood for the state title - the first for either school - at 2:45 p.m. today. Spotswood (26-1) eliminated Martinsville, the other Piedmont District team in the semifinals, 57-46.
Fatigue certainly seemed to be a factor for the Lancers, who generally did as they pleased early in the game. The Eagles were particularly prone to carelessness with the ball and most of their 20 turnovers came as Laurel Park was assembling its lead.
So it was when Laurel Park twice moved out to 16-point leads in the last three minutes of the third quarter, the Eagles looked as good as plucked.
Then Greensville County proceeded to score the first eight points of the fourth quarter on the way to a 17-3 run. Jimmy Holmes' banker with 3:48 left in the game tied the score 55-55. A little more than two minutes later Holmes buried two free throws to give his team a 59-58 lead and its first advantage since there was 7:24 left in the first quarter.
"We lost the momentum and then we didn't make our free throws," Scott said. "But I'd decided that we were going to run our offense; we weren't going to hold it."
The Lancers went 4-for-10 from the free-throw line in the last 6:33 - all of the chances being two-shotters. Laurel Park finished 10-for-23 for the game.
The Lancers had other problems, particularly with fouls. Both Chauncey Strange, the floor leader, and Warrick Scott, the top inside player, were in trouble. Strange got his fourth with 5:34 left in the third quarter. Scott, who contributed 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals, fouled out with 1:04 left.
Greensville County never gave up the lead. Ricky Barnes, the leading scorer in the game with 24 points, dumped in two free throws with 28 seconds left to give the Eagles a 63-60 lead.
Lonzy Robertson had three attempts at a 3-pointer in the closing seconds, but missed them. Robertson, the team scoring leader at 17 points per game, had 15 points but seemed to be lost in the offense late in the game. He scored his last field goal with 3:13 left in the third. \
see microfilm for box score
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.