Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 28, 1993 TAG: 9302280178
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE SIMPSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CAVE SPRING, FLEMING GIRLS ROLL INTO FINAL
Domination was the theme for Saturday's semifinals of the Roanoke Valley District girls' basketball tournament at William Fleming High School.Fourth-seeded Franklin County proved no match for defending champion Cave Spring in the first semifinal as the top-seeded Knights rolled 74-41. In the second game, third-seeded William Fleming overpowered second-seeded Pulaski County 51-26.
Cave Spring and William Fleming will meet for the tournament championship Monday night at 6 at the Salem Civic Center.
Cave Spring outscored Franklin County 11-4 in the first three minutes Saturday, and the rest of the game was more of the same for the Eagles, who were plagued with 27 turnovers.
By halftime, the Knights led 41-19. Cave Spring's Kim Stewart put in 11 first-half points, including a 3-pointer from the right side, and Kelly Dierker went 4-for-4. Franklin County's Sandy Hudson had six points.
Cave Spring coach Linda Long generated some heat in the locker room at halftime, wanting more production by Amy Athey than just two points.
Things went better in the second half, Athey said, "after I clued in."
Stewart sank six more points in the second half to finish with a game-high 17, and Athey grabbed seven rebounds during the half to help the Knights to remain in firm control. Dierker finished with 10 points.
"Everybody was ready to play," Athey, who finished with eight points, said. "There wasn't a person out there that didn't want the ball."
Long said she was proud that her team played well after games were postponed because of snow.
Looking ahead to Monday's game, Long said: "I want to win the district. We have to be ready to play."
In the second semifinal, William Fleming's one-two punch knocked out cold-shooting, Pulaski County.
Marqueetta Randolph provided the spark with 30 points, including six in the last two minutes in the first quarter and all 11 Fleming points in the third. Felecia Manns controlled the rebounding, pulling down 17 in the game.
Pulaski County pulled to 18-14 with 3:32 to go in the second quarter on a basket by Jodie Hallett, but the Cougars never got closer, and William Fleming went on a 12-0 run to lead 30-14.
The Cougars tried to fight back, sinking two 3-pointers, but when Pulaski County coach Ron Reedy cleared his bench with 3:30 left in the game, he said he knew his young team would have to wait until next year.
"We certainly would have liked to have played better than we did," Reedy said. "You have to give [William Fleming] all the credit. They put the ball in and played defense."
Randolph said she felt relief at the win and her strong performance.
"It's great," she said. "It just came. It wasn't like I was looking for it."
Fleming coach Roland Lovelace could not contain his excitement.
"You always feel good when you win," he said. "We're going to enjoy this one." \
see microfilm for box score
Memo: ***CORRECTION***