Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 22, 1993 TAG: 9310220165
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Written off after an 0-8 start, the Bobcats continued their late-season resurgence by taking a big early lead and dealing Christiansburg a 48-33 defeat in a key New River District girls' basketball game Thursday night.
Radford (6-11 overall, 2-1 in the district), which saw its early record scarred by a typically rugged schedule, has won six of its past nine games. The victory gave the Bobcats sole possession of second place in the district behind Blacksburg, which stayed unbeaten in league play with a 67-24 victory over Carroll County.
"We were playing some good teams," said Cathy Richardson, a senior forward for Radford. "We played the [William] Byrds and the Salems really close, but we knew the true season hadn't started. The district games mean the most to us."
Radford decked Christiansburg (6-9, 1-2) early with a larcenous press and a patient offense. The Blue Demons scored one point in the first quarter, trailed 16-3 midway through the second period and never got closer than nine points in the second half as Radford's weave offense kept the pace light.
Christiansburg shot 25 percent (12-for-48) from the field and turned over the ball 22 times - 14 in the first half - against the Bobcats' full-court zone presses. Freshman guard Charlee Taylor, who finished with a game-high 19 points, had three steals in the first quarter and Richardson came up with two as Radford took an 8-0 lead.
Richardson, who scored 13 points, finished with four steals.
"Cathy has the green light to go wherever she wants to go on the press," said Brenda King, the Bobcats' coach. "She watches what the other team does, then she goes for the steal if she feels she can get it."
The pressure kept Christiansburg's guards from getting the ball to 6-foot center Rebecca McNeil, who entered the game as Timesland's leading scorer (20.3 points per game). McNeil scored nine points, tying Maureen Jackson for team scoring honors.
"We worked them [defensively] at the top," Taylor said. "We pressured the guards before they could get it to McNeil."
It was nearly a replay of last week's game, when Blacksburg zoned McNeil out of the offense and held her to six points.
"When we run our half-court offense, people are double-teaming the low post and giving us outside shots," said Danny Knott, the Blue Demons' coach. "We've got to find a way to get more movement against the zone."
McNeil reached a personal milestone, scoring the 1,000th point of her career on her first basket of the game. It came with 1 minute, 42 seconds left in the first half and Christiansburg trailing 19-5.
"Everywhere I go, there's always a girl right there in front of me," McNeil said. "It's frustrating. These [district] games are when I want to play the best."
The Blue Demons trailed 33-16 heading into the fourth quarter before cutting their deficit to nine points. Radford held off Christiansburg by making 13 of 20 free throws in the fourth quarter; Taylor was 9-for-12 in the game.
Jenny Bishop scored 12 points and had two steals for the Bobcats. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB