Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 19, 1993 TAG: 9311190249
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MONETA LENGTH: Medium
The Cavaliers kept beating the quicker Bengals down the floor. Then they made a living in the lane and used the dividends to carry them to the Group AA girls' state basketball tournament next week by beating Bassett 65-52 in a Region III semifinal game.
"That press was the way Bassett beat Byrd this season," said point guard Laurie Ottaway, who guided the Cavaliers through the maze of traps used by the Bengals.
"We practiced on the press all week long. We had notes and game films. We were pretty much ready for it."
Ottaway dealt out six assists, and that's the way third-ranked Botetourt (23-1) set up the offense to beat Timesland's No. 1 club and hand the Bengals (23-1) their first loss.
Once the press was broken, the Cavaliers headed straight to 6-foot-1 Ashley Moore, who scored 24 points. Moore also had 15 rebounds to dominate underneath.
"I don't want to take anything away from the people guarding me, but I felt two times as big as the girl guarding me," said Moore, who connected on eight of 13 shots.
When Moore wasn't dominating, Jenny Gates, Botetourt's other 6-footer, was. She scored only 10 points but she had 10 rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists.
Bassett's weakness has been height, its strength quickness.
"Any team with good underneath people who can play would be a fool not to post up players down there," said Bassett coach Lisa Black. "We had seen them take outside shots in other games and we were praying they'd do that tonight, but they didn't."
Lord Botetourt led from the start as Summer Plunkett and Moore hit early baskets. Bassett kept making runs thanks to torrid 3-point shooting by Kim Hairston and Aimee Barker, who sank nine 3-pointers between them.
"Our whole strategy was to give them 3-point shots and not let them inside. But when they missed, they were getting a rebound in the first half and that was like letting them have a layup," said Botetourt coach David Wheat.
Bassett lost the battle of the boards only 44-42 as Patricia Green and Lori Wimbush combined for 18 rebounds.
Bassett, though, wasn't getting any breaks from the physical game and Botetourt took advantage. The Bengals got in foul trouble and three starters fouled out.
The first to go was Hairston, who had 16 points when she fouled out with 7 minutes, 57 seconds left and Botetourt ahead 44-30. That left only Barker, who had 21 points, and that wasn't enough firepower to spark a rally.
The Bengals never got closer than nine points after Hairston departed.
"Coach Wheat predicted we'd win by 10, but I thought it would be closer than it was. I know Kim was one of the scariest players we had to play against," said Moore.
The Cavaliers play in the Region III final Saturday against the winner of the Martinsville-Staunton River game. The champion will play host Tuesday to a first-round state tournament game.
by CNB