Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 13, 1994 TAG: 9403130185
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
At least it must have felt like a mountain as the Colonels ran into a big, physical Meadowbrook team and lost 70-65 in the Group AAA boys' basketball championship game Saturday night at University Hall.
Fleming (20-6) wiped out deficits of nine and 11 points to tie the Monarchs. Each time Meadowbrook (28-2) responded like the top-ranked team it is.
"They are much more powerful. They have bigger, stronger bodies than we do," said Burrall Paye, Fleming's coach.
"If we had just done one little thing, though, we could have won. Like we had four fast-break layups in the first half and we'd fumble the ball or something."
Meadowbrook seemed to take control of the game in the second quarter, when the Monarchs went inside to 6-foot-5 T.J. Armstrong and 6-8 reserve Naim Fogle. Each hit four baskets, giving Meadowbrook a 33-25 lead at the half.
"It was our intention to go inside from the very first," said Armstrong, who finished with a game-high 25 points. "We thought we were evenly matched, but we wanted to see how their post men were."
Fleming countered with a 2-3 zone defense to start the second half, and it gave the Monarchs fits.
The Colonels opened with a 12-4 run sparked by two baskets from Reggie Reynolds and a bucket by Keath Hampton that knotted the score at 37.
So Meadowbrook fed Royal Jones. The guard hit three 3-pointers to spark the Monarchs to a 50-39 lead after three quarters.
Fleming was far from finished, though. The Colonels' pressure defense sparked another rally, and Hampton's 3-point shot tied the score at 56 with 3 minutes, 48 seconds left.
Meadowbrook then beat the pressure as Jones hit a short jumper. Fleming tied it again at 58 when William Fitzgerald tipped in a shot. Again the Monarchs beat the pressure, with Chandler Evans' jumper giving Meadowbrook the lead for good with 2:41 left.
"You want to attack pressure," said Mike Sutton, the Monarchs' coach. "If they're going to extend the floor, you have to make them pay."
Meadowbrook then had three leads of five points, the last one coming at 67-62 with 24.8 seconds left after Jamaal Branch hit two free throws.
Fitzgerald canned a 3-pointer with 17.1 seconds left. When Evans made only one free throw with 15.4 seconds remaining, Fleming had a chance to tie.
"We wanted Derrick [Hines] to bring the ball down and Keath to shoot a 3," Paye said.
"They sort of denied me the ball," Hines said.
So Hampton found himself with the ball and was forced to take a two-pointer. When he missed, Fleming fouled Jones, whose two free throws with 3.5 seconds left ended the Colonels' hopes.
"If we could have tied them and had the ball, we would have spread the floor and made those big men come out," Paye said.
"They were more aggressive than we were. They rebounded well and they took good shots," said Hines, a junior, who led Fleming with 17 points and finished another brilliant game with six assists.
The Colonels featured only two seniors - Fitzgerald with 13 points and 11 rebounds and Reynolds with 10 points.
"We'll get in the gym and keep a good attitude," Hines said. "There's no reason to think we won't be back. It'll be my third trip down here. I'll be stronger and more mature."
Does that end the rumors that Hines will transfer to Oak Hill Academy or another prep school? Hines didn't have an answer.
Paye told his team it was young enough to think about doing what Meadowbrook did this season as an experienced club.
"They have a lot of seniors. Last year they were like we were - young," Paye said. "Coach Sutton had the perfect quote. He said they were 16-9 a year ago and didn't jell. Well, we jelled this year.
"They had better athletes, but we had better basketball players as a\ team."
by CNB