Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510060084
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
After absorbing four losses, including one that severed a 59-game winning streak in September, the two-time defending Group A champion Buffaloes blew into October like the remnants of the hurricane that bent the trees here Thursday afternoon.
Everybody scored as Floyd County opened defense of its Three Rivers District title by demolishing a good Auburn team 79-48.
Included in the Buffaloes' barrage were eight 3-pointers, three of those by sophomore Amy Vest.
``They would have beat anybody they have played or anybody they will play if they had been shooting like they did tonight,'' Auburn coach Tim Goetz said.
``We wanted to stop [Melissa] Cantrell and [Julie] Sowers, then everybody else started stepping up and hitting them.''
It was just like old times in the second half for Floyd County. The starters took half the night off so youngsters such as Vest could play.
It will be hard to keep Vest on the bench in the future. Against Auburn, she scored 16 points, six of those coming on back-to-back 3-pointers with 3:01 left in the first and again with 2:25 remaining.
Sara Conner took team scoring honors, hitting for 18 points and perking right along despite the distraction of an official's command to return to the bench to remove an earring.
``Sara played very well, especially in the first and second quarter,'' Floyd County coach Alan Cantrell said. ``She was very aggressive taking it to the hole, and I like that. She's always rebounded well.''
Sophomore Jill Quesenberry added 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Melissa Cantrell went 5-for-8 from the free-throw line en route to 10 points.
Neither team was particularly distinguished from the free-throw line. Auburn (7-6 overall, 1-1 in the district) made 13 of 25; Floyd County went 15-for-25.
``If we had made some free throws, it would have been a little closer, that's all,'' Goetz said.
Auburn was led by Crystal Moles, who did what she could and scored 11 points. Susan Wirt added nine.
This was the first Group A opponent for Floyd County (8-4, 1-0), which sought the toughest competition it could find when it played a pair of games each with Group AA heavyweights William Byrd, Lord Botetourt, and Salem, splitting with Botetourt and Salem. Floyd also lost to Group AA school Northside.
This game got out of hand early. Floyd County loosened the Eagles up by popping from the outside, and by the first quarter break, were ahead 22-15 after finishing the quarter with a 7-2 run.
Floyd County closed the first half with a 14-0 run.-
see microfilm for box score
by CNB