Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Salem needed someone to step up and sophomore Mandy Williams did just that.
The Spartans point guard turned in a set of statistics that read like an all-state performance Tuesday against Lord Botetourt. She had 16 points, eight assists and three steals in leading the Spartans past the Cavaliers 69-62 as Salem kept its share of first place in the Blue Ridge District with William Byrd.
If Williams hadn't stepped up, Salem would have been in trouble when leading scorer Shellie Johnson retreated to the bench with four personals midway through the third quarter. Williams kept dishing off and shooting. Her jumper with 1:55 left in the third quarter gave Salem its first lead at 44-43 and the Spartans (10-3 overall, 4-1 district) never trailed again.
``Coach [Dee] Wright tells us to run the play and tells me to be in control. I just try to get the ball to anyone open. She's also been telling me to shoot more,'' said Williams.
Wright started urging Williams to shoot more as a freshman, but she doesn't always do that. On this night, Williams had help from fellow sophomore Sarah Palmer, who snatched a game-high 13 rebounds and had 15 points, and Tina Slate, who had 14 points on some nice outside shooting.
For the Cavaliers (14-2, 3-2), the defeat cost them a share of the Blue Ridge lead. However, while Lord Botetourt has lost consecutive games at Salem and Byrd, in the second part of the season those teams must go to Daleville.
``Too many times the ball was available to us and they outhustled us. I thought we should have won at Byrd, but tonight we didn't deserve to win,'' said Botetourt coach David Wheat.
While Williams' play was big, Salem's rebounding might have turned the game. Lord Botetourt dominated the first quarter, building a 17-11 lead as the Cavaliers controlled the boards 15-8. In the final three quarters, Salem held a 33-27 edge.
The Spartans also made only five turnovers the final three quarters compared to 13 for Lord Botetourt. They shut off the Cavaliers' attempts to rally in the final quarter by making 15-of-23 free throws when three Botetourt starters fouled out.
``We didn't try to run with them. We called off our press and that helped tremendously,'' Wright said of changing the Spartans' early strategy. ``We also went to the zone. We weren't forcing anything. Angie Bryson played well off the bench. Slate and Williams did well. These were the girls we needed to step up.''
Botetourt was led by Sarah Hicks with a game-high 25 points and nine rebounds. For the longest time, it was Hicks versus Salem. She scored 11 of the Cavaliers' 13 points in the third quarter. Guard Sara Moore joined her in the final quarter with five of her 13 points and six of her 13 rebounds. But both players fouled out trying to spark a rally.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB