ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 14, 1996 TAG: 9602140080
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: FLOYD
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
TRAVIS CANTRELL scores 21 points as Floyd County denies Giles 82-68.
Amid occasional basketball playing, a free-throw shooting contest between Giles High School and host Floyd County was staged Tuesday.
The Buffaloes got the better of both competitions, beating the Spartans 82-68 to clinch the regular-season Three Rivers District championship. Floyd County has defeated Giles twice this season.
This one was a rough-and-tumble affair that featured 53 fouls, 71 free-throw attempts and four foul disqualifications, three of them for Giles.
``It was physical, all right,'' said Floyd County sophomore guard Travis Cantrell, who scored 21 points - one more than his average - while making 11 of 15 free-throw attempts. ``I guess it must have favored us that the game went that way because we were the ones who came out on top.''
In all, the Buffaloes (15-2 overall, 6-0 in the district) made 33 of 42 free-throw attempts. That meant they had eight more points from the free-throw line than the Spartans (13-4, 5-3), who were a very good 25-of-29 from the line.
It has been an exceptionally trying week for Giles, which saw its hopes of a first district basketball title evaporate with losses to Radford on Monday and then Floyd County. All this took place as the Giles coach, John Howlett, was coping with the death of his father Thursday. The funeral for James F. Howlett was Monday. The younger Howlett coached that night.
``We had still hoped to achieve our goal of winning the school's first district basketball championship,'' Howlett said. ``Then we messed it up with the loss to Radford. Tonight, we were tired, but we had to play man-to-man defense. We were a step slow.''
There were many heroes for the Buffaloes, who led from start to finish despite repeated charges from Giles. Jesse Slusher, a post player and the only senior on the team, scored 16 point to go with 14 rebounds, thus making up for fellow inside man Derek Saunders, who fouled out with 10 points.
``I had to step up when Derek fouled out,'' Slusher said.
Jason Dalton, another of Floyd County's gang of sophomores, scored 12 points and helped neutralize Giles' inside game.
Adam Jones and John King combined for 24 points inside for Giles, but King fouled out.
The perimeter game was pretty much left up to Spartans forward Aaron Myers, who had 19 points, including all three of the Spartans 3-pointers.
But really, it seemed as though the game was never far from another stoppage and another trip to the free-throw line.
``Lots of elbows inside,'' said Slusher.
Added his coach, Alan Cantrell: ``Both teams went after very hard trying to win.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 linesby CNB