ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280098
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Playing girls' basketball against Pulaski County isn't really a simple five-on-five proposition.
More realistically, you're looking at five or six on 10.
``A team that can sub five and not lose anything, that's a hard team to play with,'' said Dawn Coleman, the E.C. Glass coach.
The Hilltoppers learned that lesson - in painful detail - for the third time this season. No charm could be found by the visitors from Lynchburg as the Cougars pinned their ears back on the way to a 75-51 victory Tuesday night in the opening round of the Northwest Region tournament.
Glass, which had reached the final of the Western District tournament by upset and thus qualified for its first postseason visit in four years, finished 12-10. Pulaski County (18-6) will entertain C.D. Hylton at 7 p.m. Thursday in a regional semifinal from which the winner will be guaranteed a trip to the state tournament. Hylton stopped Stafford 52-45 in the other opening-round game Tuesday.
Pulaski County previously had pasted the Hilltoppers by scores of 65-53 on Jan.27 in Dublin and 61-40 on Feb.9 in Lynchburg. Depth was a telling factor in all three encounters.
``We play at least 10 [girls] every quarter,'' said Buddy Farris, the Cougars' coach. ``If the other team doesn't have a bench, it's worn out.''
Took the words right out of Coleman's mouth.
``We were very tired,'' said Coleman, a 23-year-old alumnus of the Parry McCluer High School and Liberty University basketball programs fresh off her rookie season as a head coach.
From a 38-33 lead midway through the third quarter, Pulaski County broke loose on a 25-6 stampede behind freshman Katrina Williams. During a two-minute stretch, Williams rebounded her own miss and banked it in; stole a pass after one of the 'Toppers had rebounded a missed Cougars shot and scored on a layup; snagged a defensive rebound that led to a pair of Mary Bishop free throws (the Cougars went 10-for-12 from the line); followed by another Williams steal and layup that made it 48-33.
Lights out.
``We have a deeper bench than they do,'' Williams said. ``By the fourth quarter, we have the advantage.''
Glass led 15-14 at the end of the first quarter, but a 13-0 run by the Cougars to start the second rattled the visitors no end.
``They were more ready than we were - at first,'' said Pulaski County's Mandy Sexton.
Williams finished with 15 points, as did Robin Bower. A couple of Cougars 10th-graders, Missy Shirah and Jessica Cobbs, had 10 and nine points, respectively. Shirah's final six points came via 3-point shots, the last coming with 7:14 left in the game.
Wonder what Farris thought of a sophomore bombing at that stage of the game?
``I want her to take that shot,'' Farris said. ``If she doesn't, I'll take her out.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: |ALAN KIM/Staff. Katrina Williams of Pulaski Countyby CNBdrives past an E.C. Glass defender Tuesday in the Cougars' Northwest
Region victory. color.