ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 16, 1996 TAG: 9603180035
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
NORTHSIDE falls to Lakeland and its tough defense 64-54 in a Group AA semifinal game at the Vines Center.
It might be a different script, but it was a similar ending for Northside in the Group AA basketball tournament Friday.
Just as the Vikings had things going their way, it all came apart thanks to a press. Lakeland, of Suffolk, turned up the pressure in the third quarter and that led to a 64-54 victory in the semifinals at Liberty University.
Lakeland (19-9) will play Liberty for the state title today at 2:45. The Minutemen helped the Cavaliers by knocking off defending champion Nansemond River 59-58. The Warriors, also from Suffolk, had beaten Lakeland five times this season.
Five times in six years, Northside (17-9) has made the semifinals or final only to come away without the state title.
Considering the Vikings had only two guards back this year, a trip to the semifinals was hardly expected.
Lakeland also didn't expect to be trailing 31-29 with three minutes left in the third quarter, so the Cavaliers resorted to pressure defense.
It worked as the Vikings started making turnovers and missing shots. Brian Baker's only 3-point goal pushed Lakeland ahead 32-31 with 2:55 left, starting a 13-1 run and giving the Cavaliers the lead for good.
``When we went to our press, that shook them up,'' said Lakeland coach John Fuller.
Actually, Northside missed some free throws and other shots before the press went into effect.
``It's unrealistic to think we could be perfect the entire game,'' said Northside coach Billy Pope. ``Because of their strength on the boards, any turnovers or missed shots [by us] were just magnified. They wore us down, they wore our legs down.''
After Lakeland's run, things didn't get any better for Northside.
The Vikings were down 58-38 with 2:34 left. Lakeland was celebrating and Pope said, ``Not that you give up, but the thought crossed my mind to begin subbing out.''
Then Spence Peters, Justin Porterfield and Ben Peete began hitting 3-point shots. With 39 seconds left, Lakeland's Brian Baker missed a free throw, Adam Gray rebounded and was fouled. His two free throws made it 62-54.
That was as close as the Vikings got.
Cross turned out to be the difference as he hit three 3-pointers off the bench.
``He's probably our best outside shooter. They were sagging back on the baseline and we needed him,'' said Fuller.
``Not to say they don't have good outside shooting, but we just had to concentrate shutting them off inside, hoping they wouldn't hit [from outside] today,'' said Pope.
Lakeland also shut down the Vikings' inside attack as Adam Wimmer and Gray combined for 18 points, but just six after intermission.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL/Staff Northside's Ben Peete (24) drivesby CNBaround Lakeland's Damon Tillery. color KEYWORDS: BASKETBALL