ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 16, 1996 TAG: 9603180045
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
The old axiom that one player can't beat a team never was more true than Friday in the Group AAA boys' basketball tournament. Two players couldn't do it, either.
James Stokes did all he could for William Fleming, and he even got a little help from Sterling Tate. But as the semifinal game wore on, it became apparent Hopewell had more threats as the Blue Devils beat Fleming 81-61 at Liberty University's Vines Center.
Hopewell (27-1) advances to tonight's state championship game at 8:45 against George Washington-Danville, an 82-75 winner over Indian River.
Stokes wound up with another big night, scoring 29 points. He had 15 of the Colonels' 27 first-half points and scored 22 of the first 36 before he getting help from Tate, a fellow senior, who finished with 20.
By that time, Hopewell had a double-figure lead and the Blue Devils weren't about to let Fleming back into the game.
``We talked at the half about'' not letting one player win the game, said Bill Littlepage, Hopewell's coach. ``Stokes is a tremendous player. Everything we heard about him is true. We saw a little of his preferences in the first half.''
Seeing, and believing, Littlepage decided to get some help for Monsanto Pope, who had guarded Stokes for the first two quarters.
``We really felt like he [Stokes] steps to his left, so we emphasized bringing up a defensive man from the left to help,'' Littlepage said. ``Then, I was impressed that he started taking it more to the basket.''
Pope, who led Hopewell with 23 points, was duly impressed with Stokes.
``I tried to play him man-to-man, but he got his game going,'' Pope said. ``He's very physical.''
Fleming (19-8) stayed with the Blue Devils for a quarter, though it took a hustle basket at the end of the period on a jumper by Tate to keep the Colonels' deficit to four points.
Tate opened the second quarter with a free throw. Then Hopewell went on a 12-4 run and the Colonels never were closer than seven points again.
Pope led the charge with seven points, including a 3-point shot, which is unusual coming from a center.
Try as it might in the second half, Fleming couldn't cut into the lead. While Pope, who had 16 points at intermission, stopped dominating offensively, guard James ``Rip'' Morse and forward Darrell Bowman took over with 19 points between them.
``Hopewell played extremely well,'' said Marshall Ashford, Fleming's coach. ``We knew James would have to have a big game. We needed other people to step up.
``We didn't execute as well as we could have. A lot of times things bounced the other way and they were able to capitalize on them.''
Ashford finally looked relaxed after a topsy-turvy season end in which he was promoted from assistant to head coach in January when Burrall Paye retired.
``It's been a heck of a run,'' Ashford said. ``A lot of people didn't think we'd get this far. To do so was an accomplishment for the kids.''
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL/Staff Hopewell's James ``Rip'' Morse pullsby CNBdown a rebound in front of William Fleming's Charles Burnette and
Sterling Tate (right) on Friday in Lynchburg in a Group AAA
semifinal game. color