ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 6, 1996 TAG: 9611060077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: GIRLS' BASKETBALL
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Bassett held off a furious Magna Vista rally in the fourth quarter Tuesday before winning 51-47 in a first-round Piedmont District tournament game at Magna Vista High School in Ridgeway.
Bassett's Heather Miller led all scorers with 29 points and made all six of her free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter as Bassett (17-5) held off Magna Vista (7-13).
The Bengals led 38-21 after three quarters, but Magna Vista's Sandi Reid scored 10 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, when the Warriors outscored Bassett 26-13.
Bassett plays top-seeded Patrick County at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Miranda Wade added 11 points for Magna Vista.
In another Piedmont District tournament game:
Laurel Park 52, Fieldale-Collinsville 36: Brandy Martin led all scorers, with 22 points, as the Lancers beat the Cavaliers in the first round.
Laurel Park (13-8) plays Martinsville at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in a semifinal.
Tiffany Lynch scored 12 for the Lancers and Latarri Pritchett added 11.
Jennifer Wirt led Fieldale-Collinsville (7-15) with 12 points.
Blue Ridge
William Byrd 67, Blacksburg 33: The Indians could not handle the Terriers' relentless pressure defense and fell in the first round of the Blue Ridge District tournament in Vinton.
William Byrd (18-3) used a full-court press to create numerous steals and turnovers in building a 36-16 halftime lead. The Terriers pressured Blacksburg into 24 turnovers for the game.
Andrea Gay had a fine all-around game for William Byrd, notching 15 points, four assists and four steals. Lara Nester had three 3-point goals and finished with 15 points, and Brandy Allen added 12 points.
Blacksburg's top scorer was Karly Geller, with 10 points.
The Terriers advance to a semifinal Thursday night against Northside, which beat Christiansburg 55-34.
Salem 54, Alleghany 47: Mandy Williams scored 16 points to lead the Spartans (12-9) to a victory over the Mountaineers (12-9) in Low Moor.
Williams scored 14 of her 16 points in the first half to spark Salem to a 30-16 halftime lead. Poor shooting in the first half hurt the Mountaineers, but they came back in the second half. They led the Spartans with as little as two minutes remaining in the game, but Salem took control from there.
The Mountaineers were led by Natasha Chapman and Katie Craft with 19 and 15 points, respectively.
Lord Botetourt 64, Rockbridge County 24: Sarah Hicks scored 21 pounds and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Cavaliers (21-1) rolled to a victory over the Wildcats (1-20) in Daleville.
Sara Moore scored 17 for top-seeded Botetourt. The Cavaliers, who clinched a spot in the Region III tournament by winning the Blue Ridge regular-season title, face Salem at home Thursday in a 6 p.m. semifinal.
The Cavaliers raced to a nine-point lead in the first quarter, then outscored Rockbridge County 32-8 in the second and third quarters.
Seminole
Staunton River 57, Heritage 36: The Golden Eagles pulled away in the third quarter for an opening-round victory in Bedford.
Erin Wolfe led a balanced attack with 15 points and Penny Forest had 14. Staunton River (12-9) will take on the winner of a third Tuesday game between Brookville and Appomattox County in Thursday's semifinal round.
Heritage (3-17) was led by Liz Douglas and Annika Jordan, with 12 points each. It was one of the season's fastest games, with only 10 free throws attempted by the two teams.
Rustburg 39, Liberty 29: The Minettes closed their season with a loss to the Devils in a first-round matchup in Bedford.
Hollee Franklin, a 6-foot-3 center, led Rustburg with 17 points.
Liberty (5-17) was hampered by the absence of veteran coach David Grant, who was hospitalized after a farming accident during the weekend. In his place, the team was coached by Sheila Turpin and Bill Boyer.
Pioneer
James River 44, Highland 26: Nakia Burrell had 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Knights advanced to the semifinal round with a first-round victory in Buchanan.
James River (9-12) took a 12-2 lead and cruised to a 33-16 lead through three quarters.
The Knights play Covington at Bath County High School on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Highland ends its season with a 2-15 record.
Bath County 47, Craig County 24: Suzanna Shanks scored a game-high 11 points as the Chargers (11-11) won their first-round matchup over the Rockets (2-19) in Hot Springs.
Kerri Hepler added 10 points for Bath County. Katie Hardbarger, the No.2 scorer in the Pioneer District, was held to eight points - 10 off her average.
The Rockets were paced by Jody Harden, who scored 10 points.
The Chargers will play Parry McCluer at 6 p.m. Thursday.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Long : 101 linesby CNB