ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, November 15, 1996 TAG: 9611150078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Girls' basketball teams from Floyd County and Northwood high schools will be back in the Group A tournament next week.
Floyd County employed a familiar vehicle to return to the promised land. Northwood was a little more unorthodox in the opener of a Region C semifinal Thursday night at Christiansburg High.
The Buffaloes wore out Narrows with full-court defense on the way to a 64-43 triumph over the best team Narrows has ever had. Northwood dispatched Parry McCluer with defense as well, winning 64-42, but it was a type of game the Panthers don't often play.
The winners will return to Christiansburg for the regional championship Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Narrows (19-6), the Mountain Empire District champion, was playing in its first regional and appeared well-prepared to do so when it jumped out to a 16-8 lead.
Floyd County overtook the Green Wave midway through the second quarter. After a Suzanne Webb basket with 2:24 left in the half, Narrows trailed 26-24. Floyd County then thundered back behind reserve Amy Vest, who scored seven points that keyed a 9-0 run going into halftime.
Floyd County (24-2) followed the break with an 11-2 run and, quickly as that, Narrows was finished.
``We knew we couldn't let them get too far ahead,'' Narrows coach Todd Lusk said. ``But we got tired. They just wore us down.''
The Green Wave had scoring from only three players. Webb, the seventh player, female or male, ever to score 1,000 points at Narrows, had 16 as did center Tara Collins. Bud Lucas, the point guard, ran the offense and scored 11.
As for Floyd County, the list of contributors is ever changing. This time, guard Sara Conner had 20, Vest added 16, and Julie Sowers 13.
``You're not going to win a regional or a state with only one or two players doing it for you,'' Buffaloes coach Alan Cantrell said.
Northwood was a tad short on players, but not on talent. There was a liberal sprinkling of junior varsity players on the bench, but essentially, the team had only eight true varsity players. Too, they were accustomed to playing on a floor at Northwood that, in the words of Panthers coach Jena Gillespie, "is about half the size of the one here.''
The Panthers compensated by diverging from their normal man-to-man defense and turning to a box-and-one zone with Jennifer Maiden chasing Parry McCluers's top offensive threat, Lindsey Coleman.
Coleman was held to 14 points - "Yes!'' Gillespie exclaimed when told - a total matched by teammate Clarissa Johnson. Nikki Barger added 10, but only four Fighting Blues scored.
Parry McCLuer (18-7) was held to 18 points in the second half.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB