ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 20, 1997 TAG: 9702200040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 21, 1997.
The Salem High School basketball player in a photo that ran on the
first ports page Thursday was misindentified. He is Marshall
Wooldridge.
As Salem's Kwam Lewis went to the free-throw line with two-tenths of a second left on the clock and the score tied, teammate Eric Grinnell had a few words.
"He told me, `Just knock them in.' I needed some encouragement," said Lewis.
So the senior forward sent two free throws straight through the basket to give Salem a 58-56 victory Wednesday over Northside in the Blue Ridge District tournament semifinals at the Salem Civic Center.
The Spartans advanced to the championship game Friday night against Blacksburg, a 69-59 upset winner over William Byrd. Salem (17-6) already had earned a berth in the Region III playoffs.
"I'm thinking `No rim.' Just put them right through the net," Lewis said.
The free throws ended an upset bid by the Vikings, who were thoroughly dismantled in a 76-53 loss to Salem at Northside. They also ended the Vikings' streak of regional appearances dating to 1993.
Lewis was fouled as he rebounded a missed shot by Grinnell, who had followed a missed jumper by teammate Herschel Thomas.
All this came after the Vikings tied the score with 30 seconds left on a jumper by Greg Perdue.
Then Perdue fouled out, attempting to stop Lewis from going back up with the game-winner.
"He grabbed my hand. He had too because if he hadn't, I was definitely putting it in," said Lewis.
After a timeout, Grinnell, who led Salem with 14 points, caught Lewis at midcourt.
"We're tight and we always talk to each other oncourt," said Grinnell. "I told him just knock them down. Then you've done all you can do."
After last week, though, it was hard to imagine Northside (7-16) being in a position to win late in the game.
Every time Salem tried to deliver a knockout punch, the Vikings responded. Northside led at the half when James Bandy banked in a 40-footer at the buzzer for a 31-28 lead. The Vikings hit five 3-pointers in the second quarter.
"We kept our poise," said Northside coach Bill Pope of his junior-dominated team. "We did everything we could. They just had that last shot. We would liked to have had that last shot."
The Vikings hit 22 of 41 shots from the field and six of 12 from 3-point range. Daryl Holmes was Northside's only double-figure scorer with 15, but Perdue turned in one of his best efforts with nine points in the second half.
The crucial points of the game came early in the final quarter. Perdue tipped in a miss, pushing the Vikings ahead 46-39.
"They made some real tough shots and then that one before the half where our players said they had some real lucky charms tonight," said Salem coach Charlie Morgan.
So the Spartans turned up the pressure and reeled off 12 straight points.
Sam Lazzaro started it with a 3-point shot, followed by a layup from Thomas. Marshall Wooldridge, who scored 13 points off the bench, made a pair of free throws and, after a turnover, hit a 3-point shot to put the Spartans up 49-46.
Grinnell finished the spurt with two free throws. Then the Spartans missed a couple of one-and-ones. The Vikings responded on a 3-point shot by Nat Franklin and tied the score again at 54-54 on a layup by Holmes.
Grinnell answered with a hook to set up the final moments.
"That hook has always been there. There was a little luck, but it was open and Northside wasn't giving me much," said Grinnell.
The Spartans hit 21 of 46 shots and won the battle of the boards 26-23.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN STAFF. Daryl Holmes (left) of Northsideby CNBtries to get past Salem defender Sammy Lazzaro during Blue Ridge
District tournament play on Wednesday night. Holmes finished with 15
points. color. KEYWORDS: BASKETBALL