THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 7, 1995 TAG: 9501070359
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Booker T. Washington's Kenny Brown sank a running 8-foot jumper in the lane with 16 seconds remaining to cap a furious comeback and beat Maury, 74-73, in front of a crowd of 2,300 at Maury High on Friday night.
The Bookers, ranked No. 2 in South Hampton Roads, overcame a 14-point deficit in the last three minutes. But both coaches conceded the game would have gone the other way if Maury point guard Ike Richardson hadn't picked up his fifth foul with 3:11 left.
``The key was Ike fouling out,'' said Booker T. coach Barry Hamler. ``If he doesn't, we're in deep, deep, deep, dark mud.
``Hey, but give us some credit. Nobody can make the press work like Booker T. Washington can.''
Richardson picked up his fourth and fifth fouls seven seconds apart, fouling Booker T.'s Dewayne Jacobs on a shot attempt and committing a charging foul at the other end, with Jacobs stepping in front of him as he drove to the basket.
Jacobs, who had 15 points, also had four fouls at that point.
``That call could have gone either way,'' said Bookers forward Shawn Wilson, who had 20 points. ``If it goes their way, they would have had a lot of momentum.''
Instead, third-ranked Maury was without its calming influence.
Down 71-57, the Bookers' comeback started when Brown canned a 3-pointer with 2:35 remaining. With the Bookers turning up the defensive pressure, the Commodores turned the ball over on their next four possessions and Booker T. scored off each of the turnovers.
``If you'd have come over and asked me when Ike fouled out what was going to happen, I'd have told you we were going to lose,'' Maury coach Jack Baker said. ``Somebody's got to step up in those situations. Ike can't play 32 minutes.
``For 29 minutes, we did a good job. For the last three we played like we were scared to death.''
Still, the Commodores held a 71-68 lead and had the ball with 41 seconds remaining. But Maury center Shaun Jackson missed the fronts of two one-and-one opportunities and the Bookers answered with a 6-foot baseline jumper by Wilson and two free throws by Ashley Berry with 31 seconds left to cap the 15-point run and take a 72-71 advantage.
Maury wasn't done, though, as Ray Heard, who finished with 21 points, canned two free throws after being fouled by Jacobs with 22 seconds remaining.
Brown, though, took the inbounds pass, rambled down the right side and cut into the lane for the game-winning shot.
``I was just taking it to the hole and looking for an open man,'' Brown said. ``Nobody picked me up.''
The Commodores raced downcourt, but Tommy Spruill's driving attempt rolled off the front of the rim. The Bookers' Brian Parker grabbed the rebound and was fouled with four seconds left.
After Parker missed the front end of his one-and-one, Maury called timeout to set up a play, but could get nothing better than Todd Davidson's prayer from halfcourt which was wide at the buzzer.
With fans standing three-deep on the baselines in the fourth quarter, the game was stopped for 12 minutes with 6:15 remaining after condensation accumulated on Maury's tartan playing surface and players began to slip and fall repeatedly.
``I was ready to take my kids home - win, lose or draw,'' Hamler said. ``Any time we have a big game and a big crowd, we've gotta move it off a tartan floor.''
Jackson finished with 17 points and 23 rebounds and Deshawn Davis had 20 points off the bench for Maury (9-2).
Brown led the Bookers (7-1) with 29 points, including four 3-pointers.
``Kenny's a great player and all that,'' Baker said. ``But he scores 29 and they still don't win if Ike's in the game.'' ILLUSTRATION: LAWRENCE JACKSON
Staff
Maury's Shaun Jackson, left, and teammate Jon Lester battle with a
Booker T. Washington player.
by CNB