THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 18, 1995 TAG: 9502180753
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Lake Taylor downed Maury, 78-65, in the regular-season finale for both teams Friday night at Lake Taylor High.
But Granby was the big winner.
Maury had to win to tie Granby for the Eastern District regular-season crown and force a playoff tonight for district's No. 1 berth in the Eastern Region playoffs.
Instead, the Comets won their first district title since 1976.
``I think they just played harder and outhustled us,'' Maury coach Jack Baker said. ``It's disappointing that, with as big a game as this was for us, we didn't show up to play.''
Maury, South Hampton Roads' third-ranked team, was a disastrous 21 of 39 from the free throw line. And nobody had a more difficult night from the line than Maury forward Shaun Jackson.
Despite a robust 14 rebounds, an intimidating six blocked shots and a surprising seven steals, Jackson was an anemic 4 of 16 from the foul line and finished with 12 points.
``I'd been struggling the last couple of games from the foul line,'' said the 6-foot-7 Jackson. ``I knew I couldn't make 'em. And I was doing everything and trying everything to make 'em. It just wasn't going to happen.''
Lake Taylor, meanwhile, had a much better night at the line, making 24 of 34 attempts.
``Reggie Hawkins and Larry Moore really stepped up and hit some big free throws for us at the end,'' said Lake Taylor coach John Kelly. ``I just didn't like seeing it go the way it did with the free throws, especially for a kid of Shaun Jackson's caliber. It was an unfortunate night for him.''
The Commodores (16-5 overall, 5-3 district) weren't the only ones in need of a victory. Lake Taylor (13-6, 3-5) had to win to assure itself the No. 4 seed in the Eastern District playoffs, which begin Tuesday at Lake Taylor with Lake Taylor meeting Granby.
Maury and Booker T. Washington, which tied for second place, will meet in the other semifinal Wednesday.
``We had our destiny in our own hands and that's how we treated it,'' Kelly said. ``And we've played Granby tough twice. We really wanted a third shot at them.''
Granby survived triple overtime to beat Lake Taylor, 81-77, in their first meeting this season and won the second, 60-47.
The Titans, who led by four at the half, pushed the lead to 52-38 to end the third quarter, with Deshawn Hendrick canning a 15-footer.
A Toot Young 3-pointer with 6:55 remaining in the fourth pushed Lake Taylor's lead to 58-42.
The Commodores started fouling repeatedly in the final minutes, but weren't able to cut the Titans' lead to single digits until 1:45 remained when Tommy Spruill's layup made it 70-61.
Maury got no closer.
``If we'd have just gotten a little closer, I think it would have given us a boost,'' Jackson said.
Moore made five free throws in the final two minutes.
The Titans were paced by Hawkins' 20 points while Toot Young added 15 and Brian Kelley had 10.
Spruill finished with a team-high 18 points for Maury and Jeremiah Bell added 11 off the bench. by CNB