THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 19, 1995 TAG: 9502160118
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER
CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: HERTFORD LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Playing all season with a smaller team than nearly all of its opponents, the Perquimans County boys basketball team has played like giants. The Pirates dream of a regular season Albemarle Conference championship may be over, however, with a tough loss to Williamston this past week.
Perquimans overcame a 16-point, second-quarter deficit to give the Tigers fits, but Williamston held on for the 69-66 win.
All five Williamston starters scored in double figures as the Tigers, ranked second in the state in the 1A Associated Press poll, handed Perquimans, ranked seventh in the state, its first home loss of the season.
The Pirates, rusty from a week layoff, came out flat in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Williamston used its height advantage. Forward Curtis Coffield scored nine of Williamston's first 22 points, including a run of seven straight points on two slams, a layup, and a free throw.
The Tigers took their biggest lead of the game at 26-10 on a jumper by Daniel Everett with about five minutes to play in the half. Perquimans chopped the lead down to 10 at the half when its 3-point shooters got hot. Mark Clinkscales sunk one and Jermaine Coston connected on two 3-pointers in the last 1:30.
The Pirates, accustomed to playing from behind at the half, did what they have done all season - force the opposition into a suicidal, fast-paced offensive shootout.
Point guard Maurice Shannonhouse was able to penetrate and dish off close to the basket, which set up easy layups and free throws. The major benefactor was Tykinsten Wood who scored 10 of his 14 points in the third quarter.
Perquimans outscored Williamston 10-2 to open the second half and pulled within three on Wood's two free throws at 5:12.
The game remained close until the Tigers upped their lead to 65-56 with 3:39 to play with a quick five-point run. The Pirates did not give up. Shannonhouse drove the lane and hit a short jumper. Fouled in the process, Shannonhouse sank the free throw to cut the Williamston lead to 65-59. Coston followed with a drive to close the gap to 65-61 with 2:12 to play.
After both teams turned the ball over, Odell White launched a clutch 3-pointer to put Perquimans down by one at 65-64 with 52 seconds to play.
Nine seconds later, White was called on a reach-in foul and D.J. Reddick sunk both free throws for a 67-64 Williamston lead.
On the other end, Coston, who had been hot at the 3-point line in the second half, missed a 3-pointer with 35 seconds to play. Williamston gave the Pirates another chance to tie the game when Ollie Shephard missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Coston missed another 3-point attempt with 10 seconds to play. Raymond clinched the win for the Tigers with two free throws in the final eight seconds. Coston's jumper at the buzzer made the final 69-66.
Most opposing coaches have said the way to stop Perquimans is to keep them out of the running game. That has been easier said than done. Steve Gilmore, Williamston head coach, said the Pirates were able to come back with their quickness.
``Helter-skelter is their game. Early we ran the set up. Later we ran up and down the court,'' Gilmore said. ``Being patient at crucial times helped us.''
In their first meeting, Williamston beat Perquimans by 19 points. Gilmore said his squad lost two starters to grades since the first matchup. ``That was the big difference between the two games,'' he said.
Perquimans head coach Luther Overton said the comeback in the third quarter was due to defensive changes.
``We used two or three different defenses and we changed them at the last second. We went from man-to-man, to a matchup zone, to a halfcourt trap,'' he said.
Overton said the week layoff made his team flat.
``We've never been able to respond well to sitting out for a week,'' he said.
For Perquimans, Coston, Wood, and Shannonhouse all scored 14 points and Kelsey Moore added 13 points. by CNB