THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503120441
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
It was clear to Indian River's Braves that they had to rebound from a sour opening half if they were to have a chance Saturday night against Richmond's John F. Kennedy High.
But most importantly, they simply had to rebound.
The Braves, burned repeatedly by JFK stickbacks in the first half, won the battle of the boards after the break and paved a path into the state Group AAA boys semifinals with a 60-49 quarterfinal victory at Churchland High.
Indian River (20-7) will meet Potomac (25-1) Friday night at 7 p.m. at Liberty University's Vines Center in Lynchburg. It will be the Braves' first trip to the semis since Alonzo Mourning was national player of year in 1988.
Potomac, which is ranked 25th in the nation by USA Today, downed T.C. Williams, 73-66, Saturday.
Robinson (22-5) will meet Kecoughtan (22-6) in Friday night's other Group AAA boys semifinal.
JFK scored five times on offensive rebounds in the first half and led the Braves, 23-20.
Cougars center Charlie Layne, who finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, converted four of those five stickbacks, including a thunderous one-hand dunk early in the second quarter that ignited JFK.
``As badly as we played in the first half, they were only up by three,'' Indian River center Jamal Creecy said. ``Coach made it clear that I had to put a body on him (Layne). And he told all of us that we had to take it to the hole.''
The Braves did just that, the result being a second-half parade to the foul line.
Indian River attempted 25 second-half free throws and finished 23 for 29 from the line.
Meanwhile, the Braves outrebounded JFK in the second half, 27-19, to finish with a 40-36 edge.
Jason Capel tallied 12 points and 14 rebounds, Terry Rouse had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Creecy chipped in with six points and eight rebounds.
David Selby led the Braves with 13 points.
The tide turned Indian River's way for good when Quintae McLean banked in a 15-footer from the foul line while falling down near the end of third quarter, evening matters at 34-all.
Rouse opened fourth-quarter scoring with the Braves' only 3-pointer and Creecy followed with a short jumper for a 39-34 lead. After a free throw by JFK's George Saunders, Indian River went on a 14-4 run, highlighted by a give-and-go basket by James Boyd, who went over three Cougars to score.
JFK (15-11), the tournament's Cinderella team, made it this far on the coattails of point guard Nathaniel Pollard, who averaged over 23 points a game after recovering from a midseason broken arm.
Indian River chose to harass Pollard with fresh bodies, guarding him with five different players.
``If he was as good as they said he was, he was going to have to play baseline to baseline,'' Indian River coach Freddie Spellman said.
Pollard was 3 for 16 from the field, including 0 for 8 on 3-pointers, and finished with nine points. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
GARY C. KNAPP
Ondrake Nero, left, of John F. Kennedy High defends against Indian
River's David Selby during the Braves' 60-49 win Saturday.
by CNB