THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 11, 1995 TAG: 9507110410
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Monday was a great night to be a Hagerstown Junior College fan.
Future Hagerstown teammates Shawn Hobson of Granby, Percy White of William Monroe and Brett Harper of Kecoughtan combined 38 points as the East rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat the West, 93-80, in the Virginia High School Coaches' Association boys all-star basketball game at Hampton Coliseum.
The East used a 20-0 run late in the second half to put the game away. White, the Group A player of the year, scored seven during that decisive stretch.
White, a 6-foot-7 post player, and Hobson shared scoring honors for the East with 14 points. But Harper,who scored 10 points, was voted the East's Most Valuable Player.
Harper threw down three dunks, including a spectacular one-handed slam off a pass from Andre Quarles that caromed off the backboard.
``We worked on that in practice,'' Harper said. ``The amazing thing was I didn't even ask for the ball.''
Hagerstown coach Jim Brown was beaming afterward.
``When the HJC group got going in the second half, it was all over,'' Brown said. ``Their chemistry was so great, I felt like they had been playing together for a year instead of a week.''
Hobson, who hit 5 of 13 shots from the floor, was equally impressed with his new teammates.
``We can be devastating,'' he said.
The less-heralded West sprang to a 35-17 lead with six minutes left in the first half, only to have the East close to within 44-40 on a 12-2 run.
Lakeland's Sebastian Yates was a key player during that stretch, scoring six of his 10 points.
Reggie Bassette, the 6-9 center from Highland Springs who has signed with Old Dominion, also had 10 points for the East.
Mike Martin from Martinsville led the West with 14 points and was named his team's MVP.
The East played without Churchland's Marvin Rodgers and Maury's Shaun Jackson. Rodgers was dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons, and Jackson did not show for practice.
WEST (80): Hines 7, Varoney 4, Farrington 2, Reese 10, Martin 14, King 11, Harris 5, Scott 13, McElroy 10, Gibson 4. Totals 32 14-26 80.
EAST (93): Woodson 5, Quarles 7, Baker 4, Yates 10, Hobson 14, Harper 10, Moose 4, Harrison 10, Abraham 5, White 14, Bassette 10. Totals 33 25-39 93.
West 44 36 - 80
East 40 53 - 93
3-point goals: Scott, King, Woodson, Harrison. Total fouls: West 24, East 19. Fouled out: Gibson. by CNB