THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 28, 1996 TAG: 9601250227
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: HERTFORD LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
IT'S BEEN a long season so far for both Perquimans County High School basketball teams. Williamston made it a bit longer for the boys and girls teams this past Tuesday in two exciting games.
In the boys game, the Tigers opened up a five-point lead with 6:13 to play and held on for a 56-53 win. In girls action, with no time left on the clock, Michele Thomas of Perquimans missed two pressure-packed free throws that could have either tied or won the game as the Lady Tigers prevailed 50-49.
The Tigers came into town undefeated in the conference and fresh off a win over Roanoke, the top ranked 1A boys team in the state. Perquimans, on the other hand, has struggled, losing several close games, but had only a 3-9 record entering the contest.
The boys game was nip-and-tuck throughout. With 6:13 to play, Derrick Bond sunk a free throw to give Williamston a 48-43 lead. Perquimans closed the gap to within one point when Travis Warren hit a 3-pointer with 2:22 to play to cut the lead to 50-49.
After Jarvis Coffield's free throw, the Pirates tied the game at 51-51 with under 1:30 to play on a rebound and tipin by Amos Fletcher. Williamston regained the lead with 1:20 to play on a layup by Omar Perkins. With 1:06 to play, Perkins converted one of two free throws to up the lead to 54-51. With 46 seconds to go, Odell White sunk two free throws and knocked the Williamston lead down to 54-53.
With 28 seconds to play, Williamston's D.J. Reddick was denied a free throw on a lane violation, but sunk the second one to put the Tigers up 55-53. Reddick then came up with a key steal and was fouled in the act of shooting by the Pirates Brad Owens. Reddick knocked in one of two free throws for the 56-53 lead.
White missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, which would have tied the game for the Pirates.
Perquimans played the entire second half without leading scorer Lyron Welch, who left the game with a back injury. Welch had 11 points in the first half.
``We definitely missed him when he went out,'' said Perquimans head coach Luther Overton. ``He ran up and down the court twice to start the third quarter and took himself out.''
``He (Welch) was the team leader,'' said Steve Gilmore, Williamston head coach. ``After he left the game, it hurt them.''
Gilmore, who uses mostly a man-to-man defense, said he switched to a zone in the second half to stop the fast-paced Perquimans offense.
``Those 3-pointers gave us a problem in the first half,'' Gilmore said. ``When we went to the zone in the second half, it changed the scheme of things. They weren't getting shots as easy as the first half and we slowed down the transition game a little bit.''
In the Albemarle Conference, the Perquimans girls are expected to challenge for one of the top positions. On Tuesday, the Lady Pirates suffered a heartbreaking loss.
Perquimans mounted a strong comeback to make the game close. Williamston led 41-36 with 4:34 to play, but Perquimans cut the deficit to one point with two free throws by Dysheba Jennings and a layup by Kristie Roberson.
After a missed free throw attempt by Williamston's Sherrie Forrest, the Lady Pirates took a 44-43 lead on two free throws by Stacy Caswell with 2:52 to play. At 2:40, the Lady Tigers regained the lead when Emily Harrell canned a 3-pointer to go up 46-44.
Perquimans tied it again at 2:30 when Danita Whidbee grabbed an offensive rebound and put back a shot. Williamston's Tracie Bond tossed in one of two free throws to give the Lady Tigers a 47-46 lead with 2:14 to play.
On the Lady Pirates' next possession, Whidbee was called for traveling after receiving a bad pass down the sideline. After the turnover, Williamston went into a deliberate half court offense which burned a minute off the clock. Forrest was fouled on her shot attempt and made both of her free throws for a 49-46 lead.
The final minute saw plenty of action. Roberson put in a layup for Perquimans with 55 seconds to play to make it 49-48. Williamston turned the ball over with 48 seconds, but the Lady Pirates returned the favor when Bond stole the inbounds pass.
With 37 seconds to play, Caswell fouled Forrest who missed both free throws. On the rebound, Williamston's Allison Paul fouled Jennings. With 34 seconds to play, Jennings sunk one of two free throws to tie the game at 49-49.
On the other end, Forrest missed a jumper but was fouled by Allison Boone with 10 seconds to play. Forrest hit one free throw to put the Lady Tigers up 50-49.
On the final possession of the game, Whidbee missed a shot but Thomas was fouled by Heather Raby right before the buzzer. With no time showing on the clock and the crowd standing and at full volume, Thomas stood alone at the foul line needing one free throw to tie the game and two to win. Her first shot missed the mark. Her second shot spun around the rim and fell out for the Williamston victory. by CNB