THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 29, 1996 TAG: 9602290481
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Never mind that the winner of Wednesday's Eastern Region girls basketball semifinal was assured a berth in the state playoffs.
Never mind that undefeated Menchville had won 24 straight games, or that 6-foot-1 Chalois Lias and 3-point specialist Candice Edwards were averaging a combined 37 points a game.
Salem wanted Kempsville. And the Sun Devils got their wish after orchestrating a 53-40 win over Peninsula District champion Menchville.
Salem (19-6) and Kempsville (26-2), a 46-38 victor over Churchland in the other semifinal, will meet for the fourth time this season in Friday's 6 p.m. championship game at Churchland.
``That was our goal,'' said Salem's Kelley King, whose team has handed the Chiefs their only losses of the season. ``That's all we wanted.''
Salem was ahead 41-40 with 3:18 to play, then scored the next 12 points to decide the issue. Misty Colebank sparked the run with five points and two assists.
``When there's five minutes or less left in the game, and we keep the ball in Misty's hands, we're going to win the game,'' Sun Devils coach Larry Bowman said.
Salem, which fell behind 7-0 to start the first quarter, learned early that it wouldn't be able to run with the Monarchs.
Colebank then did what she does best: provide leadership.
Colebank set the game's tempo, helped her team break down the Monarchs' 3-2 zone in a 15-7 second-quarter run and held Edwards, who averages 20.4 points per game, to four in the first half. Edwards finished with a team-high 13.
Colebank accounted for 26 of the Sun Devils' points with a game-high 16 points and five assists. She connected on 8 of 10 free throws. King chipped in 13 points and 13 rebounds, Jenny Harmon added 12 points and Michelle Garcia 10.
Salem took its first lead of the game with 34 seconds to play in the second quarter when Harmon put in Garcia's missed layup to make it 21-19. Antoinetta Gabriel, who had the unenviable task of guarding Lias, held her to five points in the first half.
``They triple- and double-teamed her,'' Edwards said. ``It was hard to get the ball to her.''
Added Salem coach Larry Bowman: ``We knew that if Chalois got the ball, she was going to score. We did a great job fronting her. We played a great game against a tremendous team.''
In the second half, the Monarchs and Sun Devils traded baskets and Menchville tied it at 36 on an Edwards jumper with 1:09 left in the period. But King was fouled at the buzzer and connected on a free throw to give Salem a 37-36 lead.
Last-minute jitters and a half-court, man-to-man front seemed to shake the Sun Devils, who lost the lead for the first time in the half when Shelly Tolbert connected on a jumper at the 6:13 mark.
Salem tossed up two air balls before Colebank found King in the lane 2:15 into the period. A turnover at the other end of the court then put the ball back in Colebank's hands for a 41-38 Salem lead.
After Tolbert's missed 3-pointer on the opposite end, Lias then shut down Salem's offense momentarily with a pair of blocked shots. On the ensuing play, Edwards pulled her team within a point with a basket with 4:14 remaining. But the Monarchs got no closer.
SALEM (19-6): Gabriel 2, Colebank 16, Harmon 12, King 13, Garcia 10, Zollicoffer 0, Riddick 0. Totals 19 15-25 53.
MENCHVILLE (24-1): Edwards 13, Jordan 4, Lias 12, Rodriguez 4, Tolbert 5, Bucher 2, Reeves 0, Bailey 0, Smeland 0, Yarborough 0, Heath 0. Totals 14 8-10 40.
Salem 6 15 16 16 - 53
Menchville 12 7 17 4 - 40
3-point goals: Lias, Tolbet, Garica. Total fouls: Salem 8, Menchville 16. ILLUSTRATION: Chart by Bill Moore
Eastern Region Girls
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