THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603020411
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Salem continued its postseason surge by knocking off Kempsville for the third time this season with a 58-43 victory in Friday's Eastern Region championship at Churchland.
The Sun Devils, who improved to 20-6, had ousted previously unbeaten Menchville in the semifinals to gain the rematch with their Beach District foe.
Salem earns the Eastern Region's top berth in the state playoffs and the right to host the Central Region runner-up next Saturday. The Chiefs (26-3) will travel to the home of the Central Region champion.
``We came out with no fear, but we knew they were gunning for us,'' said Kempsville center Toni Patillo, who led the Chiefs with 13 points and nine rebounds. ``After they beat Menchville, they said they wanted us and they showed us how bad.''
Salem got off to a quick start with a 17-12 first-quarter run.
Jenny Harmon had a hot hand on the baseline and sparked the Sun Devils with eight of her 15 points.
``I was getting some good looks at the basket,'' she said. ``They just kept falling.''
And so did everything else.
Through the first quarter, the Sun Devils connected on 7 of 14 field goals and hit 3 of 5 free throws. In the second, a more selective Salem team was 4 for 8 from the floor.
But Kempsville struggled.
The Chiefs shot an uncharacteristic 11 percent from the field and were limited to Erin Duckett's 3-pointer and a pair of Carrie Heath free throws in the second quarter as Salem took a 30-17 lead at the break.
Salem's half-court man-to-man defense bothered the Chiefs, who missed nine layups in the period.
But in the third quarter, Kempsville seemed to find its second wind.
The Chiefs and the Sun Devils traded baskets to open the period. Patillo cut Salem's lead to 36-29 after scoring 10 points - including a pair of 3-pointers - and forcing two Sun Devils turnovers in a two-minute span.
Then Michelle Garcia took over. Garcia replaced Misty Colebank, who picked up her fourth foul late in the quarter, and helped Salem increase its lead to 44-31 by the quarter's end with a pair of free throws, two assists and a jumper with 21 seconds to play.
``(Garcia's) watched Misty do it for the last four months,'' Bowman said. ``She just took over. She really wowed the crowd tonight.''
Garcia single-handedly broke Kempsville's press, blocked two shots and had a perfect night from the free-throw line. The freshman guard finished with 15 points and six rebounds.
Colebank returned midway through the fourth and sank 3 of 4 free throw attempts down the stretch - Salem made 6 of 9 in the quarter - to put the game out of reach.
``Tonight we had 'em all going,'' Bowman said. ``We're hard to beat when we're all playing well.''
SALEM (20-6): Garcia 15, Angeles 0, Johnson 2, Riddick 2, Blair 0, Zollicoffer 0, Colebank 8, King 13, Hierholzer 2, Slagle 0, Harmon 15, Gabriel 1. Totals 20 16-23 58.
KEMPSVILLE (26-3): Fayton 9, Cholewa 8, Henn 0, Nichols 0, Sciortino 0, Heath 4, Duckett 3, Williamson 0, Kristofak 6, Archabald 0, Elliot 0, Patillo 13. Totals 15 10-15 43.
Salem 17 13 14 14 - 58
Kempsville 12 5 14 12 - 43
3-point goals: Duckett, Patillo 2. Total fouls: Salem 15, Kempsville 19. ILLUSTRATION: JIM WALKER/The Virginian-Pilot
Salem's Misty Colebank, left, and Jenny Harmon, right, bottle up
Toni Patillo of Kempsville during the Sun Devils' 58-43 victory.
by CNB