Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 28, 1993 TAG: 9302280185
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
NO SLOWING DOWN COLONELS
It was business as usual for Patrick Henry and William Fleming in the Roanoke Valley District boys' basketball tournament semifinals at the Salem Civic Center on Saturday night.One team was trying to play a delay offense, and the other wanted to run. The difference was that it was PH wanting to slow the tempo and Fleming trying to run.
It didn't take long for Patrick Henry's strategy to fizzle. The Patriots committed a couple of early turnovers, and Fleming took a five-point lead and raced to a 72-39 victory.
In the championship game Monday, the Colonels (17-5) will play Pulaski County, a 72-66 winner over Franklin County. Fleming already has a berth in the Group AAA Northwestern Region Tournament, scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Over the past few years, Patrick Henry usually has been working against a slow down by Fleming. The Patriots' Group AAA championship teams of 1988 and 1992 always had to guard against Fleming's slow-down game. The only loss suffered by the 1988 PH team came against Fleming's delay game.
"We were ready," said Fleming coach Burrall Paye. "We had double teams and traps. We work on it [the slow down] every day, not just because someone might run it against us but because we might run it at times."
Patrick Henry coach Woody Deans, whose team ended the season with a 4-17 record, agreed that was the only way his club had a chance.
"We wanted to do it, but we missed two or three easy shots and had a couple of turnovers at the beginning. That took us out of it," he said.
After that, it was all Fleming. Derrick Hines controlled the offense from his point-guard spot with eight assists and a game-high 21 points.
Jemare Crump, who played at Patrick Henry as a sophomore, and Carlos Rhodes added 13 points for Fleming. Crump also had 11 rebounds as the Colonels dominated the rebounding 47-27.
The Colonels completed a three-game sweep against the Patriots.
"We wanted to beat PH and get them back for last year when they beat us three times," Crump said. "I wanted to play well against Patrick Henry. I went there, but I'm glad I made the switch."
The Patriots were led by reserve Chris Combs with 10 points.
PH's usual scoring leader, Shannon Taylor, fouled out with nine points. Fleming covered the 6-foot-5 junior and refused to let him shoot inside.
Paye reminded his troops that Monday's game is for more than just a district championship. The winner will get a first-round regional game at home and could wind up playing all three at home.
"It's a big game, but [even if we lose] we're good enough to win two or three in a row on the road if we move the ball," said Paye.
Fleming wound up hitting 27 of 59 field-goal attempts. Hines was 8-of-16.
The Patriots shot 14-for-48.
Deans said he's never glad to see the season end, no matter how bad it seems.
"It's been a tough year, but these kids continued to improve up to tonight," he said. "We had won three in a row." \
see microfilm for box score