Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510060094
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"We have a lot of confidence, and I had it in my head that we were going to beat them," the 6-foot sophomore said.
And she did her part to make her premonitions come true.
Barrett had team highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Vikings defeated the Spartans 57-55 at Northside High School in district play on Thursday evening.
Spartans guard Shellie Johnson hit a jumper with five seconds remaining to cut the lead to two, but Northside let the clock run down without inbounding the ball as the Vikings posted their first win over Salem in two years.
Barrett's layup with 37 seconds left gave Northside a four-point lead before Johnson scored for the game's final tally.
``Salem has been a benchmark for the district,'' Northside coach Marilyn Bussey said. ``We know it's going to be tough.''
Northside (7-4 overall, 1-1 district), which finished 8-12 last season, lost by margins of 20 and 22 points to Salem last season.
The Vikings led the entire second half, and their largest lead was eight points at 49-41. Salem quickly cut the deficit to two on a Sarah Palmer jumper with 5:10 left in the game.
But Salem (7-4, 1-1), which caused 32 turnovers against Alleghany, couldn't rattle the Vikings with its pressure defense.
``[Breaking the press] took a lot of passes,'' Northside guard Amber Kern said. ``But with good passes, we got through it.''
Kern scored six of her 12 points in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans, who trailed 30-29 at halftime, were plagued by foul trouble.
``Getting those quick fouls took us out of the game,'' Salem coach Dee Wright said.
Johnson, Palmer and Marilyn Huang all had limited playing time in the second quarter because of foul trouble.
Johnson, who set out the final four minutes of the first half with two fouls, provided a huge share of Salem's second-half production.
``The best way to defend Shellie is to not let her get the ball,'' Bussey said.
Johnson, the 1994 district co-player of the year, scored 16 of the Spartans' 26 second-half points. In the third period, she scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds and had an assist on Salem's other basket. She finished with a game-high 24.
"But it takes more than one person," Wright said. "We didn't have the supporting cast like we had against Alleghany."
In Tuesday's 44-point rout over the Mountaineers, six Spartans scored in double figures. Palmer, who scored 12 points, was the only other Salem player in double-figure scoring on Thursday.
Northside's Barrett also had foul trouble.
Barrett had two fouls in the first half and picked up her fourth foul with 3:14 left in the game. But she managed to give Salem trouble regardless.
``She's strong. She moves through the lane,'' Wright said.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***