Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 6, 1995 TAG: 9511060132
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It seems as if the 1995 season is an echo of last year as far as the girls' basketball tournaments are concerned.
In Group AA, last year's key matchups came down to Salem against William Byrd. When the Terriers finally beat Salem in the Region III championship game, they went the furthest in the state because of a favorable pairing.
In Group A, Floyd County was the team to beat, and no one did it. The Buffaloes went unbeaten and won their second consecutive state title.
Once again, it's Salem versus William Byrd for Group AA supremacy with the same cast of supporting teams - Martinsville, Liberty, Fieldale-Collinsville and Lord Botetourt - hoping to get by them with an upset.
Salem plays William Byrd tonight at 7 at Lord Botetourt in a regular season playoff for the Blue Ridge District title that will have a huge impact on the tournaments, which also start tonight.
The winner of tonight's Salem-William Byrd contest will qualify for next week's Region III tournament and need to win only one game to make the state field. If Byrd wins, it's an even bigger advantage because the Terriers play host to the regional tournament.
Like last year, Salem beat Byrd in both regular-season games. The difference and the reason for a playoff is that the Spartans were upset at Northside and lost to a Lord Botetourt team that is very close to both Salem and William Byrd.
Salem goes into tonight's game without sophomore point guard Mandy Williams, who suffered a knee injury in the regular-season finale at Lord Botetourt. There is a possibility she'll return for the Blue Ridge District semifinals on Thursday.
``We'll move Shellie [Johnson] to point and bring up a couple of junior varsity players who have played point guard,'' said Salem coach Dee Wright.
``When we lost at Lord Botetourt [last Thursday to create the tie], we didn't play well. If we had had our minds set at Northside, though, we wouldn't be in this position.''
Byrd beat Lord Botetourt twice, 43-42 and 59-53 in overtime. Last week, Kristi Dyer's free throws with 25 seconds left gave the Terriers a one-point victory. In the first game, the Terriers reached overtime on a miracle comeback that included a last-second basket by Brandy Allen.
Even if Byrd and Botetourt had split, though, there would have been a playoff tonight with the Spartans meeting the Cavaliers, who have Timesland's best one-two combination of Sarah Hicks and Sara Moore.
Martinsville, the Piedmont District preseason favorite, already has won its playoff against Fieldale-Collinsville. Both of these teams were Region III representatives last year, but now the Cavaliers must come back through the tournament to join Martinsville, which is in the Region III playoffs along with Seminole champion Brookville.
Liberty, a Region III representative last fall, finished second in the Seminole and must make its way through the tournament to earn a repeat trip.
In Group A, Glenvar, Galax, Floyd County and Northwood are assured of Region C spots. Galax got a break after splitting with Narrows when the Green Wave was upset by Grayson County to prevent a playoff for the Mountain Empire District title.
Galax, with one loss, appears to be, along with Glenvar, the most formidable foe for Floyd County in the Region C tournament.
The Buffaloes, though, are an overwhelming favorite despite a misleading 16-5 record in which all the losses were to Group AA teams.
including two to William Byrd, which is the second-ranked team in Timesland behind Salem.
by CNB