ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 1, 1997 TAG: 9702030112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
The last thing Patrick Henry did before playing William Fleming on Friday night was to look at a tape of the first game between the teams.
It was a horror show in December when the Patriots blew a 10-point lead in the final quarter and lost to the Colonels. This time, Patrick Henry gave a little, but refused to break in a 76-63 victory at the Salem Civic Center that left the teams tied atop the Roanoke Valley District boys' basketball standings.
The difference might have been inside, where Fleming dominated the first game. This time around, PH's Boo Battle dominated with 26 points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots. At the other end, Colby Leftwich was keeping Fleming's Charles Burnette off the glass as the Colonels' leading scorer got but five points and eight rebounds. It added up to a 44-33 rebounding margin for PH.
``It seems like we played well the last game, but they killed us on the boards,'' said Leftwich. ``They'd get four or five shots. It was our goal to keep Charles off the boards. Coach [Jack Esworthy] said, ``I don't care if you don't have a defensive rebound as long as he [Burnette] doesn't get an offensive rebound.''
Burnette took the blame for Fleming's lack of rebounding.
``PH played a good game and this is my fault,'' he said. ``I didn't go to the boards like I usually do. My head wasn't in the game. I took myself out of the game.''
The Patriots (12-4 overall, 4-1 district) were ready, breaking on top early. PH climbed to a 51-29 lead late in the third quarter and it appeared to everyone but the Colonels that the game was history.
Not so. In a replay of the first game, Fleming stormed back. The Colonels (11-5, 4-1) trimmed PH's lead to 66-60 when Jaron Walker, who led Fleming with 12 points hit a layup and R.J. Reynolds followed with a 3-point goal with 1:48 left.
How could PH do this again?
``We played 3 1/2 quarters of perfect basketball,'' said Esworthy. ``I told the team, though, Fleming is too good a team to get beat by 20 and they came back to get us.''
Battle said the Patriots were tired after forging their big lead.
``Fatigue,'' he said, describing Fleming's comeback. ``But it [Fleming winning] wasn't going to happen.''
``I did have flashbacks [to December]. The last thing we did in practice yesterday was look at [a tape of] the last game. It was very quiet in the locker room,'' said Leftwich.
Leftwich's layup made it 68-60 and after Reynolds looped in another 3-point play to make it 68-63, PH scored the final eight points. A pair of free throws by freshman Mike Peery with 44.2 seconds left virtually clinched the game.
Fleming coach Roland Lovelace said, ``PH wanted it more. They were real quick and Boo dominated inside. At the end, we played decently. Sometimes when you don't play well, it's the other team doing things that keeps you from playing well.''
Kasey was Battle's biggest offensive support with 17 points, six assists and five steals. Malik Shareef was also a big rebounder for the Patriots with 10.
The Patriots connected on 27 of 57 shots, but in the first half were a torrid 17-of-27 when they were building their lead. Fleming hit 10-of-20 in the final quarter, but for the night made only 26 of 66 shots. NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN STAFF. Boo Battle (34) of Patrick Henryby CNBmakes a move on William Fleming defender David Pannell in the second
half of their Roanoke Valley District game Friday night. color.