THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 6, 1997 TAG: 9702060648
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 49 lines
For this year's Indian River Braves, everything gets better the second time around.
In their second meeting with Booker T. Washington this season, the Braves used second-chance scoring opportunities in a dazzling second-half run and spanked the state's top-ranked team, 68-61, Wednesday night to the delight of a boisterous standing-room-only throng at Indian River.
The Bookers, who have spent four weeks atop the Associated Press Group AAA boys basketball poll and were the Eastern Region's only undefeated team, lost for the first time in 16 games.
``Hey, it happened to Kansas,'' Booker T. Washington coach Jarrell Wilkerson said, making reference to Missouri's overtime victory over college basketball's top-ranked and previously unbeaten Jayhawks Tuesday night. ``It can happen to anybody. We'll regroup from this and keep moving on.''
Braves guard David Selby highlighted his game-high 22-point effort with a breakaway dunk during the Braves' decisive 12-2 third-quarter run. The Braves trailed by nine early in that quarter, but surged to a two-point lead heading into the final eight minutes.
A 3-pointer by sophomore Antwan Stukes (a career-high 20 points) to open the fourth quarter put the Braves ahead by five. The Bookers closed to within three points late, but were thwarted by the Braves' tenacious man defense and went 0-for-6 from the 3-point line in the final two minutes.
``We had something to prove tonight,'' said Indian River guard David Selby after the Braves, ranked sixth in South Hampton Roads, won their sixth in a row.
``We should be No. 1 in the state now.''
The Braves (13-5) crashed both boards with abandon and dominated the Bookers on the glass. Indian River won the rebounding war, 42-34, and 20 of Indian River's boards were on the offensive end.
``We played with a lot of intensity, but when you give up so many second-chance points to a good team, you're in trouble,'' Wilkerson said.
The Bookers, a guard-oriented team anyway, were hurt by injuries to their two starting post players. Bookers 6-5 center Terry Gray hurt his left knee fighting for a rebound at the 4:47 mark of the second quarter and did not return until the start of the fourth quarter. Gray, who scored 27 in the Bookers 66-53 victory on Jan. 4, got only six Wednesday before fouling out.
Also in the second quarter, Bookers 6-5 forward Robert Jordan took a blow to the head and spent the remainder of the game holding an icebag on it.
Both players are expected to return to action Friday.
Demetrius Lee led the Bookers with 12 points and Russell Branch chipped in 11 for the Bookers, who led, 34-27 at halftime.