Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 2, 1990 TAG: 9003022983
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: MARION LENGTH: Medium
Once the Scarlet Hurricane rallied to take a lead early in the second quarter, it fell back in an ultra-active zone over which most of Blacksburg's bombs were reduced to duds.
With Blacksburg in an offensive tangle, Marion ran its attack as if performing in an instructional video while decking the Indians 69-58 in the semifinals of the Region IV tournament at the Hurricane House.
Marion (18-6) draws a championship date with George Wythe, a 79-70 winner over Tazewell, on Saturday night. The Maroons took control with a 9-0 spurt - seven by Jamie Lee - to open the fourth quarter. Lee had a game-high 31 points and 20 rebounds.
The victory earned Marion its first trip to the Group AA tournament since the 1981-82 season.
"Our defense won it for us," Marion coach K.W. Lawson said. "Hey, you know what a kid gave me today? He gave me this gum wrapper that said `You will be taking an unexpected trip soon.' "
That the 'Canes would be riding to Charlottesville next week might have come as a surprise to some, but not Lawson.
"I didn't think we were underdogs tonight," he said. "Maybe somebody did. Not me."
After Blacksburg destroyed previously undefeated Richlands 77-43 Tuesday night, it might not have been hard to conclude the defending regional champs were again the team to beat.
Marion had other ideas. After playing well and taking a five-point first quarter lead, Blacksburg was mired in offensive quicksand most of the night.
"All our players saw Blacksburg beat Richlands and they saw how they did it - beating the first trap then taking it down the floor and scoring in the paint," Lawson said. "If the players had looked in the paper and seen that score but didn't know how it was accomplished, then that would have had me worried.
"But Richlands plays defense completely different than us. They play pressure all over the floor. We pressure the ball and everybody else helps out. We knew we could do it against Blacksburg."
Once confronted with the zone, the Indians (16-9) started firing blanks. Blacksburg went 3-for-16 in the second quarter while being outscored 19-6.
For the game, the Indians shot a season-low 25.7 percent (17 of 66).
"It wasn't the zone,' said Blacksburg guard Jay Purcell, who finished a fine career by scoring 20 points. "We just weren't ready to play. We didn't have any intensity. We didn't come out of it until the fourth quarter."
By then, Blacksburg was scrambling back from a deficit that was as much as 19 points. Thanks in part to a pressing defense and Purcell's long-range gunnery (four second-half 3-pointers), the Indians drew to 59-53 with 2:35 left.
But Blacksburg made only two of its last 13 shots and Marion (17 of 31 from the line) was making just enough foul shots to stay ahead.
"When you're down six or seven or even 10, that isn't too much these days," Blacksburg coach Bob Trear said. "But when you get down close to 20, then you're usually too far back to come back with the amount of time we had."
Marion exploited Blacksburg's gambling defensive tactics. The 'Cane made 13 of 20 shots in the second half and finished 60.2 percent (25 of 41) for the evening.
Five players scored in double figures for the Highlands District champions. Shannon Archer gunned in 16, lanky Jason Null operated inside for 15 and fellow post player Robbie Jones, a lean 6-8, took advantage of his size to post up low for 12 more. Backcourt partners Eric Hungate and David Keith had 10 each.
"That's very indicative of the kind of year we've had," Lawson said. "We have some outstanding athletes here, but we stress a team game.
"And this has been a great, great team win for us."
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB