Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 7, 1990 TAG: 9003082203
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: bob teitlebaum sportswriter
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
This year the Knights are the hunted instead of the hunter as they go after the Group A boys' high school basketball championship that eluded them last winter.
James River has been ranked No. 1 in Group A the entire season, and the Knights really haven't had a scare since losing 70-69 in overtime at Lord Botetourt in December.
James River (24-1) will take on Haysi (18-8) in the first round of the Group A tournament tonight at University Hall in Charlottesville.
Two other Timesland teams swing into state tournament action today, and both will be on the rebound after losing regional championship games last Saturday.
Bland (20-6), which was crushed by James River 87-47 in Region C on Saturday, faced J.I. Burton (21-4) in another Group A boys game this afternoon at 3:45. Bland will make the 3 1/2-hour trek to Charlottesville this morning.
Cave Spring's girls (22-3), who lost for the first time, 62-57 to Gar-Field in the Northwestern Region final, will play James Madison (26-1) at 8:45 p.m. in the Group AAA tournament at Williamsburg.
The Group AAA and AA boys' tournaments will hold their first-round games Thursday in Williamsburg and Charlottesville, respectively.
Haysi is in the state for the first time since 1969. The Tigers feature a balanced scoring attack, paced by 5-foot-11 Carlos Gulley who averages 17 points per game. However, they don't have a lot of size.
James River is ranked No. 1, but coach John Shotwell says he isn't concerned about the pressure. "It's an advantage. Anytime you're No. 1, everybody is looking up at you. By being No. 1, you should be ready to play when you hit the floor," he said.
James River's Maurice Davenport, a 6-3 forward who moved to the point on the Knights' 1-3-1 defense, remembers last year's visit to the state tournament.
"I was scared and nervous last year. I won't be that way this year," said Davenport.
The Knights' senior says the big difference this year is point guard Don Turpin, who is back after missing last year's tourney with a broken ankle.
"I was planning on being No. 1 in the state," said Davenport of this season. "That's the way I wanted to go into the state, as the top team.
"I think we can kick it up another notch and score more points than we did against Bland. I think we can do better on defense. We're always challenging ourselves to do better."
George Thompson, averaging 18.4 points per game, joins Turpin (19.8 ppg) and Davenport (19.8 ppg) to give the Knights one of the finest trios any Group A team could hope to have. All three have been in a see-saw scoring battle as the team leader, and they all finished among the top five scorers in the Pioneer District.
Despite three prolific scorers, defense might be the key for James River. The Knights gave up an average of 44.5 points in their two Region C games.
"Last year we didn't allow but 51 points a game and this year it's about the same," said Shotwell. "I think some people overlook our defense."
No one overlooked it when Shotwell stuck Davenport on the point of the 1-3-1 zone against Grayson County after the Blue Devils scored 15 points in the first quarter. He collected 10 steals, and Grayson County scored only 27 points the rest of the night.
Cave Spring's girls lost two games this year when an ineligible player was used in mop-up action in two Roanoke Valley District games. In the past two years, the Knights have lost on the scoreboard only three times - to Gar-Field twice and last year to Menchville on a last-second shot in the Group AAA tournament.
James Madison starts two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman. All five have double-figure scoring averages, with junior guard Jackie Freeman (18.5 ppg) leading the way.
Cave Spring is battling to overcome the RVD's reputation as a weak district. Roanoke Valley District teams have never won a game in the girls' state tournament.
"It's different each year and I don't think there's that much pressure," said Cave Spring coach Dave Layman about overcoming the jinx in Group AAA competition.
"It used to be a privilege just to go to the state. But we know we can play with these people after coming from behind before losing to Menchville last year."
When they lost to Menchville, the Knights were without 6-foot Lisa Hodges, who was injured in the district tournament. Now they have Hodges and a pair of strong guards in Courtney Williams and Kay Caldwell.
"We don't really think of it as pressure. We want to go up there and do our best," said Caldwell. "We won't think about last year. Our only disappointment [this year] was losing at Gar-Field. But I'd rather lose in the finals of the region than in the state."
STATE PAIRINGS
Boys Group AAA
At William and Mary
Thursday
2 p.m. - Richmond Thomas Jefferson (23-1) vs. Hampton (23-4) 3:45 p.m. - Potomac (24-4) vs. South Lakes (24-3) 7 p.m. - Bayside (24-2) vs. Manchester (20-6) 8:45 p.m. - Wakefield (24-3) vs. Franklin County (17-8)
Group AA
At University Hall in Charlottesville
Thursday
2 p.m. - Staunton R.E. Lee (25-0) vs. Gloucester (21-2) 3:45 p.m. - Laurel Park (19-8) vs. Marion (18-7) 7 p.m. - Matoaca (23-2) vs. Culpeper (20-6) 8:45 p.m. - Martinsville (24-2) vs. George Wythe (20-4)
Group A
At University Hall in Charlottesville
Wednesday
2 p.m. - Fluvanna (22-4) vs. Suffolk (15-10) 3:45 p.m. - J.I. Burton (21-4) vs. Bland (20-6) 7 p.m. - Sussex Central (14-12) vs. Woodstock Central (23-3) 8:45 p.m. - James River (24-1) vs. Haysi (18-8)
Girls Group AAA
At William and Mary
Wednesday
2 p.m. - Petersburg (17-6) vs. Virginia Beach Salem (24-4) 3:45 p.m. - Gar-Field (23-2) vs. Fairfax James Robinson (20-7) 7 p.m. - Phoebus (25-2) vs. Prince George (16-5) 8:45 p.m. - James Madison (26-1) vs. Cave Spring (22-3)
by CNB