Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 16, 1991 TAG: 9102160354
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
But at this point, be assured that no potential foe wants to be around when it does.
The born-under-a-bad-sign Blue Demons continued to give new meaning to the concept of suffering from the blues Friday night - Blacksburg 55, Christiansburg 53 in two overtimes.
That was the second two-point loss in as many games and the fourth overtime defeat in as many tries this year.
"But this is the first time that we've made it to double overtime," said Christiansburg coach Gerald Thompson, gamely trying to find something - anything - positive in such a grim series of events.
Blacksburg (14-4 overall, 5-0 New River District), which beat Christiansburg 53-51 on a last-second tip-in by forward Jon Maher the first time the teams played, clinched the regular-season district championship with the victory.
In this latest melodrama between the old rivals from Montgomery County, the Indians pulled it out with much more time to spare than the first time.
All of four seconds showed in the second overtime when the winning points were scored.
Blacksburg guard Tracy McCoy slashed down the right sideline past the free-throw line, waited for the defensive help to come over for the double-team, and dumped the basketball to the wide-open Walter Smith under the hoop. Smith completed the play unerringly.
"We told whoever had the ball with about eight seconds left to drive in and try to pull the man [over to help on defense], then pass it to the open man," Blacksburg coach Bob Trear said. "Tracy made a nice pass and Walter did well with the shot."
Smith, who finished with eight points, made up for two damaging turnovers that may have helped lengthen the game. Both were walking violations.
One came with 40 seconds left in regulation as the Indians were holding for a last shot to sever a 53-53 tie. The other cost Blacksburg a chance to snap that same deadlock with two seconds left in the first overtime.
"I'm glad it was Walter who got to make that shot at the end because of those walks," Trear said. "First, we were looking for Thompson [Lester]."
Lester was surrounded by John Porter near the free-throw line and could not get involved in the final play. Lester had done plenty before that by scoring 23 points and hauling in six rebounds.
"[Lester] can inside or he can go outside," Thompson said. "It's always hard to guard somebody like that."
In he first game, Christiansburg had had trouble with both Maher and Lester. But this time, Maher missed his first five shots and did not have his first field goal until 6:06 of the third quarter.
Maher had a chance to conclude the first overtime, but barely missed a bang-bang 12-footer on an inbounds play with two seconds remaining. Lester was barely off on a tip.
"I took the brick award tonight," said Maher, who scored 10 points, more than nine under his average.
Christiansburg (9-9, 1-4), which led 8-0 and 15-6 before Blacksburg recovered, got 20 from Porter, an athletic left-hander, and 17 from Scott Lucas.
Lucas scored nine points, including one of his three 3-pointers, in a span of 2:39 of the fourth quarter as the Demons were storming back from a seven-point deficit. Lucas' last 3-pointer gave Christiansburg a 53-51 lead, but Lester tied the score with 1:53 left to set the stage for overtime.
"It just looked like they were trying to hold on there at the end," Lester said. "They weren't trying to do anything offensively."
All those close games - the Demons have lost five by two or fewer points - have exacted a cost, Thompson said.
"They're down," he said of the players. "At the end, it was like they were waiting for something to happen instead of trying to make something happen."
CHRISTIANSBURG (53)
Porter 9 2-3 20, Bentley 1 0-0 2, Gregory 3 0-1 6, Lucas 7 0-0 17, Sabo 0 4-4 4, Smith 1 2-3 4. Totals 21 8-11 53.
BLACKSBURG (55)
McCoy 1 0-0 2, Maher 4 2-2 10, Lester 10 3-4 23, Warren 2 1-1 5, C. Smith 1 0-0 2, W. Smith 2 4-4 8, Morton 1 2-2 5. Totals 21 12-13 55. Christiansburg 151781300-53 Blacksburg 62614702-55 Three-point goals: Christiansburg, Lucas 3. Blacksburg, Morton. Total fouls: Christiansburg 11, Blacksburg 13. JV: 36-34, Blacksburg.
by CNB