Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 20, 1991 TAG: 9102200392
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The latest of the Vikings ready-for-crunch-time players is Chad Briscoe. The senior guard took control in the final minutes as Northside downed Lord Botetourt 71-60 and won the Blue Ridge District boys' basketball title.
Briscoe didn't have an assist or steal until with 4:08 left in the game when he got one of each in a swoop that led to a basket by Matt Hill and a 61-50 Northside lead. After the Cavaliers closed to 64-58, Briscoe hit two free throws. Then he got another steal for an easy layup that made it 68-58 and clinched the victory.
Briscoe wound up with a career-high 21 points and Northside (18-1 overall, 7-0 in the district) collected its second regular-season crown in three years. The second-ranked Vikings did it without second-leading scorer Pete Taylor, who was out with a sprained ankle.
"I don't mind taking clutch shots," Briscoe said. "I enjoy it. It was the same last year. We had a lot of close games then and that helps me in the tough situations."
Briscoe was pounded on an attempted layup in the third quarter. Officials called an intentional foul, but Briscoe, who fell on his face, and never took the free throws.
He left the game, but returned after a short while.
Before the final surge, he sank a 3-point goal at the end of the third quarter after Botetourt (14-4, 3-4) had closed to three points.
"That's the type player he's been all year," said Lord Botetourt coach Don Meredith. "He's a team player who likes to run the offensive show. But when he has to score, he scores."
The Vikings pulled a surprise as they let forward Curtis Ballard, not Briscoe, their strongest defensive player, guard Lord Botetourt's Bobby Prince. For a half, it worked as Prince had only two shots.
Behind the defense, Northside scored the first six points and was never behind. The Vikings led by 13 early, but it was down to eight at halftime. Then Prince escaped for eight points in the third quarter, and the Cavaliers made a run.
The Cavaliers committed 30 turnovers as Prince was often caught in a trap. He still hit 15 points, making six of nine shots, and had a game-high four assists.
"It didn't matter who they had on me," said Prince. "In the third quarter, we started running our offense to the left because they were hedging to my right."
Botetourt checked Northside's John Baker, Timesland's second-leading scorer. The junior forward scored 18 points compared to 30 in the teams' first meeting.
LORD BOTETOURT (60)
Crawford 4 5-6 13, Layman 3 1-3 7, Cronise 3 0-0 6, Harris 2 2-2 6, Prince 6 2-2 15, Loyd 4 2-2 10, Bramblett 0 2-4 2, Dooley 0 1-2 1. Totals 22 15-21 60. NORTHSIDE (71)
Baker 8 0-1 18, Ballard 1 3-4 5, Bailey 1 0-0 2, Briscoe 7 6-6 21, Glass 2 4-9 8, Burke 5 2-3 12, Hill 2 1-2 5. Totals 26 16-25 71. Lord Botetourt 11151816-60 Northside 21131621-71 Three-point goals: Prince, Baker 2, Briscoe. Team fouls: Lord Botetourt 17, Northside 20. JV: 85-47, Northside.
by CNB