
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 1, 1991                   TAG: 9103010307
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BOTETOURT FALLS IN OVERTIME

First the game belonged to Lord Botetourt, and then it didn't.

Alleghany's Darren Wheatley was at the right spot to get a layup with 18 seconds left in overtime as the Mountaineers beat the Cavaliers 69-68 Thursday in the Blue Ridge District boys' basketball semifinals.

It was an errant pass that Wheatley snared to put in the basket. The Cavaliers had one last chance, but Craig Layman's shot from the side was off, giving the Mountaineers (14-7) a spot in the Region III tournament next week and in the Blue Ridge District championship game Saturday night.

It appeared the Cavaliers (15-5) were beaten in regulation when Alleghany's John Stone hit two free throws with 21 seconds left to push the Mountaineers ahead 64-63.

The Cavaliers turned over the ball with seven seconds left, and Stone was fouled again with six seconds left. He made the first free throw, but missed the second. Botetourt's Craig Layman rebounded and two passes later, Bobby Prince scored a layup at the buzzer to put the game in overtime.

"We had it set up for Bobby to take a 3-point attempt," Botetourt coach Don Meredith said of his junior guard, who fired in a game-high 27 points, including 13 of the Cavaliers' first 17 points. "We told him [to] go for the hole if they missed a free throw, and he did."

Prince fouled out after his layup pulled Botetourt to 67-66 after Alleghany opened overtime with three points. Layman put the Cavaliers ahead 68-67 on a jumper with 35 seconds left after a Mountaineers turnover.

After Wheatley's winner, Derek Loyd had an open shot, but passed to Layman, who missed. Loyd had hit a desperation 3-point goal at the end of the third quarter to bring Botetourt within 51-48, then he rattled off seven points early in the last quarter to shove the Cavaliers into the lead.

Alleghany got 14 points from John Stone and Todd Wheatley, Darren's 6-foot-6 freshman brother. Jason Buzzard, the Mountaineers' 6-7 center added 13 points and blocked eight shots.

see microfilm for box score

by CNB