Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 2, 1991 TAG: 9103020260
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Trailing by eight points and facing elimination, the Cavaliers opened the period with 11 straight points. Then they slowly pulled away from Christiansburg 60-54 in the semifinals of the New River District boys' basketball tournament at Radford University's Dedmon Center.
Carroll County (16-6) will meet regular-season champion Blacksburg, which defeated Radford 68-60, tonight in the final. The Cavaliers will be looking for their first tournament title since 1979. They also earned a berth in next week's Region IV tournament with the win.
Christiansburg (11-10) saw its season end with another close defeat. The Blue Demons were 2-9 in games decided by seven points or less.
Ben Summer and Matt Montgomery combined to lead the Cavaliers. Summer scored four straight points during the run, including the basket that tied the score at 41.
"That's all we could do. It seems like we come out and can't get it going in the first half," said Summer, who scored six of his eight points in the final quarter. "It took a lot of heart. I know that sounds corny. But when you're down by 12 and 14 points, you don't have much choice."
Montgomery finished the run with a 3-pointer from the right wing. It put Carroll County in the lead 44-41 and the Cavaliers never trailed again.
"I just wanted to give us the lead," said Montgomery, who led Carroll County with 19 points, 13 in the fourth quarter. "We hadn't been in front for such a long time."
Christiansburg got to 55-53 on a pair of free throws by Mike Smith with 57 seconds to go, but Montgomery answered with two free throws for Carroll County 10 seconds later, effectively dooming the Blue Demons.
"We didn't have any offense in the second half," said Christiansburg coach Gerald Thompson, whose team managed just seven field goals in the second half. "Their defense shut down our offense. Then Matt Montgomery got hot."
Ironically, late in the first half, it appeared Christiansburg had taken charge as it surged to a 10-point halftime lead. The Demons' rally got off to an inauspicious start as John Porter hit one of two free throws to tie the score at 18.
But then Smith followed with an inside basket to put the Blue Demons in front.
That started the avalanche. Porter - who scored a game-high 23 points - added two baskets and a pair of free throws, Smith made two free throws and Jo Jo Gillenwater sank a 3-pointer.
Meanwhile, Carroll County managed only three points over the five-minute span.
The result was a 31-21 Christiansburg lead at halftime.
The Blue Demons maintained a seven-to-12 point advantage throughout the third quarter, and led 41-33 after three periods. Then Carroll County took over. see microfilm for box score
by CNB