Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 9, 1991 TAG: 9103090211
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RAY COX / SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: EMORY LENGTH: Medium
The two teams from that district left little doubt where the basketball strength of this part of the Group A world is located. Both representatives had convincing victories Friday night to move into tonight's championship.
George Wythe whipped Covington 66-40 and Lebanon pulled away from tiring Bland 81-70 in the nightcap at Emory & Henry College.
Both teams, recent exiles from Group AA, qualify for the state high school tournament next week. First, they will meet for the fourth time this season tonight at 7 p.m. The regional crown will be at stake. Lebanon has won two of the three meetings, including the championship game of the league tournament last week.
George Wythe welcomed itself to the Group A fraternity after an extended stay in Group AA by claiming a trip to the state tournament next week at the University of Virginia.
They could have started making their travel plans at halftime. After comparing missed shots and turnovers for much of the first quarter, the Maroons (20-5) roared off and left Covington panting in their wake.
The big guys - Allen Green and J.R. Gilman - combined for 14 George Wythe points and a 23-6 run that for all practical purposes settled the outcome.
"We were missing a few foul shots and a few easy ones, and after we started hitting them, that settled our nerves," said George Wythe's Geoff Goff, who scored 13 points. "We also started to play better defense."
The defense and an overwhelming advantage on the rebounding - 22-12 in the first half - were the key components of a most effective Maroons transition game.
"It seems like every game, we have that one good quarter," George Wythe coach Al Copenhaver said. "Essentially, it's our defense that makes us go. We play a little defense and get some rebounds, and we'll do all right."
The Cougars (16-7) have not been a reliable offensive team, and this was one occasion in which they really struggled.
With their best player, Adaryl Twitty, laboring fruitlessly - a 19-point-per-game scorer, he had four points before fouling out - the Cougars were 23 percent (6-for-23) in first-half field-goal accuracy.
"We shot very poorly and part of that was a lack of execution on our part and the other was their good defense," Covington coach Brad Morton said. "When a good team like that gets that kind of lead on you, you're lucky if you can come back. But I'm proud that our guys kept fighting."
George Wythe ultimately went up by 29 points in the fourth quarter.
Green, the Hogoheegee District player of the year, had 12 points, Chris Waddell had 11 and Chris Smith added 10.
Tony Jeter pumped in 10 points and was Covington's only double-figure scorer.
Possibly more than anything else, Lebanon's victory could be attributed to stamina. While the Pioneers were playing with poise down the stretch, Bland was making foolish turnovers, taking ill-advised shots and in general was not nearly as sharp as it had been earlier in what had been a tightly contested game.
"They got a little tired, no doubt about that," Rockets coach Rich Hankins said.
Experience certainly wasn't a factor. Bland, which has eight seniors on its nine-man roster, was the regional runner-up a year ago.
Bland (18-4) took a 60-55 lead on a William Tickle baseline jumper with 5:33 left, but it was mostly Lebanon the rest of the way. The Pioneers outscored Bland 26-10 in the last 5:17.
Lebanon made 13 of 16 free throws in the final minutes and 21 of 26 in the game.
"That's really outstanding," Hankins said.
Jeff Campbell led Lebanon with 25 points, but Tony Jackson was tough in the clutch with two three-point plays and eight points in the final 2:35.
"Tony lacked a little motivation in the first half, but he got a little upset late in the game and he came on," Lebanon coach Rick Thompson said. "Sometimes that's what you've got to do with him is whomp him upside the head a little."
Bland sank seven 3-pointers, five of those coming from David King, who had 21 points. Patrick Smith added 23 and Travis Munsey 13.
Still, it was plain the Pioneers were more chipper when it counted.
"We feel like we have the kind of athletes who are conditioned to the point that it gets late in the game and they can still go hard," Thompson said.
by CNB