Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 10, 1991 TAG: 9103100271
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BASSETT LENGTH: Medium
Hodge, the 6-foot-8 junior who might be the Lancers' ticket to a state championship, carried his team to its best moment as Laurel Park whipped Northside 103-81.
Hodge scored 43 points, hauled down 24 rebounds, blocked five shots and had three assists to settle the issue between the No. 1-ranked Lancers (24-1) and second-ranked Northside (23-2).
"He's as good as they say he is. He's not overrated. He's a big-time player," said John Baker, who led Northside with 29 points. "Every time we made a run, he'd make a layup or get the ball to someone for basket."
Northside coach Billy Pope said, "That's what you classify as a truly awesome performance. Our guys worked as hard as they could, and I don't know what else they could have done."
The Vikings tried putting a man behind Hodge and one in front. It didn't work. Hodge made 16 of 25 shots from the field and 11 of 13 free throws.
"I felt terrible," Hodge said. "I have an ear infection and the flu. But I feel good because we've won the Region III championship."
He gave another reason for the performance. "My father [Melvin Hodge] is in the hospital and I wanted this for him, too," he said.
Hodge opened with 16 points in the first quarter, but his best quarter was the third with 16 points as teammates J.J. Morrison and Lemont Wells went to the bench with four personal fouls.
Despite that, the Vikings closed to 65-61 after three quarters. Back came Morrison and Wells to start the fourth. Northside kept it close for two minutes before the Lancers went on a 14-2 run that secured the victory. Hodge scored six of the points, had an assist and blocked a shot during the run.
There was support for Hodge, who opened things up for his teammates. All five Lancers starters scored in double figures, and Lloyd Hairston threw in three 3-point shots.
"Lloyd Hairston played super good for them. He made those 3-point baskets when we had to sag in on Hodge. He made us pay," Pope said.
Laurel Park will join Northside in the Group AA state tournament this week in Charlottesville, but coach Frank Scott isn't sure the Lancers can play any better. "These guys did a super job," he said.
The Lancers made 38 of 69 shots from the floor, missing only 10 shots in the second half. Behind Hodge, they outrebounded the Vikings 55-31 and did a job on Baker, who made only 11 of 29 shots after scoring 39 points in the semifinal victory over Nelson County.
"I thought I had [my touch] at the beginning. They started sticking me and some rolled off. Then I lost my legs," Baker said.
These teams scrimmaged during the preseason, and each went away with a lot of respect for the other.
"I told them, `We'll see you in the regional finals.' We'll go to the state together," Scott said of the preseason meeting. "We both felt we had the teams that could do it. It was one heck of a scrimmage, but we called it that way."
Now the Lancers have one more goal.
"Win the state," Scott said.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB