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

DATE: FRIDAY, March 15, 1991                   TAG: 9103150240
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium

WAYNESBORO STOPS MARION

Before this season, Waynesboro had won its most recent state playoff basketball game. But that was 31 seasons ago.

The Little Giants - with no returning starters from that 1960 Group AA championship team - made a triumphant return to the state tournament Thursday with a 63-50 quarterfinal victory over Marion at University Hall.

With the victory, Region II runner-up Waynesboro completed its region's sweep over Region IV in Thursday's action. R.E. Lee stopped Carroll County 75-60 in the other quarterfinal game involving those two regions.

Waynesboro will face Matoaca in the semifinals tonight at 8:45.

The Scarlet Hurricane, returning to the playoffs as Region IV champion for the second straight year, fell behind early Thursday.

Marion failed to score on its first nine possessions, turning the ball over six times and trailing 8-0.

Coach K.W. Lawson's team did not score for more than four minutes to start the game, then produced just two points in the first six minutes of the second period.

Another Waynesboro 8-0 run in the second quarter put the Little Giants up 28-14, prompting Lawson to call a timeout with 2:23 left in the half.

The Scarlet Hurricane mustered just six points in the second quarter, and went into halftime down 30-18.

"We've said all along, we've got to take care of business from the minute we hit the floor," Lawson said.

"We didn't do it tonight. The team defense wasn't there early, and we weren't hitting our shots. I'm sure pregame jitters might have something to do with it, but we just got out of the gates slow."

Marion cut the lead to four near the end of the third quarter, but the Giants scored five points in 15 seconds to lead 43-34 with a quarter left.

Shannon Archer scored seven straight points for Marion to start the fourth, but his team never got closer than six, 47-41.

Waynesboro's Robbie Howard and Shannon Bearfield combined for 34 points and 17 rebounds. Howard had 10 in the first quarter.

Archer led Marion with 15 points, and David Keith had 11, but the Scarlet Hurricane shot 35 percent from the floor and committed 20 turnovers, 15 in the first half.

see microfilm for box score

by CNB