Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 10, 1992 TAG: 9201100168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CAVE SPRING GIRLS WORK OVERTIME
The question of which girls' basketball team is better, Pulaski County's or Cave Spring's, still is open to debate.For the moment, Cave Spring gets the nod after outlasting the Cougars 65-59 in four overtimes for a Roanoke Valley District win of attrition.
After Kelly Dierker scored a pair of baskets in the fourth overtime to snap a 59-59 tie and provide the Knights with some breathing room, Cave Spring (10-0 overall, 4-0 in the RVD) was assured of keeping its unbeaten record.
Last year, these two clubs played five times with the Cougars (8-2, 3-1) winning the regular season title and the Knights collecting the district tournament. In the final meeting, Pulaski County won the Group AAA Northwestern Region crown in overtime on Cave Spring's floor for a 3-2 edge and both teams advanced to the Group AAA semifinals.
When Thursday's game ended, the Roanoke Valley District's two best players were long gone. Cave Spring's Lisa Hodges, who has been ill the past week, fouled out with 36 seconds left in the first overtime when she fouled Pulaski County's Lena Jones on a follow-up bucket. Jones then hit the free throw to forge a tie and Hodges left with only eight points, although she had 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Teri Garland, the architect of the Cougars' second-place finish in the Group AAA ranks a year ago, had 21 points before fouling out with one second left in the second overtime after going scoreless from the field in the second half.
Garland's fifth foul came on a big play. She had just stolen the ball after hitting a free throw to put the Cougars ahead 53-52 with seven seconds left. But Cave Spring's Kim Stewart stole the ball right back.
Stewart went to the line with a second left and hit the first free throw for a tie. The second one wasn't close, setting up a third extra period.
Stewart's missed free throw was one example of why Cave Spring was forced into repeated extra periods. The Knights made only 12-of-30 from the line.
Cave Spring built a 40-27 lead after three quarters thanks to Amy Athey's outside shooting.
Then Pulaski County's press whipped Cave Spring as the Cougars outscored the jittery Knights 18-5 in the fourth quarter to force the extra sessions.
"That fourth quarter, we might have put too much pressure on Kim," said Cave Spring coach Dave Layman of his point guard. "That took away from her scoring, but she's our best ball handler."
Cave Spring made nine turnovers in the final eight minutes.
"We like our pressure defense," Pulaski County coach Rod Reedy said. "We saw the game was on the line [in the last quarter], so we let it go. We used a couple of different defenses, but it was nothing they didn't see in the first three quarters."
The Cougars had the last shot in regulation and the first overtime. Both times freshman Carrie McConnell missed a jumper. Stewart's free throw ended the second extra session while Dierker missed a layup at the end of the third overtime and then Pulaski County turned the ball over without getting a shot.
In the final overtime, Nikki Clowers hit a layup with 2:35 left, but Cindy Martin, who had a game-high 22 points for the Cougars, tied it for the 10th and final time.
Without Garland, Pulaski County was missing its rudder. The Cougars' offense foundered and Dierker took advantage for a layup and then a follow shot off missed shots by Stewart and Stacy Standifer.
That made it 63-59 and the Cougars didn't have enough offense to overcome that.
"I don't think I want to look at the tape of the overtimes," said Layman. "But I'd like to look at the fourth quarter. We need to work on that."
The Knights managed to hit a respectable 26-of-57 from the field, but lost the battle of the boards 54-49 as Martin hauled in 22 rebounds. However, the Cougars were only 20-of-69 from the field.
"Cave Spring deserved to win the game," said Reedy. "They outplayed us through more of the regulation game." \
see microfilm for box score