Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 15, 1992 TAG: 9201150236
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
LORD BOTETOURT ROLLS
Artistic merit and suspense were lacking, but to Lord Botetourt, its 81-55 non-district skewering of Christiansburg in boys' basketball on Tuesday held great beauty."Everybody played well," point guard Bobby Prince said. "We needed to have a good game - I needed to have a good game. We've lost three in a row. Our morale was low.
"We needed this."
Little good it did Christiansburg (4-7), which was tuning up for its New River District opener with Carroll County on Friday night. Its starting five was sitting on the bench for most of the fourth quarter.
"They weren't playing well," Blue Demons coach Gerald Thompson said. "So why play 'em?"
Why, indeed.
Reserves Tony Bishop, Charles Hardy, David Barnes, Donnie Surratt and Robby Gillenwater were hustling but did not make much of a dent in the Cavaliers' lead. Lord Botetourt (5-5) led by 27 points and never fewer than 20 during the second half.
"I'm real pleased the way we had a real fine ball game tonight," Cavaliers coach Don Meredith said. "We had a little team meeting yesterday and tried to attack some little problems before they got to be big problems. Every team has its ups and downs."
Tuesday, the Cavs mostly had ups, except in the first quarter, when Christiansburg still was within striking distance.
"We started out like we always do: poor," Prince said.
The Cavs got over quickly whatever it was that ailed them. Thirteen of fourteen players scored, led by Prince, who had all four of his 3-pointers and 16 of his 21 points in the first half.
"It's been awhile since I made any from out there," he said. "Making the first one helped."
Craig Layman shredded Christiansburg's interior defense for 20; nobody else had more than six points.
Part of the Demons' problem was they were without starter Chris Ruble, an inside bruiser disabled by mononucleosis.
"This time of year, somebody being sick shouldn't matter, but with [the rest of the players], it bothers them," Thompson said. "I don't know why, it just does. We couldn't adjust." see microfilm for box score