Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 18, 1992 TAG: 9201180334
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN WEBSTER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
WILLIAM FLEMING GROUNDS EAGLES
William Fleming, using only six players, rode 30 points from Carlos Rhodes to squeak past Franklin County 78-75 Friday in a Roanoke Valley District boys' basketball game.David Williams added 19 points and Shannell Jackson chipped in 10 for William Fleming.
The Colonels went on a 12-0 run with just over five minutes left in the game as they took a 70-58 lead. Then they managed to stave off a late comeback by the Eagles, who suffered their 15th loss in their past 17 home games.
Rhodes, the RVD scoring leader with 21.5 average, tallied 20 points in the first half. Down the stretch, it was Williams and Jackson who deflated the Eagles.
Jackson triggered the winning spurt with a jump shot from the key and finished it off with an easy layup off a pass from freshman guard Derrick Hines. Williams muscled up three shots from the inside and Reggie Reynolds got the other two points.
Fleming (6-3 overall, 1-1 in the RVD) was up 72-60 with 1:43 left and appeared to be a sure winner. After a timeout, the Eagles stormed back.
Derek Bryant, who finished with 16 points, and Bryan Davis, who topped the Eagles with 20, sparked the rally by combining for 13 of the Eagles' final 15 points. Franklin County (2-9, 1-1), though, never had a chance to tie or take the lead.
"I had Bryan [Davis] out for much-needed rest," said Franklin County coach Calvin Preston. "When I put him back in with about two minutes left, I told him the game is still not over and if any of the kids out on the floor think it is, let me know."
Asked about Preston's instructions, Davis said, "No one wanted to quit. A couple of treys [three-point shots] got us back in it. We always seem to play better in the RVD games. I don't know why that is. Maybe the big crowds and all the noise has something to do with it."
Davis, who had blood trickling from his nose, said he made one big mistake during the game. "I ran into Timmy Witcher with about 10 seconds to go."
Fleming hit a torrid 31-of-49 shots including 10-of-12 in the third quarter. Franklin County was a respectable 25-of-55 after a cold first quarter.
Fleming coach Burrall Paye, who had only one senior (Williams) on the floor, said he is somewhat surprised how the Colonels' season has progressed.
"I have been real pleased with the way the team has been playing," he said. "Prior to the season, I didn't think we would have won this many games. However, the way the kids have been playing, we could easily be 9-1 right now.
"It does make my knees buckle to see freshmen and sophomores handling the ball."
Reminded that Rhodes did most of the scoring from the perimeter in the first half, while Williams took over the inside of the second half, Paye was asked if there were any changes made in the offense during halftime.
"Not really," he replied, "although they [Franklin County] did go to a box-and-one to keep Carlos from getting the ball. So we went to something else."
That something else was Williams.
"We only went to the box-and-one for about 30 seconds near the end of the first quarter," said Preston. "I just think they stopped going to Rhodes. I do think we probably should have gone to a triangle-and-two on Reynolds and Williams. They are the ones who hurt us down the stretch." \
see microfilm for box score