Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 1, 1992 TAG: 9202010315
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: COVINGTON LENGTH: Medium
SECOND-HALF EFFORT RALLIES VIKINGS PAST ALLEGHANY 66-65
Northside achieved all three of its second-half objectives Friday against Alleghany.It executed its offense with precision and excised Mountaineers offensive aces Michael Hunter and Todd Wheatley from the attack.
That done, the Vikings gained their third objective: They won the basketball game.
Northside shot 70 percent from the floor while holding Hunter and Wheatley to half their production in the first two quarters in a 66-65 Blue Ridge District victory in the Mountaineers' gym.
"We shot better because we executed better," Northside coach Billy Pope said. "We made a couple of extra passes and that gave us better shots. I don't think we executed better in a given half all year."
Northside (12-3 overall, 3-0 Blue Ridge) was 11-of-27 from the floor while committing 16 turnovers, 10 in the first quarter, on the way to falling behind 37-29 at the break. The Mounties (8-6, 1-3) went up by 11 points as Hunter was lighting up the Vikings for 18 points.
It was a different story after the break, though.
"I started getting out on [Hunter] - total denial - so that he wasn't even touching the ball," Northside defender Matt Hill said.
The result: Hunter scored six more points in the last 16 minutes. Wheatley, who had had eight by the break, was limited to seven in the second half by Northside big man Walt Derey.
"They took Hunter and Wheatley out of the game in the second half and we didn't have anybody step up and take over for them," Alleghany coach Jimmy Smith said. "What it boiled down to was, we could not get much out of our offense in the second half and they could."
Northside was running a basket attacking clinic, pounding the ball into Derey and later, forward Jim Porter.
Porter finished with 14 points and six rebounds and Derey had 18 points and nine rebounds. Derey scored the first six points of the second half and eight of the Vikings' first 12 as they were coming from behind. He blocked four shots.
"We were playing as a team offensively and cutting down on turnovers," Porter said. "Derey had a real good game, too. He was diving for loose balls, getting rebounds. He dominated inside."
From the outside, Northside was getting all it needed in the way of leadership and long-range bombing from point guard Aaron Burford, who drilled two 3-pointers while scoring 14 points. \
see microfilm for box score
Memo: longer version ran in the State edition.