WIN HELPS PULASKI CLOSE IN ON 2ND PLACE IN DISTRICT

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 19, 1992                   TAG: 9202190249
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: From staff reports
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
WIN HELPS PULASKI CLOSE IN ON 2ND PLACE IN DISTRICT
Pulaski County took a big step toward finishing second in the Roanoke Valley District boys' basketball race by squeezing past William Fleming 56-54 Tuesday at the Colonels' gym.
The Cougars (12-8 overall, 4-3 RVD) got the win as Kevin Alexander made two free throws with three seconds remaining to snap a 54-54 tie. Fleming's Reggie Reynolds' 10-foot jump shot 10 seconds before had tied the score for the first time in the second half.
Fleming (11-8, 3-4), playing without Carlos Rhodes, the RVD scoring leader who was suspended for Tuesday's game after missing practice, got a chance to win when freshman point guard Derrick Hines missed a 22-foot 3-pointer.
Pulaski County was led by senior forward John Akers, who had a game-high 17 points. Chris Foster added 14 and Alexander chipped in with 13, but Fleming held Pulaski's Chris Burns, the third-leading scorer in the district, to four.
The Colonels, who rallied from a 34-17 halftime deficit, were led by David Williams with 16, Reynolds with 13 and Hines with 12. Both teams have one district game left. \
Altavista 75
Jefferson Forest 71
FOREST - Troy Hood scored 21 points and Sherman Pawnell added 20 to lead the unbeaten Colonels past the Cavaliers in a Seminole District encounter.
Altavista, 19-0 and ranked No. 3 in The Associated Press' Group AA poll, also got 18 points from Mark Johnson.
Keith Enslow and Bryan Jennings had 18 each for Jefferson Forest (11-8, 11-8). \
Grayson County 68
Narrows 47
NARROWS - The Blue Devils buried Narrows early and kept pace with Floyd atop the Mountain Empire District.
Grayson County (16-4, 15-2) used a 22-9 second-quarter outburst to take a commanding 34-16 halftime lead.
Wilbert Campbell scored 20 points, Mitch Hawks 15 and Devin Floyd 14 for the Blue Devils, who remain tied for first place in the district with the Buffaloes.
Chad Fleeman finished with 14 and Tinker Wills 10 for the Green Wave (8-9, 8-9). \
Christiansburg 57
Graham 39
CHRISTIANSBURG - Mike Smith scored 16 points to lead Christiansburg to a non-district win over the G-Men (4-13).
Mark Haden added 13 and Eddie Bentley 10 for the Demons (6-13), who took the lead for good with a 16-8 run in the second quarter. \
Bland 68
Giles 64
BLAND - Toby Dotson scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including two free throws with six seconds left, to power the Rockets to the Mountain Empire District victory over the Spartans.
Kevin King added 16 points for Bland (3-16, 3-14). Rusty Stafford scored 25 for Giles (1-16, 1-16). \
Amherst County 62
Liberty 52
AMHERST - Larry Massie made two straight steals and converted them into layups midway through the fourth quarter to break a 46-46 tie and lift the Lancers past the Minutemen in a Seminole District game.
Amherst County (14-6, 14-6) made six of eight from the free-throw line in the closing minutes to clinch it.
Liberty (7-11, 7-11) got 24 points from Scott Martin. \
Parry McCluer 68
Craig County 48
NEW CASTLE - Parry McCluer recovered from a 12-point first-quarter deficit and rolled to the Pioneer District win over the Rockets.
The Fighting Blues (10-10, 9-9) were hampered by turnovers and cold shooting in falling behind 17-5 in the first quarter. David McPherson had four steals for Craig.
Parry McCluer turned the tables on the Rockets (2-17, 2-15) in the second quarter, outscoring them 18-3 for a 23-20 halftime lead. The Fighting Blues outscored Craig 45-27 in the second half.
Jason Baker led Parry McCluer with 19 points and Leslie Gray added 18. McPherson scored 18 to lead Craig County. \
Galax 55
Shawsville 42
SHAWSVILLE - The Maroon Tide scored 10 straight points in a two-minute span in the third quarter to put away the Shawnees in a Mountain Empire District tussle.
Shawsville dropped to 3-16, 1-16 in the district, despite a 29-point, 17-rebound effort by 6-foot-2 center Kenny Dow.
The Maroon Tide (12-7, 12-5) got 18 points from Jeff Spells. \
see microfilm for box score

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB