by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB
Roanoke Times Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: SATURDAY, February 22, 1992 TAG: 9202220294 SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
BALANCED BLACKSBURG CLINCHES
As more grieving basketball teams are discovering to their dismay, Blacksburg High School isn't just Jon Maher and Darren Morton.Banking on a strategy of loading up defensively on those two Friday night, Carroll County got badly singed. The Indians kept up the pressure with other attackers and prevailed 73-51 to clinch their second-straight undefeated New River District regular season.
The heroes for Blacksburg this time included Kevin Schug with 13 points, senior Chris Smith with 10, and Paul Kohler and Matt Smith, who combined for 16.
"We had certain people that we had to concentrate on - Morton and Maher - and we tried to slough off the others and get some help," Carroll County coach Pat Sharp said. "However, we did not execute defensively as well as we should have."
As a result, the Cavaliers (13-8 overall, 3-3 in the district) were stifled. That was as true as much on offense as defense. The Indians held Carroll County to 18 field goals, only eight of those coming in the first half.
It wasn't as though the Cavs totally shut down Maher and Morton, either. Maher scored 15 points and hauled in six rebounds despite sitting out part of the fourth quarter with foul trouble. Morton, the point guard, scored 11, including a couple of 3-pointers, and unfailingly found the open man.
Morton left the game late after being poked in an eye. Despite excessive tearing, he said, the eye would be all right.
Blacksburg (15-5, 6-0) was trying to get up off the deck after a lackluster 84-78 loss at Tazewell on Wednesday.
"We told them up there that the season wasn't over and that they had to get ready to play basketball again," Blacksburg coach Bob Trear said. "We couldn't let that one slide. You have to play with some emotion and heart."
That the Indians had Friday.
"We just had to turn around and start fresh," Chris Smith said. "We had to put that one behind us."
Smith had perhaps his best game in the second half of the season. He added six rebounds and some stout post defense along with Schug, Maher and Kohler.
Kohler, one of seven Blacksburg seniors playing their last home regular season game, chipped in five rebounds and nine points and one of the most memorable sequences of the night.
Twice he blocked shots by Kris Richardson, one of three Cavaliers with 12 points, the second time grabbing the rebound to start a fast break. Kohler then finished it by sinking a jumper from the wing.
"I haven't scored like that for a while," said Kohler, whose season high was 17 points in a loss at Northside. "But I was getting open on the wing and the guys were getting me the ball. When I had the shot, I took it."
Blacksburg opens the district tournament Wednesday against last-seeded Radford, which lost 58-38 to Christiansburg on Friday. The Blue Demons and Cavaliers play in the nightcap.
"We were real disappointed with the loss tonight," Sharp said. "But I think we're going to be all right." \
see microfilm for box score