MOUNTAIN EMPIRE DISTRICT'S RESULTS ARE STILL UP IN THE AIR

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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 25, 1992                   TAG: 9202250116
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-6   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE DISTRICT'S RESULTS ARE STILL UP IN THE AIR
After nearly three months and 90 regular-season district games at 10 different gyms, very little has been determined in the Mountain Empire District.
No problem. That's what tournaments are for, and the Mountain Empire's showdown begins tonight at Christiansburg High School.
As the postseason looms, the seeds and pairings are about the only matters settled.
The district's coaches agree that like the regular season championship chase, the tournament is wide open.
"It's been crazy, as usual," said Grayson County coach Rick Cormany, whose team was knocked from a first-place tie with Floyd to second seed in a 74-70 loss Friday night to Fort Chiswell.
"It was a wild finish. And now there are four or five teams - maybe more - that can win the tournament."
Floyd, with its 16-2 district record and its outstanding backcourt of Travis Crawford and Fred Via, is the tournament's top seed.
"Winning the regular season really helps to take the edge off," said second-year Floyd coach Alan Cantrell, whose team will be making its second straight Region C tournament appearance.
"We know we're going to the region and we can relax more than we have in the past few games.
"There will be some great games in the tournament, even in the first round. There are such good rivalries and coaches in this district, and all it comes down to is one team getting hot for two or three games.
"One bad night and bam - you're out."
In preliminary round action on Saturday night, the district's bottom four teams scrambled for the tournament's final two seeds.
Toby Dotson scored 33 points to lead Bland past Shawsville 65-49, and Rocky Gap rallied late to eliminate Giles 49-47.
Bland enters as the eighth seed, and will face the Buffaloes tonight at 6:30. Afterward, at about 8:15, seventh-seeded Rocky Gap must find a way to slow down Grayson County's guard tandem of Wilbert Campbell and Devin Floyd.
Wednesday night, third-seeded Fort Chiswell will take on Narrows, the sixth seed, at 6:30. Fort Chiswell, powered by Brian Lampkins, has just four district losses, and the Pioneers toppled Floyd and Grayson County this year.
Galax and Auburn will follow at 8:15 in a meeting of the fourth- and fifth-place teams.
The Maroon Tide has a pair of dangerous offensive weapons in Jeff Spells and Jason Ross, but don't count Brian Sale and the Eagles out just yet.
The Floyd vs. Bland winner will meet the Galax vs. Auburn winner, and the Grayson County vs. Rocky Gap winner will take on the Fort Chiswell vs. Auburn survivor in the semifinals.
Semifinal games will be at 6:30 and 8:15 Friday night, and the title game will be Saturday following the J.V. championship, which starts at 6:30.
All games are at Christiansburg High School.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB