Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 26, 1992 TAG: 9202260162
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ALLEGHANY TURNS BACK WILLIAM BYRD
Michael Hunter's flash and Todd Wheatley's blue-collar relentlessness turned out to be a deadly combination for Alleghany on Tuesday night.The efforts helped lead Alleghany to a 53-49 victory over William Byrd in the first round of the Blue Ridge District basketball tournament at the Salem Civic Center.
Hunter scored 17 points, including a soaring dunk that seemed to ignite the Mountaineers offensively, and Wheatley added 13 points and 12 rebounds as he battled big and bulky Byrd to a standstill underneath.
Alleghany (11-10) moves into a semifinal game on Friday at 7 p.m. against Northside. William Byrd finished with a 10-11 record.
Hunter's slam came 1:10 before halftime, and that left the Mountaineers with a 22-16 lead. More importantly, it gave them some confidence for the second half.
"Even the Northside players were clapping at that dunk, and they hate me," Hunter said.
After leading 24-20 at halftime, Alleghany opened with a 10-4 flurry in the first three minutes of the third quarter. Hunter scored six of the points.
"Coach [Jimmy Smith] told us we had to play a whole lot harder in the second half than we had in the first, and that's what we did," Hunter said.
With that working margin, Alleghany held off Byrd. Several times the Terriers pulled to a field goal behind, but they never caught up.
Byrd had its problems scoring inside. David Robertson, who was ill this week and did not start because of a missed practice, finished with 12 points, eight under his average.
"We were trying to front him and make them throw the lob pass," Wheatley said. "They weren't hitting from the outside, so we just packed it in."
Byrd's Matt Reynolds had 10 of his team-high 16 points in the second half to keep Byrd in the game.
"We played hard in the third and fourth quarters, but we didn't play very well in the first half," Byrd coach Paul Barnard said. "I thought Reynolds had his best second half of the whole year."
It was important that Alleghany got the fast break going, Smith said.
"We got the ball up and down the floor, and that neutralizes their size inside," he said.
Neither team did a commendable job of free-throw shooting. Byrd was 8-for-14; Alleghany 6-for-14. \
see microfilm for box score