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

DATE: FRIDAY, February 28, 1992                   TAG: 9202280100
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B10   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: PHYLLIS A. FAIR SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BASSETT                                LENGTH: Medium

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LAUREL PARK KNOCKS OFF BASSETT

It was all about adapting.

Laurel Park played Bassett's style of basketball - slow and patient - and the Lancers beat the Bengals at it. Laurel Park defeated Bassett 73-55 in the semifinals of the Piedmont District boys' basketball tournament at Bassett High School on Thursday.

Bassett ends its season at 12-10.

The Lancers (21-2) advance to the final at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. They will play the winner of tonight's Martinsville-Magna Vista game.

Laurel Park, ranked No. 1 in the state in Group AA, will be trying for its second consecutive district title.

"They were very methodical," Laurel Park coach Frank Scott said. "They slowed the ball down. We like an up-tempo game. We were patient because we didn't want to commit a lot of fouls."

And the Lancers didn't. They had five fouls in the first half and 14 in the game. The Bengals committed only two fouls in the first half and had 13 in the game.

The Lancers led throughout; the closest Bassett got was 29-25 with 3:49 to go in the second quarter.

Laurel Park's biggest lead came with 26 seconds remaining in the game, when Odell Hodge scored his third consecutive layup to put the Lancers ahead 71-51.

Ronnie Jackson was hot from the perimeter for the Lancers in the first half. He scored 13 of his 19 points, including three 3-pointers, in the first half.

Jackson broke a 4-4 tie by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to put Laurel Park ahead 10-4.

Hodge, on his way toward breaking the state high school scoring record of 2,362 set by Steve Marsee of Pennington, had eight in the first half and 22 for the game. He needs 76 more points to break the record.

The Lancers shot 62 percent on 17-of-27 from the field in the first half. The Bengals shot 41 percent (10-for-24).

Dytanyon Norman and Art Wade led Bassett in scoring with 23 each. \

see microfilm for box score

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