Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 29, 1992 TAG: 9202290258
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: NATURAL BRIDGE LENGTH: Medium
KNIGHTS DRILL BLUES
A pair of zone busters extended the career of James River basketball coach John Shotwell on Friday night."I'm real happy about that," Shotwell said.
Troy Thompson scored 26 points, all but eight on 3-pointers, and Ryan Shotwell added 14, mostly from the outside, as the Knights beat Parry McCluer 61-48 in the semifinals of the Pioneer District boys' tournament at Natural Bridge High School.
James River (16-6) earned a spot in the Region C tournament next week at Lord Botetourt High School.
The Knights play Covington in the district title game tonight. Covington, the regular-season champion, had earned an automatic bid to the regional title.
"We've won the tournament three years in a row here," the coach said. "It was one of the things we were really striving for, to win four times in a row.
"It should be a fun game - no pressure."
Shotwell, who is retiring when James River's season ends, saw his team move ahead for good after breaking a 9-9 tie in the first quarter.
Most of the damage was done from outside against Parry McCluer's 2-3 zone. James River kept finding the gaps and getting the ball to Thompson and Ryan Shotwell.
That covered for Parry McCluer's grip on Knights star Solan Wooden, held to five points.
"They have the green light to shoot threes, provided we don't have something inside," the coach said. "They were clogging Solan inside."
Shotwell said he told his team that if they let Parry McCluer (11-11) stay close, it would be tough at the end. Thompson took care of that in the third quarter with three 3-pointers that helped give James River a 43-34 lead with 3:05 left.
Parry McCluer got no closer than seven the rest of the way. \
see microfilm for box score
Memo: longer version ran in the State edition.