Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 6, 1992 TAG: 9203060225
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: DANVILLE LENGTH: Medium
However, Cave Spring High School girls' basketball coach Dave Layman may be excused. He has Kim Stewart and Aimee Beightol.
Cave Spring's two tiny guards yo-yoed their dribbles through George Washington-Danville's full-court press on Thursday, creating countless fast breaks and easy shots as the Knights won 55-41 in a Northwestern Region semifinal game and earned a spot in the Group AAA tournament.
The Knights (23-2) also avenged their first loss of the season.
"Paybacks are nice," Layman said. "It's not so much revenge, but we were very intense."
And, apparently, better equipped to handle GW's press, which had flustered Cave Spring in that loss.
"This game, people were cutting to the open spaces," Stewart said. "Last time, people were all cluttered. I'm pretty confident bringing it up one-on-one."
To say the least. Cave Spring turned the Eagles' press into a liability at times by sliding through it and creating 2-on-1 or 3-on-2 breaks.
"They took the chance; they were going to press the issue," Layman said of the Eagles (16-7). "I told [our players], `Once you beat that first wave, you've got some opportunities.' "
The Knights play Pulaski County for the region championship Saturday at 7 p.m. at Cave Spring. It will be the teams' fifth meeting this year; Cave Spring has won three times. It also is a rematch of last year's region title game, won by Pulaski 41-39 in overtime.
The Knights were in trouble only once on Thursday. GW cut a 29-22 deficit to 29-28 with 2:08 left in the third quarter. But center Lisa Hodges, who had 13 points in the second half, converted a three-point play off an offensive rebound to give Cave Spring a 32-28 lead.
The Eagles were doomed, in part because forward Dionne Smith, averaging more than 20 points, scored two.
"For them to shut her down . . . We thought if she could score and we could hold Hodges to 10, we felt like we had a chance," Eagles coach Chris Carter said. "[Hodges] upped her game."
The Knights played some junk defenses, focusing on Smith and Katrina King.
"We didn't want those two kids [King and Smith] to beat us," Layman said. "I thought we did a good job hanging around them."
GW cut a 10-point deficit to 42-35 with 4:40 left. Then an inside move by Kelly Dierker, a Dierker free throw and a behind-the-defense layup by Nikki Clowers made it 47-36, Cave Spring. Quick-shooting GW missed. Stewart dribbled downcourt and scooped a pass to Hodges for a layup and a 49-36 Cave Spring lead with 3:21 left.
The Knights coasted from there.
"It makes me proud for our players," Layman said of the Knights' fifth straight trip to the state tournament. "Consistency - that's not easy." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB