Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 6, 1992 TAG: 9203060232
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PH pinned Albemarle with a 97-61 loss in the Northwestern Region semifinals Thursday at Salem High to assure itself of not only a berth in the state tournament, but also a first-round game next weekend in the Roanoke area under this year's new format.
First, PH (23-1) will try to win its second straight regional crown Saturday when it travels to Fauquier County in a rematch of last year's Northwestern championship game.
Albemarle finished 13-11.
Although every PH player who dressed scored, it wasn't hard to pick an outstanding player. Timmy Basham, who turned it on during the tournaments last year, enjoyed one of the best games of his career. The 6-foot-6 junior scored 18 points, including three 3-point shots, led both teams with 14 rebounds and blocked five shots.
"I've had a bad cold, but I had to forget that and pick it up because I knew this game meant going to the state," said Basham, who got three of his blocked shots in the second quarter as PH took a 49-36 halftime lead.
"It was our goal to play hard and keep the tempo up. If we let down, we knew they'd get back in the game."
That didn't happen. PH gave up the first three points of the third quarter, then closed out the quarter with a 25-6 spurt.
"We obviously didn't want to run with them," Albemarle coach Glenn Maynard said. "But the further you fall behind, the only way to catch up is to put pressure on them and pick up the pace."
Actually, PH's pressure baffled Albemarle, forcing turnovers and trapping the team from Charlottesville into a running game. That suited PH point guard Troy Manns, who had eight assists, more than the six Albemarle had as a team. Manns has 198 this year, breaking the school record of 190 set by Percy Covington on the 1988 Group AAA championship team.
"He finds the open man. He's incredible in the open court," said Maynard of Manns.
Getting the assists record was no big deal, Manns said. "Assists come with winning. If everyone makes their layups, I figured I'd get it."
Manns and fellow guard Curtis Staples, who scored a game-high 22 points, joined big men Shannon Taylor and Basham in leading PH's press.
"Coach [Woody] Deans told us they were small [at guards]," Manns said. "We felt like we could press them in the backcourt with our big men. We worked on that all week."
Jonas Callis, PH's 6-foot-7 senior center, started slowly, but by the second half he had taken over the inside. Callis had 12 rebounds and scored 15 points, including his second 3-point shot of the year. Manns had 15 points and Taylor 12 to give PH five double-figure scorers.
PH connected on 37-of-75 shots and held a 60-39 rebounding advantage. The visitors never got in sync offensively and made only 22 of 74 shots.
"It was easier than I thought it would be," Deans said. "We just came out ready to play. I think these kids have desire and would like to think we can keep this up." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB