Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 15, 1992 TAG: 9203150177
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: EMORY LENGTH: Medium
After 16 minutes Saturday night, however, things weren't quite going his way.
Unfortunately for Virginia High, Hodge had another 16 minutes to play.
Hodge scored 18 of his 24 points after halftime, and Laurel Park pulled away for a 70-56 victory in the Group AA boys' state basketball tournament before a crowd of more than 2,500 at Emory & Henry College.
Trailing 25-21 at halftime, the Lancers put in 45 second-half points to put away the Region IV champion Bearcats (21-5) and advance to the state semifinals.
On Friday, Laurel Park (23-4) will play Nansemond River (25-1), a 62-56 winner over Robert E. Lee-Staunton, at 1 p.m. at University Hall on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
"It was a tough game, but that's what it's supposed to be at this level," said Laurel Park coach Frank Scott. "I don't want to say exactly, but we made some adjustments in the second half."
A big adjustment was getting the ball to Hodge. After getting eight shots and six points in the first half, the 6-foot-9 Old Dominion University signee made eight of 14 shots in the second.
Becoming more active to create space for himself, Hodge scored 10 points in the third quarter when Laurel Park outscored Virginia 20-13 to take a 41-38 lead that it never relinquished.
"This was the tallest team I've played against this year," said Hodge, who increased his Virginia public schools career scoring record to 2,492 points.
"I knew it was going to be physical," Hodge said, "and they did a good job in the first half. But I had to hold my own and show them I'm the big man in the state."
Rotating big men Brian Banfield (6-7 and 220 pounds), Chris Matthews (6-4, 230) and Mike Danser (6-4, 180) to guard Hodge, Virginia High coach Mike Cartolaro tried to wear down and contain him.
The strategy worked until Hodge started moving and the Lancers, who committed 12 turnovers in the first half, made the decision to go to him.
Danser fouled out, and Banfield and Matthews finished with four fouls each.
"The first half we did a good job," said Cartolaro. "But Odell got really active, and we got into foul trouble. He's a tremendous player."
Hodge wasn't the Bearcats' only headache in the second half.
Laurel Park junior guard Ronnie Jackson put in 17 of his 21 points, including three 3-point field goals, in the second half.
Virginia High's problem was shooting, rather a lack of it.
The Bearcats shot 25.6 percent (19-for-74) from the floor and was 9-for-41 on 3-point attempts.
"The 3-pointer is a good shot for us," said Cartolaro. "We shot 40 percent on threes. But they just weren't going in. Even in the first half when we had a lead, we weren't shooting well."
Senior guard Robbie Howard, the Highlands District and Region IV player of the year, scored 10 points on 2-for-19 shooting.
Virginia's only consistent scorer was junior Adrian Sensabaugh, who scored 22 points and made six 3-pointers.
"You just can't go against a team like Laurel Park and shoot 25 percent," said Cartolaro. "That's not going to get it done."
Behind Hodge, Laurel Park outscored Virginia 18-2 to start the third quarter and take a 39-29 lead with 2:55 remaining in the quarter.
But Sensabaugh made two 3-pointers and Howard added another as the Bearcats pulled to three points down going into the fourth quarter.
The Lancers used a 16-3 run to lead 63-48 with 2:04 left, and despite missing six of 13 free throws down the stretch, they were never seriously threatened. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB