Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 20, 1992 TAG: 9203200111
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The Cougars wonder no more. They left no doubt that they belong Thursday by ripping Petersburg 63-43.
After sputtering through a difficult first quarter, Pulaski County bounced back to blister the Crimson Wave in every phase of the game.
The Cougars led by 27 points before coach Rod Reedy dispatched the reserves.
"I feel humbled and embarrassed," Petersburg coach Ben Dyer said.
Petersburg, in the state tournament for the third-consecutive year and beaten by Pulaski County for the second straight time, finished 25-3.
Pulaski County (23-5) will be in the state championship game for the second straight year. The Cougars will play Phoebus at 7 p.m. Saturday at University Hall. Phoebus, which whipped Cave Spring 55-47 in the first game Friday, lost 44-42 to the Cougars in the state semifinals a year ago.
In last year's state championship game, Pulaski County lost to James Madison 65-47.
"There's a whole different mission this year," Cougars coach Rod Reedy said.
Pulaski County throttled the Wave in the first half, holding it to 8.7 percent shooting (2-for-23) and 10 points. After that, the Cougars singed Petersburg when it resorted to full-court defensive tactics in an effort to rally.
"We just love it when people try to press us," Reedy said.
No wonder. When the Cougars get into a full-court game, that's when point guard Terri Garland is at her best.
Garland scored 10 of her 17 points in the second half and added nine assists and six steals. Petersburg had no clue what to do with her.
"I like the way we played," Garland said. "We had our intensity, we were able to play up-tempo, and we were focused in on what we wanted to do. I think we played very well together."
The Cougars had their problems early. They didn't have their first field goal until 3:59 had passed and shot only 33.3 percent in the first 16 minutes. But after that, with the transition game working to perfection, the Cougars sank 19 of 29 shots for 65.5 percent.
Power forward Cindy Martin was particularly effective posting up down the stretch and finished with 16 points. She scored 14 in the last 12:17.
"It wasn't until the second half that I got my head on right," she said.
Pulaski County had a 40-37 edge on rebounding despite a decided height disadvantage. Lena Jones grabbed 13 misses to go with 10 points and has 26 rebounds in her past two games. An unexpected contribution came from 6-foot-2 freshman Kim Cruise, who had eight rebounds and a career-high 12 points.
"I was up for the game, but I was really nervous," Cruise said. "I was afraid I was going to mess up really bad."
The Cougars have been outrebounded in only one game this year.
Petersburg usually gets 17 points and 14 rebounds from Melanie Noise; against the Cougars she had 16 points and nine rebounds. Noise had a season-high 24 points as Petersburg rallied from 13 points back to upset Menchville 64-62 in the quarterfinals last week.
"I really thought this was going to be a closer game than it was," Garland said. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB