Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 2, 1993 TAG: 9303020111
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS STEUART STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
'CATS, 'DOGS TO FACE OFF IN TAZEWELL
The Radford High School boys' basketball team hasn't beaten Tazewell in two chances this season.The Bobcats' third opportunity comes tonight in the Region IV AA playoffs at Tazewell High School at 7 p.m.
Radford coach Brenda King said she hopes to avoid a basketball strikeout by capitalizing on a late-season Tazewell swoon, during which King said the Bobcats' rivals lost 9 of their last 11.
The Bobcats, on the other hand, nearly pulled an upset in the New River District Tournament last week. After taking four overtimes to knock off Christiansburg in the semifinals, Radford almost toppled Blacksburg in the finals, but fell short 52-50.
"Our preseason goal was to reach the regionals. And to survive four overtimes to get there it really makes it worth it," said King. "Of course if we would have scored a couple more points against Blacksburg we would be playing with a lot more adrenalin."
They're going to need it. In the first game of the season, Tazewell got by Radford 57-53. Then in February at Tazewell, the Bulldogs clobbered the Bobcats 81-67.
Tazewell's Mike Hairston has been a force against Radford, scoring 21 and 14 points in those two meetings. In the last game between the two teams the Bulldogs made eight 3-pointers. They also have a speedy point guard named Mike Kidd who is an ace at handling the ball.
"They are not very big but they crash the boards hard," King said. "On defense we need to have our hands in their faces and we need to keep the score in the 50s."
Radford is missing its go-to player, Chris Hairston, who was suspended from the team after he was arrested and charged with breaking into a Radford apartment and with grand larceny in the theft of various items.
"You need a go-to guy in the regionals. We'll miss him, but we are playing as a team with a lot of emotion and adrenalin," King said. "Since we don't have Chris Hairston . . . I'd say we're going to be a different team. We have to focus on what we have and not what we don't have."
What the Bobcats have right now is good chemistry. That is aided by the return of Matt Linkous from a broken radial knob in his elbow and guard Garrett Jones from a one-game suspension.
The other Region IV opener on Tuesday night is Graham at Gate City High School.
The winner of the Radford-Tazewell game travels to Highlands champion Virginia High on Thursday night. The winner of the Graham-Gate City game will travel to Blacksburg on Thursday night.
If Blacksburg wins it will host the final on Saturday night at 7:30. If the Indians lose then and Radford is still alive then the Bobcats will host the finals on Saturday night at Radford High School.