Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 7, 1993 TAG: 9303070189
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BASSETT LENGTH: Medium
LAUREL PARK HALTS MARTINSVILLE IN REGION FINAL
Before hopping the bus to Bassett High for Saturday's Region III championship game, Laurel Park coach Frank Scott had one last reminder for his club."I told 'em that we had come over here a week ago and messed up, losing in the semifinals [of last Saturday's Piedmont District semifinals]," Scott said.
"So I told 'em, let's be sure and do it right this time."
The Lancers made good on Scott's order, turning aside archrival Martinsville 54-45 in front of a packed house.
Laurel Park (24-1) and Martinsville (21-5) both advance into this week's state tournament round of eight. The Lancers will meet Region IV runner-up Virginia High, while the Bulldogs will face Region IV winner Gate City. The sites and dates will be announced Monday.
Laurel Park, which survived a four-overtime thriller over Salem in Friday's regional semifinals, will be making its fourth consecutive trip to the state tourney.
This time, Scott & Co. hope to bring home the main hardware - a state trophy.
"I have a good feeling about this team," Scott said. "We have a week to work and rest some muscles. I don't have a crystal ball. We're just going to try and keep doing what we've been doing."
And that's winning. It was the Lancers' third victory of the season over the Bulldogs.
"Everybody thought we'd be in trouble when we lost our go-to guy," said Laurel Park senior Carlos Cooke, referring to the graduation of big man Odell Hodge, now starring as a freshman at Old Dominion.
"The thing is we've become a better team without him. We're playing much more as a team. Everybody is contributing and picking up the other one."
Cooke did his share of pickup work in the second half, scoring 11 straight points.
After a first-half struggle - the two clubs combined to make 14 of 55 shots and commit 19 turnovers - Laurel Park led 21-20. But then the Lancers took over.
James Holland's steal and layup gave Martinsville the first basket of the second half and its last lead. Laurel Park outscored the 'Dogs 19-8 the rest of the third quarter as Martinsville hit only four of 12 shots in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Martinsville closed to 45-41 with 3:53 to play. But after Cooke's two free throws gave the Lancers a six-point lead, the Bulldogs turned the ball over on their next two possessions.
Still, the Bulldogs crept to 49-45 with 52 seconds left on Todd Johnson's two free throws. After Chauncey Strange missed the front end of a one-and-one, Martinsville had its chance.
But senior Maurice Spencer threw the ball away on the possession. After Ronnie Jackson made it 50-45 with a free throw, Spencer hoisted up a 3-pointer that drew nothing but air.
Jackson's two free throws with 27 seconds left put it away at 52-45.
The Bulldogs had five turnovers in the final 3 1/2 minutes.
"We had a chance, but we kept turning it over," Martinsville coach Husky Hall said. "We were still in it, but we shot a three when we should have been looking for a two.
"We just couldn't get the ball to go down the hole, too. Oh, well. We'll back and come play again."
Cooke's 13 points paced Laurel Park, which hit only 19 of 59 shots. Martinsville, which hit 17 of 48 and committed 22 turnovers, was paced by Spencer's 11 points. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASKETBALL